Purslane chilaquiles

Chilaquiles are a favorite way to use leftover tortilla chips in my house, and the wild vegetable purslane (Portulaca oleracea), or “verdolagas” in Spanish, have long been used in Mexican cuisine to accent them.

If you don’t know purslane already, you should. This garden weed is extremely nutritious raw, a good vegetable source of Omega 3 fatty acids, among other nutrients. It is so ubiquitous that people weed it out of their gardens and toss it into the compost heap without a second thought. Purslane’s fleshy leaves are also common along sidewalks, where the plant can often be found growing in abundance.

Since purslane is about to be the wild ingredient of the month at Hunger & Thirst’s July recipe round up, I made these chilaquiles for breakfast. They are a great way to use up leftover chips and salsa folks usually toss after dining out at a Mexican restaurant, particularly if the place makes its own chips.

Purslane Chilaquiles

Ingredients:

• 2 handfuls of tortilla chips
• 2 eggs
• a splash of milk
• ¼ to ½ cup salsa or pico de gallo
• 1 slice of cheddar (or better yet, queso fresco)
• ½ cup chopped purslane leaves and stems

Instructions:

1. Beat eggs together with milk.
2. Stir in salsa, cheese, and tortilla chips, tossing until the chips are coated.
3. Give it a minute to meld while heating a smidgeon of oil in a pan.
4. Cook the mixture, flipping or mixing occasionally, until the eggs are almost cooked.
5. Throw in the purslane and cook for a few minutes longer.
6. Serve with more salsa or pico de gallo on the side. Note: The chips will no longer be crunchy, but rather more meaty in texture.

Updated 2.26.21