Mexican Eggs and Canadian Bacon

Try this breakfast dish, a version of huevos rancheros, for a taste of how the day begins in Mexico - with poached eggs nestled in heart-healthy tomato salsa. In this recipe, the eggs can be poached the night before to save you time in the morning. Canadian bacon is added to boost the protein.

Preparation time: 15 minutes  Cooking time: 15 minutes  Yield: 4 servings

2 teaspoons white vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

4 eggs

8 slices Canadian bacon

1 cup fresh salsa, drained (available in produce and deli sections of markets", or a good brand of commercial salsa

4 corn tortillas, 6-inches in diameter

1 Fill a deep, small skillet with an inch of water, add the vinegar and salt, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat so that the water barely bubbles. One at a time, break the eggs into a small bowl and slip into the water. Cover the skillet, or start to spoon the water over the eggs. Cook until the white has just set and the yolk has filmed over, 3 to 5 minutes.

2 Remove each egg with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper-towel-covered plate. Keep the eggs warm by covering the plate loosely with aluminum foil.

3 In a nonstick skillet, cook the Canadian bacon until brown, cooking 2 ½ minutes on each side. Meanwhile warm the salsa in a small pot and heat the tortillas. An easy method of heating the tortillas is to microwave several tortillas stacked on a plate and covered with a paper towel. As you add each tortilla to the stack, dip your fingertips in water and flick some water on the tortilla so that it will steam when heated.  Microwave on medium no more than 1 minute to prevent the tortillas from becoming chewy.

4 Assemble each serving by placing 1 tortilla on a warmed plate. Spread almost ½ cup salsa over the tortilla. On top of this, place 2 slices of the bacon, slightly overlapping. With a slotted spoon, remove 1 egg from the pot and place on top of the bacon. Garnish the eggs with a tablespoon of salsa. Serve immediately.

Tip: Poached eggs can be cooked the night before and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.  To warm the poached eggs, bring water to a gentle simmer in a medium size pot. Trim any ragged edges from the eggs and, using a slotted spoon, gently lower each into the water. Reheat for I minute.

Go-With: Nopales, the paddles of the cactus plant, area great source of soluble fiber, the kind that lowers cholesterol. Look for canned nopales in gourmet and specialty markets. The taste is even better in fresh paddles. Shave off the thorns with a vegetable peeler, cut the flesh into small strips, and simmer in water until tender, about 15 minutes. Nopales taste something like string beans.

Per serving: Calories 229 (From Fat 87); Fat 10g (Saturated 3g), Cholesterol 240mg, Sodium 1,118mg, Carbohydrate 16g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 19g.