Migas--Georgia Style

I lived in Texas for two glorious years before moving to Georgia, but unforunately I wasn't lucky enough or in-the-know enough to order a plate of migas for breakfast while living there. 

Don't know about migas?  I didn't either.  Here are some good explanations from the Homesick Texan or Pioneer Woman, but I can tell you, too: it's a tasty breakfast dish with eggs designed to use up stale tortillas.  The recipe below is another one I adapted from the Homesick Texan cookbook.

Both explanations above note that the eggs are not scrambled; you wait for the eggs to set on the bottom and then do some gentle folding.  However, my folding turned into scrambling, but I don't think the end result suffered.  The stale tortillas (you can use fresh ones, too) are cut into strips and fried, and in the original dish, they're stirred into the eggs while they're cooking, which softens their texture.  Well, if I'm going to the trouble to fry something (I had the baking soda box next to the skillet--one grease fire is enough for me, thank you very much), I want it to be crunchy, so I made the tortilla strips a bed for the eggs to sit on.  I only used a few tablespoons of canola oil, and the strips were nice and crispy in just a minute or two.  If you don't want to fry the tortilla strips, I'm sure you could bake them or even just use tortilla chips. 

The finished product was completely delicious.  We had this as our first meal of 2012, and we were both very happy and satisfied.  Try this on your next lazy weekend morning; you won't regret it. 

Migas--Georgia Style

Oil, for frying
2 tortillas, cut into strips
1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
10 pickled jalapeno slices
4 eggs
Splash of milk
1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp cumin
3-4 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup (2oz) grated Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack cheese
Salsa, for serving

In a large skillet, preferably a cast-iron skillet, heat a few tablespoons of oil over medium high heat.  Place tortilla strips into skillet, cooking until crisp, turning once.  Remove tortilla strips with a slotted spoon and place on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Drain the oil from the skillet, leaving 2 tablespoons, and turn down the heat to medium.  Add the onions and jalapenos to the skillet, cooking while occasionally stirring until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes.  While this is cooking, whisk the eggs in a bowl with the milk, salt, pepper, cumin, and cilantro.

After the onions and jalapenos are cooked, add the garlic to the skillet and cook for 30 more seconds.  Add the egg mixture.  Gently stir the eggs; when almost done, sprinkle cheese on top of eggs, and let the eggs sit until the cheese has melted.

Place tortilla strips on a plate, and serve eggs on top.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with salsa.