Booze beans and eggs. Super cheap, easy and delicious recipes for the lockdown.
I miss brunch! So I decided to create one with Ina’s Bloody Mary’s and some Mexican food. I don’t drink vodka so when you substitute tequila they become Bloody Maria’s. As for food I decided to make Huevo(s) rancheros. After I made those the next day I used up the rest of the ingredients in Chilaquiles.
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Ina Garten’s Spicy Bloody Mary
I cut the recipe in half and used 14 oz. canned diced tomatoes because I didn’t have any tomato juice, In the past I’ve used canned whole tomatoes and there is a lot of extra water in whole canned tomatoes so the mix will separate. Just stir before making the next drink. I also don’t add the booze. I make each drink separately. If you have any left overs you can freeze it in ice cube trays and throw in zip bag and use the cubes in glasses the next time you make a batch.
I made a half batch and used 1/2 of all ingredients except salt and booze.
Ingredients
3 large celery stalks, plus additional stalks for serving
3 teaspoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons grated yellow onion
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons) I didn’t have lemons so I used orange juice.
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon celery salt I only have celery seed which I ground up in a mortar and pestle.
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt I only have sea salt. I also used more salt because the canned tomatoes I used have less salt than processed tomato juice. I adjusted the salt at the end.
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco, or to taste
1 (46 ounce) can Sacramento tomato juice I made a half batch and used two 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes. One was no salt one had salt. I used 1/2 of all ingredients. I pureed the canned tomatoes before adding them to the pitcher.
2 cups vodka I used tequila and didn’t add it to the mix. I made each drink separately.
Cut the celery in large dice, including the leaves, and puree in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the horseradish, onion, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, kosher salt, and Tabasco and puree it again. Pour the tomato juice into a 2 1/2-quart container, stir in the celery and seasonings mixture, then add the vodka and chill. Place a few ice cubes in each glass, pour in the Bloody Mary mixture, and garnish with a celery stick.

This makes the drink a little crunchy but it’s tasty and healthy!

Make due with what you have or can find. I just ground this up in a mortar and pestle.

I blended up the canned diced tomatoes separately before adding to this base.

I don’t add the booze at this point. I make each drink separately. Then you can freeze the left over mix as ice cubes.

Add booze and ice.
Booze beans and eggs – Huevo(s) rancheros
This recipe can’t cost even a dollar per serving if you don’t use meat. Huevos rancheros are usually a spicy saucy, sometimes with meat like chorizo in it, topped with a crispy corn tortilla. On top of the tortilla is more spicy sauce and then a fried egg. I’ve never bothered making a sauce I use canned refried beans in place of sauce. I make mine with jazzed up refried beans on the bottom, a crispy tortilla, more refried beans spread over the tortilla and then a scrambled egg and some more jarred salsa. You can also add any vegetables you have laying around. In this case I added some leftover canned fire roasted tomatoes on the side.
Jazzing up refried beans.
I always add Frontera Salsa to canned refried beans or when I mash canned beans. Then I add some shredded cheese of your choice. Stir, microwave and eat or use in a recipe. Just don’t add so much salsa that the beans are runny. I usually stock the Frontera Guajillo and Mexicana salsas (both medium heat). Once you open the jar the salsa doesn’t stay fresh for long because it isn’t loaded with preservatives. I either use the balance of the jar to make ground beef tacos (which I freeze in small servings) or I freeze the rest in a couple of snack size zip top bags and use it to make beans later.

Jazz up canned beans with some jarred salsa and the cheese of your choice. Stir and microwave until blended.
Crispy tortilla
I place a corn tortilla on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and lightly brush both side with vege or canola oil and bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Place some jazzed up beans on the bottom of the serving dish.

Add a crispy tortilla and more beans.

Top with egg and any veges you have lying around. I used some canned fire roasted tomatoes and jalapeno slices.
How to freeze tortillas
If you want to freeze corn or flour tortillas and be able to use one or only a few at a time you need to freeze them with either parchment paper or wax paper ( I always use parchment paper) between each tortilla. Then put them in a large zip top, When you want some just open the bag and pull out what you need. Voila. I reuse the parchment paper to either bake a tortilla on or when I freeze a new bag of tortillas. Just leave the old sheets in the bag in the freezer. Initially you will have to cut out sheets that are the size of your tortilla. You will be left with narrow strips of parchment paper. I use those also to line baking trays when I’m freezing something like tablespoons of tomato paste, chipotle in adobo, tomato paste, grated ginger etc. Keep them in a zip top back with your parchment paper.

Corn tortillas frozen with parchment paper between each tortilla.
Booze beans and eggs – Quick Chilaquiles – Rick Bayless
This recipe can’t cost even a dollar per serving. I substitute beans and eggs for meat. Mr Bayless’ recipe probably makes four servings. I cut it in half and it made three small servings. Chilaquiles are a recipe created to use up left over sauce and tortillas.
1 jar (16 ounces)Frontera Tomatillo Salsa , Frontera Roasted Tomato Salsa, or Frontera Chipotle Salsa. I used 3/4 of a jar of salsa plus 1/4 of a 14 ounce can of fire roasted diced tomatoes.
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth. If you’re making the whole recipe add the broth. I use a little water if I don’t have enough salsa.
8 ounces Frontera Authentic Taquería Tortilla Chips (about 8 loosely packed cups. I used about a quarter of a 12 ounce bag of the Frontera Thin and Crispy Tortilla Chips that I had left over in the freezer. COTC tip: store unused tortilla chips, tightly closed, in the freezer.
1/2 cup freshly grated Mexican queso añejo or other garnishing cheese such as Romano or Parmesan. I used some shredded cheddar.
Shredded cooked chicken and sour cream, optional I replaced the meat with Jazzed up refried beans on the bottom of the serving bowl. I also added a scrambled egg (for more protein) on top.
Thinly sliced onion for garnish Skipped
Chopped cilantro for garnish Didn’t have any. Skipped
Heat the salsa and broth (if using) together in a large saucepan to boiling. Stir in the chips, coating them with the salsa mixture. When the mixture comes to a simmer, cover the pan and remove it from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Spoon onto warmed plates. Sprinkle with cheese, shredded chicken, sour cream, onion and cilantro. Serve right away. These are a little soft as leftovers but they’re delicious. Just microwave.

I used up left over salsa, beans, tomatoes, and chips to make chilaquiles.

This is an 8 inch skillet.

Store your left over chips in the freezer.

I started with a cup of chips but it was too soupy so I added the rest of the chips or a total of 1/4 of a 12 ounce bag.

Put a layer of jazzed up beans on the bottom of serving dish.

Add chilaquiles and some cheese.

Add an egg and any veges you have laying around. This is the rest of the canned tomatoes.
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