Put an egg on it!

It has been awhile since I have posted due to the inevitable "back to school" rush.  Back to school means back to work in my house, and it has been hard to shake the summer off and get back into the swing of things.  

I don't know if I can ever be the productive weekend warrior that preps meals on Sundays, organized and labeled in cute containers for the week ahead.  Those people are out there and I applaud them. I aspire to be like them.  But alas I am tired and need to take baby steps.  

So I am learning that for evenings that I come home wiped out, and early mornings when I am still too foggy to think straight, my heroes have been eggs and avocados.  When in doubt, put an egg or an avocado on it- or both in the case of the avocado and egg on naan bread amazingness I made last week.  Another favorite of mine is avocado, egg, and black bean tacos.  These are perfect for the tired and ill-prepared cook since they can be a breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  Until I am back on track from my summer of sleeping in and leisurely breakfasts, I will throw eggs and avocado onto things and always be happy with my meal.  

Black Bean Entree

 Austin has two restaurants that are open 24 hours and serve the perfect eclectic mix of Austin friendly foods for cheap prices: Kerby Lane Cafe and Magnolia Cafe.  People can get very intense with their loyalty about which of these similar places is better, but I have always felt equal love for them both. Each place has its unbeatable menu items.  At Kerby Lane it is the Kerby queso or the gingerbread pancakes.  At Magnolia, the MagMud queso, eggs zappatino, or the black bean entree. 

Of course theses were a staple in college for late night banana nut pancakes and coffee, but far beyond my college days I still think that they can't be beat.   I must admit that it was my husband who taught me to really appreciate the perfection of this simple (and ridiculously cheap I might add) black bean dish.  I learned traveling with him in Nicaragua that he really can have beans at every meal and never tire of them.  Being vegetarians, we eat a LOT of black beans and I can get burned out on them- but I never tire of this dish.

All this dish entails is mixing black beans with some garlic butter, and topping with amazing things. I use cheese, tomatoes, chives, avocado, and sour cream.  I aim to copy the original, but anything would be a great addition.  Maybe some marinated tofu or jalapenos.  At Magnolia they really do it right by serving this bowl with a cornmeal pancake.  What would I not have given to get my hands on cornmeal pancake ingredients yesterday.  But alas, it was 102 degrees and I was against the idea of leaving the house.  And guess what?  It was still an awesome meal without it.  Plan in advance when you try this easy recipe.  If not corn meal pancakes, some fresh corn bread will be perfect.  Enjoy!