Theme Recipe: Feathered Serpent Beans

Feathered Serpent Beans

This comes from an interesting little book by Sonja Atkinson The Aztec Way To Healthy Eating.  These are sort like the more modern, but equally Mexican, Huevos Rancheros.  The beans can also be left whole and served as a really nice side dish.  I've adapted some of the ingredients and measurements to make it easier.

The Aztec Way to Healthy Eating

1 cup dried pinto or other bean (painted beans like Anasazi beans are great)

1 medium onion (white onion are best), diced
Up to 1 tsp of salt to taste
4 ripe tomatoes, diced
1/2 to 1 tsp. pure chili powder (you may also use the regular kind)
6 tbs. honey (or Agave nectar, I use this rarely because of pesticides)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves


1 to 2 eggs per person
Salsa (any type homemade or not)


1.  Almost all non native cooks will tell you to soak beans overnight.  I've never known any Native American cooks, no matter where they came from (tribe, etc) to ever soak.  I don't, I wasn't taught that way.  If you like, wash and soak them.  I just wash, pick them over and pot them right away.


2.  Cover with water, add all the other ingredients, except the eggs and salsa.  Bring to boil and cook simmering over low heat for at least 2 hours, most beans are done in that time, some painted beans will take an extra half hour and black beans need 3 hours of cooking time.  


3.  If serving with eggs, plate and mash the beans some.  Cook egg how you like them, sunny side up, over easy, over medium, poached, etc.  Lay eggs on mashed beans and top with generous amount of salsa.  Serve extra salsa on the side.

VARIATIONS:

If you want to serve them whole as a side dish, add some chopped peppers of any kind or color after the beans are cooked, cook ten more minutes.

Green onion is a good addition add the end of cooking.

You may serve them, mashed on toasted corn tortillas topped with the eggs.

Add some shredded cheese.