Ejotes con Huevo {Green Bean Scramble}

When I was little, one of my grandpa's favorite breakfasts was Nopales con Huevo.  It was one of the few foods I refused to eat as a kid.  Fresh nopales weren't available at the local supermarket back then, so my grandmother always used canned nopales.  They were precooked and cut into long thin strips and packed in some kind of liquid.  I thought they were totally gross looking and refused to eat them, no matter how much my grandma tried to convince me otherwise.

"But m'ija, they taste just like ejotes (green beans)."

"Well, then make me ejotes con huevo, instead of nopales!"

Gramm didn't say much after that, but from that moment on, every time she made Nopales con Huevo for her and Pappy, she prepared a small skillet of Ejotes con Huevo just for me.  I was happy as a clam and thought my Ejotes con Huevo were a million times better than their Nopales con Huevo.

It wasn't until a few years later that I realized Gramm had tricked me.  She never made me Ejotes con Huevo.  I had been eating Nopales con Huevo the whole time!

More than being upset about being tricked, I felt silly for thinking that Ejotes con Huevo actually existed.

So, you can imagine my surprise, when many years later, my suegra (mother-in-law) prepared Ejotes con Huevo for breakfast one morning during Lent.   Remembering that Gramm had tricked me all those years ago, I asked my suegra if she had really made Ejotes con Huevo or if she was just saying that so the kiddies would eat nopales.  My suegra looked at me as if to say, "Estas loca!!!", and kindly explained that Ejotes con Huevo were indeed a real dish that can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Ejotes con Huevo have been an old family favorite ever since.

Ejotes con Huevo
(Green Bean Scramble)

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups cooked green beans (or canned), cut into 2-inch pieces 
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 to 2 serrano chilies, sliced
• Queso Fresco (optional) 

Directions:
Break the eggs into a medium bowl and beat with a wire whisk for about a minute until well combined; set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil in a large skillet, preferably non-stick, over medium-high heat.  Sauté the green beans, tomato, onion and serrano chilies for 2 to 3 minutes.  Pour in the beaten eggs and cook, stirring occasionally, until the egg is completely cooked.  Season with salt and pepper.

Top with grated queso fresco and serve with your favorite tomato-based salsa.  Enjoy!!!