food to glow

So, this is what I’ve been blowing my sacred jar of coconut bacon on. Other than picking it straight from the jar, or sprinkling the toasty smoky shreds on top of another (upcoming) breakfast concoction, this is how I’ve been spending the bacon.

It has everything I desire in a breakfast item: contrasting textures and tastes, banging nutrition cred, and ever so slight weirdness. Oh, and heat. Heat is my caffeine. 

Both chopped Peppadews and brined jalapeños spike these Greens and Beans Breakfast Tostados, which are my tomato-less take on the famous Mexican breakfast, huevos rancheros.

As I said, heat is my caffeine. And some mornings are just two-pepper mornings for me. While you probably fill the gap that sleep missed by downing two espressos, I opt for chillies. The beans here are perfectly normal  – a must with huevos rancheros. But the spicy massaged raw kale is perhaps a new thing for some of you huevos rancheros aficionados.

So that’s three chillies, isn’t it?

Are you scared yet?

I have nothing, nothing at all against tomatoes – I can demolish a whole punnet of cherry tomatoes to myself – but for some reason I baulked at making a spicy tomato sauce that is the norm for huevos rancheros. And besides, my kale and chard plants seem to be in a race to see who can take over the garden first. If I wasn’t so deaf I’m positive I would hear them growing. And picking their leaves only serves to encourage these innocuous triffids. Which is of course fine by me. Not being desperately green-fingered I am just glad I found a few plants that seem to thrive on my ignorance and are so incredibly useful to us.

Soon I will share another breakfast partner for coconut bacon, and also a tomato-free shakshuka-type recipe. Again, another breakfast. I will break free from this rut I am in. Promise. But in the meantime, I hope you enjoy my ongoing and seemingly unquenchable breakfast obsession. We do eat other meals here at food to glow!

Filling yet light, these spiced kale and bean tostados are perfect for a lazy breakfast, or even lazier brunch. I’ve written these up with pinto beans but use the more standard black beans if you like. And switch out the kale for some other greens too – spinach, Swiss chard or even collard greens add a great mineral hit.

4 small corn tortillas (not the tiny ones though)

2 tsp rapeseed oil or coconut oil, divided use

185g (1 cup) cooked pinto beans, black beans or borlotti beans, lightly mashed

2 spring onions/scallions, sliced

3 tbsp water

4 Peppadews and/or brined jalapenos, sliced (or fresh chillies if you like)

¼ tsp salt (optional)

1 ½ tsp cumin seeds (divided use)

1 packed cup shredded kale or other sturdy greens

1 tsp chipotle in adobos (mashed), Gran Luchito chili paste or other smoky chili paste (more to taste)

4 eggs

1 avocado

Leaf coriander, to garnish

1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Hot sauce for serving (optional)

Coconut bacon for serving (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.

1. In a small pan toast the cumin seeds over a low heat until fragrant; crush in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder and set aside. It’s nice if they are still a bit nubbly.

2. To the same pan add the beans, spring onions, 3 tbsp water, chopped Peppadews or jalapenos, salt and 1 tsp of crushed cumin seeds. Cover and keep warm.

3. Pop the kale or other greens (even mixed greens) into a mixing bowl and massage in the chili paste. Set aside. Go ahead and slice the avocado into thin wedges and squeeze over a little lime juice if you like.

4. Brush the corn tortillas with a little of the oil, place on a tray and bake in the oven for about eight minutes, or until golden and crisped. Set aside.

5. Now it is time to cook the eggs. I steam-fried mine by brushing a little bit of oil in a lidded sauté pan, heating to medium and cracking in the eggs. Once the whites begin to set add a tablespoon of water and immediately pop on the lid. Cook until the eggs are the doneness you prefer. Don’t want a steam-fried egg? Just scramble, fry or poach. Or even leave them out entirely.

6. To assemble the tostados, take a crisped tortilla and spread on one-quarter of the bean mixture, followed by some of the spiced greens and then the egg. Top with the avocado, coriander, remaining cumin seeds, hot sauce and coconut bacon. Add a lime wedge to the side. Dig in!

Want more? Here are some other vegetables you can turn into ‘bacon’!

Shiitake Mushrooms, from Guy Gone Vegan

Aubergines/Eggplant, from Le Sauce (thanks Monica Shaw for ‘advertising’ it)

And some Beans and Buckwheat too, from No Meat Athlete

Miss R’s Track of The Week is the latest EP from Edinburgh group Slumber Club. Ones to watch!