Breakfast Tacos

We all know the old saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Well, I wasn’t given lemons, but I was given some delicious little tomatoes this past Saturday night by a friend with small city garden. I was delighted and immediately began thinking about how I could use them for breakfast the next morning.

Evan and I used to make brunch every weekend. Today brunch happens every now and then, or if we have weekend guests. Sure, I would try new things from time to time, but the usual rotation consisted of pancakes, French toast, or omelets with a side of bacon or sausage. But since the tomatoes I received were an unexpected treat, I thought I would try something new.

I started with a couple of basics: eggs, a red bell pepper, my lovely tomatoes, and a couple of scallions. While I was cutting the veggies I was thinking about what else I had on hand that I could whip into something delicious. I recalled that I had some fresh cilantro, cooked bacon in the freezer, shredded Mexican blend cheese, and corn tortillas. Breakfast tacos. Perfect!

Cut off and discard the white ends of two scallions and thinly slice the green stems. Dice about a quarter of a red bell pepper. Quarter 4 cherry-sized tomatoes (any variety). Crumble 2-3 strips of cooked bacon.

Place a pat of butter in a non-stick skillet with the red bell pepper. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes. This will soften the peppers a bit.

While the peppers are sautéing, crack 5 eggs into a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of milk. Add coarse salt, fresh ground pepper, and a bit of crushed red pepper if you want a little kick. Whisk thoroughly.

Pour the egg mixture into your skillet over the peppers, stirring frequently. When the eggs are partially cooked, add the crumbled bacon.

Once the eggs are done, top them with most of the sliced scallions and 2 tablespoons of cheese. Cover the pan for a minute or two, just long enough to melt the cheese.

Turn off the heat. Place two corn tortillas on each plate and scoop the eggs evenly onto them. Top each taco with the remaining scallions, fresh cilantro leaves, and tomatoes. Like hot sauce? So do we! I put out both Chipotle Smoked Tabasco (my favorite!) and Cholula, but we both opted for the Tabasco sauce. It gave the tacos a nice smoky flavor.

Breakfast was a success! I would like to thank our friends Sarah and Will for the amazing garden fresh tomatoes that inspired me to make this dish. I used what I happened to have on hand; have fun trying this with whatever ingredients you have at home! If you find a winner, please let me know. Enjoy!

Breakfast, Bacon, Gluten-Free