Recipe: Migas with Fresh Tortillas and Homemade Crema

MIGAS WITH FRESH TORTILLAS

4 large eggs
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp salsa (preferably chunky)
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
2 (6-inch) corn tortillas, torn into small pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
2 tbsp chopped green chiles
1 medium tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
1/2 cup chopped avocado, sprinkled with a little lemon juice
2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
2/3 cup grated mild cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese
crema or sour cream (crema recipes below)

In a small bowl, lightly beat together the eggs, water and salsa, and set aside.

Chop the onion, green chiles, tomato, avocado and cilantro before you start the migas so they'll be ready when you need them.

Warm the butter and olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add the tortilla pieces and saute until softened. Add the chopped onion and saut until it is transparent. Stir in the chopped green chiles.

Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, and "scramble" until eggs are done.

Remove the skillet from heat, and sprinkle the chopped tomato, avocado, cilantro and cheese into the eggs, again stirring well.

Serve at once with warm flour tortillas. Garnish with additional salsa and crema or sour cream.

So, you've got the idea. You are limited only by your imagination. Resourceful cooks have a world of ingredients from which to choose. In addition to the ingredients called for in these two recipes, some additional possibilities for enhancing your migas are:

Crisply cooked and crumbled bacon
Chopped ham
Crumbled chorizo (browned before you add the eggs)
Cooked, shredded chicken or turkey
Grated or diced potato (saut ed until tender before adding the eggs)
Poblano chiles
Green Bell pepper
Your favorite hot sauce
Green onion
Cayenne pepper (a dash or so)
Minced garlic

"As long as your dish contains the requisite tortillas, you will still have migas. Of course, if you omit the tortillas, you'll still have a delicious, satisfying dish, but you won't have what they're eating in Austin." Souce: Patricia Mitchell

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CREMA I (MAKES JUST OVER 1 CUP)
"This version is particularly good with spicy dishes."

1 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp cultured buttermilk* (2% or 4%)

Gently stir together the whipping cream and buttermilk in a small non-reactive bowl.

Loosely cover the bowl, and allow it to sit at room temperature between 8 and 24 hours until thickened and tangy.

Stir well, cover and refrigerate. Crema will keep for at least one week.

*"A word of caution: This is not the time to try out the vinegar/milk buttermilk substitution. If you don't have any buttermilk in the house, I'm afraid you're just going to have to make trip to the store."

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CREMA II (makes 2 cups)
"A bit more pourable, this version is excellent with fresh fruit, your favorite pound cake, and fruit pies and cobblers."

1 cup whipping cream
1 cup sour cream

Again, gently stir together the whipping cream and sour cream in a small non-reactive bowl.

Cover the bowl, and allow it to sit at room temperature for 4 to 5 hours until thickened and tangy.

Stir well, cover and refrigerate.

"Discovering crema won't mean that you will never again buy another carton of sour cream, but it will add a delicious new dimension to some of your old favorite recipes."