Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 corn tortilla
• 1/4 cup leftover refried beans (pg. 186 or canned)
• 1/4 avocado, sliced
• 2 tablespoons quick-pickled red onions
• 1 tablespoon leftover ancho-lada sauce to top egg (or storebought)
• 1 pinch alfalfa sprout (optional)
• fresh cilantro leaves
• crumbled Cotija cheese
• lime wedge
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon peppercorn
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 2 cups hot water
• 4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and deseeded
• 3/4 cup roughly chopped sweet onion
• 1 (15 ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Instructions

1. 1. Make the tostada. Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low. Once the pan is warm, add the oil. Crack the egg where the oil pools, using a silicone spatula to pull in the whites of the egg. If the whites of the egg begin to bubble, turn the heat down further or pull the pan off the heat for a second. Cook for 1 minute, and then spoon the oil in the pan over the whites of the egg until cooked through. Carefully remove the egg from the pan. Set aside.

2. 2. Add the corn tortilla to the leftover oil in the same pan. Turn the heat up to medium, and fry the tortilla for about 2 minutes on each side until toasted. In another corner of the pan, reheat the refried black beans until warm.

3. 3. To serve, place the pan-fried tortilla on a plate, and top with a shmear of refried black beans. Garnish with the avocado slices, the sunnyside egg, pickled vegetables, Ancho-lada Sauce, alfalfa sprouts, if desired, cilantro, and cotija. Give it a fresh squeeze of lime, and serve immediately.

4. Notes.

5. Optional add-in: Use up leftover cooked bacon in the freezer. Reheat the bacon with the beans, crumble it, and use it on top of the tostada.

6. Ingredient Tip.

7. You’ll notice cotija cheese used throughout the book. I love it for two reasons—a little goes a long way and it doesn’t require dirtying a grater.

8. For the Pickled red onions:.

9. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. In a pint-sized Ball jar with measurements or a glass bowl, add the vinegar, sugar, salt, and peppercorns. Add the boiling water to the vinegar mixture. Stir until the ?salt and sugar have dissolved. Submerge the sliced onion in the pickling solution and let sit for at least 30 minutes. This can be done up to 3 weeks in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator.

10. For the Ancho-lada sauce:.

11. In a high-powered blender, measure the hot water using the ticks on the side of the blender container. Add the chiles and submerge. Let sit for 10 minutes. Once reconstituted, add the remaining sauce ingredients. Blend on high until smooth. This yields 4 cups. It can be made up to a month in advance and stored covered in the fridge.

12. GET THE BOOK HERE:

13. https://www.amazon.com/Minimalist-Kitchen-Wholesome-Essential-Techniques/dp/084875526X.