Crispy Tortilla Eggs with Avocado and Lime

This can be served for any meal of the day.

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Crispy Tortilla Eggs with Avocado and Lime

Adapted from a recipe published in The Washington Post which referred to the book How to Eat Supper,  by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift, which apparently includes this recipe.

Serves 4

4 6-inch stale corn tortillas, stacked and cut into 1/2-inch wide strips
1/4 onion, coarsely chopped
5-6 oz. Monterey jack cheese, or queso fresco, crumbled or grated
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 large lime, cut in half
6 large eggs
3 T vegetable oil, plus more as needed
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 c salsa of your choice
1/4 c crema or sour cream, as a garnish

Crack the eggs into a bowl and lightly beat them.

Have ready a plate lined with paper towels next to the stove. Heat the oil in a large12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Working in 2 batches, add half of the tortilla strips and cook for about 1 minute without moving them around until they begin to crisp. Use tongs to turn them over and cook for another minute. Don't let them cook too long since you'll be cooking them more later. Transfer them to paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining half of tortilla strips, adding oil if needed.

When the second batch of tortilla strips is done, return the first batch to the pan. Turn the heat to medium and add the chopped onion and cook for about 2 minutes until the onion has softened and the strips look nicely browned. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and spoon off any extra fat, reserving about one tablespoon in the pan.

Return the pan to the stove top. Move most of the strips to the edges of the pan, leaving about 3 inches clear in the center. Add most of the eggs to the center but drizzle some over the strips. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, allowing the eggs to set, and then gently pull them apart, letting any uncooked egg reach the surface of the pan.

Once the eggs are firmly set, turn them gently in large pieces to finish cooking.

Serve immediately with the salsa, cheese, slices of avocado, a squeeze of lime and a drizzle of crema or sour cream.

Note from Colette: You can add to this basic recipe to spice it up. I like to add chopped green chile to the eggs and top with chopped cilantro and, although I haven't tried it, I think it would be good with some left-over chorizo sausage mixed in.