Buenos dias Huevos Rancheros

Ola! This is a dish that will wake you up in the morning and after a few ales last night its just what we needed! It has a nice kick but its not too spicy for a breakfast. I've wanted to make this classic for a while and its a bit similar to the chorizo and bean skillet bake I've posted before in that its all cooked in the one pan and contains eggs cooked in tomato - a winning combination!

This took me about half an hour to make so its not too time consuming and is definitely worth it. I don't think its the traditional way of making this dish as the sauce and eggs are usually served on top of a tortilla whereas in this recipe the tortillas are cut into strips and baked under the grill. Its an adaptation of the original - the rebel child.

Ingredients
(para dos)
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
Handful jalapeños, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 plain tortilla
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
Feta for crumbling
Cheddar cheese, grated, for topping
Sour cream
Pinch of paprika
Chopped parsley

First preheat your oven to 220°C. Now soften your onions in a drop of olive oil in a cast iron pan, for about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and jalapeños and cook for a further minute (it might be best to check the heat of your jalapeños first so you don't add too many, it depends what you like...) Add the tinned tomatoes and season with salt and pepper then allow to simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. I also added a ladle of beef chilli left over from last night's tea which added a nice bit of meatiness but this isn't in the traditional recipe and is not strictly necessary (it was just to use it up).

Whilst the sauce is simmering cut your tortillas into strips about 1cm wide (see pic below). If you use a pizza cutter this is done in no time. Brush a baking sheet with olive oil and lay out the strips then brush the tops of the strips with the oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and bake in the oven for about 3-6 minutes until they start to brown a little and are nice and crispy. Remove from oven and turn off.

Once the sauce has thickened a bit its time to cook the eggs. Remove the sauce from the heat then crack the eggs into the pan (I used two 8" skillets for individual portions). Cover with a pan lid and return to a low-medium heat for about 6-8 minutes - the eggs should be white but not completely opaque. Take off the heat.

Now preheat your grill and then arrange the tortilla strips on top of the sauce/eggs, you might have to break them up a bit. Sprinkle with the feta and cheddar then pop under the grill to melt the cheese and finish cooking the eggs.

Serve immediately with dollops of sour cream, a sprinkling of paprika, a few jalapeños and chopped parsley. Buen apetito!