Irene’s Chilaquiles with Herby Green Sauce

As part of our partnership with Oxfam America to produce a video accompaniment to our Winter 2020 Climate issue, I invited chef and anti-food waste crusader Irene Li of Mei Mei in Boston and the Food Waste Feast blog into my home kitchen to show us how make something delicious out of food that may have otherwise gone to waste. Using a combination of ingredients found in her refrigerator and mine, Irene made two full meals from sludgy scallions and herbs, a package of almost-moldy stoneground local corn tortillas, a tiny container of Wednesday’s leftover pork tenderloin-sweet potato supper, some dried out Indian takeaway rice and a few very tired-looking vegetables. The Green Sauce below is a riff on the Local Greens Pesto that accompanies every Double Awesome sandwich at Mei Mei, and appears in the award-winning cookbook Irene and her siblings wrote in 2019, Double Awesome Chinese Food.

Use your imagination and the contents of your crisper drawer and Tupperware to make the most out of the food you already have, before going to the grocery store. For more suggestions on how to use up leftovers and how to safely eat food that looks beyond its prime, see our handy EB’s 12 Tips to Reduce Waste in the Home Kitchen.

For the Green Sauce

Makes about 2 cups sauce

2 bunches past-their-prime scallions, peeled and trimmed of anything sludgy or dried-out, tough parts, chopped
1 sad bunch of basil
large bunches of past-their-prime tender herbs, like dill, parsley, mint or cilantro, stems included, roughly chopped
1 bunch yellowing kale or chard or any greens (even romaine lettuce!), washed and chopped, ribs and all
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Set aside 1 cup chopped scallions and 1 cup chopped cilantro for the chilaquiles.

In a high-powered blender, working in batches, blend the scallions, herbs and greens with a little olive oil and vinegar until it makes a smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

For the Chilaquiles

Serves 4

¼ cup safflower or other neutral oil
1 package stale stoneground corn tortillas, cut into chip-sized wedges
1 cup chopped scallions (reserved from Green Sauce)
6 eggs
1 cup grated cheese of any kind (cheddar, Monterey jack, even goat cheese)
Green Sauce (see method above)
¼ cup crème fraîche or Greek yogurt
1 softening red chili, sliced into rings
1 cup chopped cilantro (reserved from Green Sauce)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large nonstick skillet heat the oil and add the tortilla wedges. Toss to combine; tortillas will begin to sizzle and become fragrant. Add scallions, continue to sizzle and char a bit in the oil. Let the scallions and tortillas crisp and brown at the edges.

Make 6 little wells in the tortillas and crack the eggs into the pan. Season each egg and the tortillas with salt and pepper; continue to cook until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Sprinkle the cheese all over and allow to melt.

Loosen the chilaquiles from bottom of the pan with a spatula and slide onto a platter. Dollop with Green Sauce, crème fraîche or yogurt and scatter with chili rings and reserved cilantro. Season with more salt and pepper and serve, for breakfast or dinner.