For years I’ve been trying to duplicate the homefries served since the early 1960s at Monroe’s Restaurant in Albuquerque. This version is the closest I’ve come to it. Don’t let the bacon fat or lard worry you—this is a very special exception to all the rules and you don’t need that much of it. Serve topped with New Mexico Red Chile Sauce.

Ingredients

8 small red potatoes

Water to cover

2 teaspoons New Mexico red chile powder

Bacon fat (preferred) or lard as needed

Instructions

In large pot add the potatoes and water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are easily pierced by a fork, but not too soft. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Using a hand potato masher, crush the potatoes but do not turn them into mush.

Heat a comal, griddle, or cast iron skillet, and add about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat or lard and distribute evenly over the botton. Add the potatoes and fry until the bottom is browned. Using a large skillet, turn the potatoes and fry until the other side is browned.

Just about any filling can be wrapped in a flour tortilla and become a burrito, one of the most popular of the Mexican sandwiches. The breakfast burrito has been made popular in this country by a number of fast food restaurants, but none are as tasty as this one. So start your day with this spicy, south of the border, “tortilla sandwich.”

Ingredients

• ½ pound chorizo sausage

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 small potato, peeled, cooked and diced

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, Mexican preferred

• 3 eggs, beaten with 1 to 2 tablespoons water or milk

• 4 flour tortillas

Instructions

Remove the chorizo from the casing and cook in a heavy skillet until crumbly. Add the onion and continue to saute until the onion is soft and the chorizo is done. Remove the pan from the heat and pour off the accumulated fat.

Return the pan to the heat and stir in the potatoes and oregano..

Add the eggs to the chorizo mix and cook until set, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.

Warm the tortillas by wrapping in a damp towel and heat in the microwave at 50% for a minute or until hot.

To Assemble: Place one-fourth of the mixture in the tortilla and fold in two opposite sides. Fold over the other sides like an envelope and serve.

Pizza for breakfast-why not? After all, Italians love cold pizza with hot cappuccino for breakfast. But rather than cold pepperoni, I&rquo;m proposing a hearty and hot breakfast pie. Use frozen prepared dough and hash browns for easy, quick assembly.

Ingredients

• 1 pound thawed frozen pizza or bread dough

• 1 cup thawed frozen hash brown potatoes

• ½ pound cooked spicy sausage, drained (optional)

• 6 eggs

• 1 tablespoon milk

• 1 cup chopped green New Mexico chile

• 6 green onions, chopped

• 1/4 cup chopped black olives

• 1 teaspoon crushed dried oregano

• Salt

• ½ cup grated cheddar cheese

• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Press dough into a 10-inch round pizza pan making sure it covers the bottom and pinch up the sides to form a rim. Let the dough rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Cover the bottom of the dough with the hash brown potatoes and sausage. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top.

Beat the eggs, milk, onions, olives, oregano, and chile together in a large bowl. Pour the mixture over the hash brown mixture. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake the pizza for 35 to 40 minutes or until the egg mixture is set. Allow the pie to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before cutting.

This is an all-purpose filling that is used here in a to make a breakfast meal wrapped in a warm flour tortilla, but it is also great as a filling in taco shells. In fact, the eggs taste great all by themselves. Whichever way you eat them, they make great breakfast sandwiches.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces chorizo sausage, casing removed

• ½ cup chopped onion

• 1 clove garlic, chopped

• 6 eggs, beaten

• 1 tablespoon crushed dried red chile

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 tomato, cored and diced

• 1 cup grated cheese, cheddar or Monterey Jack

• 1 small tomatoes, cored and diced

• 1 small avocado, peeled and diced

• 4 flour tortillas

• Garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Cook the chorizo in a skillet over medium heat stirring occasionally to break up and clumps. Remove the chorizo and drain on a paper towel. Pour off all but a couple of teaspoons of the accumulated oil. Return the pan to the stove.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan and saute until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the eggs, chile, and cumin, and mix in the pan. Scramble the eggs until firm and done. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese, tomato and avocado.

Divide the eggs evenly between the 4 tortillas and garnish with the cilantro. Roll the tortillas, burrito-style and serve.