Mom’s Huevos Rancheros

If you want a little heat, replace thinly sliced jalapeños for the poblano.

Makes 2 servings

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

1⁄4 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

1⁄2 small green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

⁄3 to ⁄2 small poblano

1 1

pepper, thinly sliced

1 fat clove garlic, peeled and minced

11⁄2 teaspoons California chile powder

8 ounce can Hunt’s tomato sauce (see Note) 8 ounces water, plus more if needed

11⁄2 teaspoons Knorr’s Granulated Chicken Bouillon

4 large cold eggs, preferably organic and pasture-raised

1⁄2 cup cooked refried beans, warmed and ready to serve

4 corn tortillas

1⁄3 cup queso fresco, or to taste

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, or to taste

1 small Roma tomato, seeded and chopped

Heat olive oil in a well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet until shimmering. Stir in the yellow onion (we’ve always called them brown) and cook for 1 minute. Add bell pepper and poblanos and saute until vegetables are tender. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, stirring to keep the garlic from burning.

Stir in the chile powder and cook for no more than 30 to 45 seconds, constantly stirring to keep the chile powder from burning, which would turn the sauce bitter.

Pour in the tomato sauce; stir well to combine. Add water to the tomato sauce can, swirling to clean off the sides of the can, then add to the pan. Stir in the bouillon, bring the sauce to a quick boil, then turn heat to low to maintain a simmer.

For perfectly poached eggs, place a small sieve over a small bowl and crack the cold egg into the sieve. The runnier white portion of the egg will filter through the sieve, leaving behind the thick white liquid and the yolk. Remove the egg to a mug or ramekin, discarding the runny white liquid left behind in the bowl. Repeat with remaining eggs, each going into their own small mug or container.

Check on the sauce. If it has thickened too much, add more water to thin it out; it should be more soupy than gravylike. Bring the fire up to maintain a good simmer where the sauce is barely bubbling (adding eggs to boiling sauce — or water, for that matter — will toughen the whites) and carefully place eggs in equal distance from each other along the outer edge of the pan. Turn heat to low and let the eggs hang out in the sauce, undisturbed, for one full minute, which allows the white portion of the egg to settle away from the top of the yolks, keeping the yolks from developing the thin white film over it.

After a minute and a half, use a tablespoon to gently pour ranchero sauce over the whites of the eggs until they are set but still jiggly. Just before the whites fully set, gently spoon the hot sauce over the yolks to set their tops. Total cooking time should stay in the 3-minute range for soft set whites and runny yolk to 5 minutes for firm whites with thick to fully set yolks.

Warm tortillas and divide them among two plates. Divide the beans between the four tortillas, spreading to cover. Carefully place an egg in the center of each tortilla and carefully ladle the sauce equally over them. Optionally garnish with cheese, cilantro and fresh tomatoes.

Note: I prefer Hunt’s brand because it’s made from 100 percent tomato puree and has no added sugar.