We've got a pretty turbulent love/hate relationship with Mardi Gras. We love the few weeks of parades and constant parties leading up to Mardi Gras day, and then we hate ourselves for a solid three days after because of the copious amounts of king cake and daiquiris we've consumed. Happens every year. Luckily, New Orleans has its own built-in way of balancing out the Fat Tuesday revelry in the form of a forty day stretch of Lent right after.

If you didn't already know, Lent is a Christian tradition between Mardi Gras and Easter when those observing it "give up" something they enjoy - usually a vice like tequila, sugar, coffee, tequila, tequila, etc - as a form of sacrifice. Oh and you're also not supposed to eat meat on Fridays just to really drive home that you done screwed up those past few weeks.

Like it has with a whole bunch of church traditions, New Orleans kind of adopted Lent as a secular cultural tradition as well, and everyone just kinda participates regardless of faith, because when the whole city spends a few weeks partying, the whole city probably needs some time to recover. It's very effective at giving us all a lot of motivation to stop being heathens and start eating green stuff and running or whatever it is you do to be healthy.

And it starts today, the day after Mardi Gras! We both attempted "giving up" green vegetables for Lent when we were kids which, you maybe guessed, was totally not a thing our parents would let us do. Fortunately, over a decade later, we're all about our greens - even for breakfast! We whipped up this little Mexican breakfast situation with some broccoli rabe from our friends over at Andy Boy. The broccoli rabe has an earthy flavor and goes super well alongside the hatch chilies, spices, eggs, and cheese. And, bonus, it's like a really healthy way to start off your morning. The recipe makes enough for two, and basically only dirties one pan if you're careful.

We're really having a moment with broccoli rabe right now (not in a weird way, we're just really into it, OK?) and have been using it in everything from nachos to stir fry for a healthy helping of green goodness. If you're also on the broccoli rabe train, check out our other recent recipe we did with it, a Sesame Broccoli Rabe Crostini. From start to finish, this Broccoli Rabe Mexican Breakfast Skillet will only take you a little over half an hour to throw together. Find the full recipe below!

Broccoli Rabe Mexican Breakfast Skillet

prep time: 25 min // cook time: 15 minutes // serves 2

1 lb (about 1 bunch) Andy Boy broccoli rabe
1 - 2 mild chilies (we used hatch chilies), chopped
1/2 hot chili (jalapeno or Serrano), minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided in two + 1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 pinch chili powder, optional
2 eggs, room temperature
2 (6") corn tortillas
1/3 cup salsa verde or salsa picante
2 - 3 oz shredded white cheese such as pepper-jack or white cheddar
1 small handful fresh cilantro
Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Fill a large mixing bowl with ice water. Set aside.
Begin bringing a pot of water to boil over medium-high heat (you'll basically just want there to be enough water to cover all of the broccoli rabe).
While the water is coming to a boil, bring a medium (about 10”) cast iron skillet* to medium-high heat and add one teaspoon of olive oil. Cut the corn tortilla into long strips and place flat onto the skillet. You may need to do this in batches, adding a small drizzle of extra olive oil to the skillet between batches) if your skillet is not large enough to accommodate all of the tortilla strips at once. Cook for about thirty seconds on each side - they should be browning on the edges and have a crisp texture - before transferring to a bowl. Toss with salt, pepper, and chili powder and set aside.
Add half a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat. Crack the egg into a small bowl to ensure no shells get into the skillet, and gently place the eggs into the skillet. Let cook for about 4 minutes, until the white becomes fully cooked but the yolk is still runny. Use a spatula to gently transfer the cooked eggs from the skillet to a clean plate. Sprinkle a small pinch of salt and some fresh cracked pepper over the eggs and place in a warm spot for the remainder of the cooking process.
While your water is still coming to a boil, cut off the thick bottom parts of the broccoli rabe stalk and cut or tear the broccoli rabe into 2-3" pieces. Rinse well in a colander under cold water.
Once your water is boiling, add the broccoli rabe and let cook for just about one minute before draining into the colander and immediately placing the broccoli rabe in the ice water bath to halt the cooking process. Drain and pat dry the broccoli rabe. Set aside.
In your skillet, heat the remaining half tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, cumin, and minced hot pepper and let cook for about one minute until aromatic, stirring with a wooden spoon constantly. Add the broccoli rabe and mild chilies and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Top with the fried eggs, tortilla strips, shredded cheese, salsa, and cilantro. Serve family style out of the skillet with a spatula or wooden spoon.

Notes

The skillet you use throughout the cooking process for this recipe should be the same one you plan to serve this dish in.

Thanks so much for Andy Boy Broccoli Rabe for sponsoring this post - and to all of you guys for supporting the sponsors that keep Probably This alive and well. As always, all opinion are our own!