Migas for Breakfast (The Homesick Texan)

Before I share this Tex-Mex breakfast, let me post my disclaimer right away: Except for a cross-country trip, in 1976, where I found myself white-knuckling through Dallas during rush hour, I have never been to Texas-- I've been through Texas.  Literally.  I've made a few plane connections at Dallas-Forth Worth Airport, but I've never had the pleasure of sight-seeing the many Texas places-to-see that I've read about.  Someday...

I've been a loyal reader of Lisa Fain's foodblog "The Homesick Texan", for quite a while.  I impressed with her friendly and approachable food blog persona-- she even responds to comments! I always appreciate bloggers who take the time to interact with their followers.

For that reason, I bought Lisa's cookbook, that is titled the same as her food blog.   I have bookmarked so many of her recipes, and have thoroughly enjoyed reading her stories about her life in Texas.  Like my disclaimer says, while I haven't eaten authentic Tex-Mex food in the Home State where it is proudly served--  I can personally attest to how easy and delicious her Chili Gravy recipe is (from her blog), because I made it for my  Cheese and Onion Enchiladas.  If you love the flavors of Mexico, get the book!

 Star ingredients: jalapeno, onion, garlic, cilantro-- and my own leftover tomatillo salsa verde

On Saturday mornings, I much prefer to make a breakfast with eggs.  That's the day that Craig and I have to do our weekend chores, and I need protein to get me going.  I'd never heard of Migas, before, but according to Lisa--

"If you’ve ever had breakfast in Austin, chances are you’ve had a plate of migas. This dish of eggs scrambled with fried corn tortilla strips, salsa and cheese is ubiquitous in some of the Texas capital city’s most popular breakfast spots, including Las Manitas where it’s almost a crime not to order their marvelous migas. I have fond memories of spending lazy mornings in this bustling Congress Avenue diner, scooping spoonfuls of the crunchy, cheesy eggs and bacon-laced refried beans into fluffy flour tortillas. There’s no better way to start the day."

The picture of this dish, in her cookbook is mouth-watering.  I had to make this! I used a combination of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, and leftover corn tortillas (we do love our Taco Tuesdays).

For the eggs:  Beat 6-8 eggs (I used six), about 1/4 cup milk, salt, pepper and 1/2 tsp ground cumin, and about 1/4  cup of fresh cilantro.

In my beloved cast-iron skillet, I heated about a half-inch of vegetable oil and fried the cut tortilla strips; cook them for about 2 minutes, remove and place on paper towels. Set aside. Pour out most of the oil.

Saute the onion and jalapeno (NOTE: Lisa uses four jalapenos, but I used only half of ONE jalapeno), until tender-- about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook just until fragrant--about 30 seconds.

DISCLOSURE:  I made this recipe TWICE, on separate weekends.  With all due respect to the author, my first attempt didn't quite work, to my expectations-- per the cookbook.  I'll explain why at the end, and will show you how I had better success on attempt #2.  MY WAY, TAKE TWO: add the eggs....

Cook the eggs, on medium-low until partially cooked...

...add the cooked tortilla strips.

Add about half the cheese; give this a gentle stir to combine.

This step is completely optional: I wanted to use leftover salsa verde, and it was refrigerated. I don't like adding cold salsa to hot food, so I added some salsa over the mixture.  Preheat the broiler, with the rack on high and broil for about one minute-- until the cheese is bubbly and melted.

Breakfast is ready!

TASTING NOTES, TAKE ONE: The first time I made this recipe, I thought the flavors were good. Personally, I thought the textures weren't quite right.  In the cookbook recipe, the instructions say to cook the eggs for about a minute, then add the cheese and to gently stir.  Problem:  Cheese plus gooey eggs = gooey, gloppy eggs.  No bueno!  Plus, when the tortilla strips got added to the gooey, gloppy cheese/egg mixgure, they got soggy.   

I'm not one to give up on a recipe that has promise.  So, my adaptions were to cook the eggs more,  then add the tortilla strips, to let them retain more of a crispy texture.  Then I added half the cheese, to melt into the egg-tortilla mixture.  By broiling the remaining cheese, I got the creamy-melted texture I wanted.  Bingo!!

 In a way, Migas reminds me of Nachos, but the eggs makes this a perfect, hearty breakfast.  I can see lots of possibilities with this recipe that can be personalized to your own taste. Lisa says that you can add crumbled Mexican chorizo, chopped poblanos or anything else. If I had any refried beans, I'd definitely want to try adding those.  I garnished this with sour cream, green onion and cilantro. If I had a ripe avocado, yep, that would be added to it.    I only wish I had flour tortillas-- and I plan to make Lisa's recipe, from her cookbook.  Migas for breakast.  It's a good thing.  

Now, I want to go to Austin, Texas!

A printable recipe is at the end of this post. If you cannot view it, click here to be directed to Key Ingredient.

 

Cinnamon-Raisin English Muffins, Made Easy

During my work week, I'm such a creature of habit. It begins with my alarm going off at 5:10am, stretching out and delaying (until the last possible minute) hopping into the shower so I can try and wake up. For at least two years, I make a cup of Jet Fuel K-Cup coffee in my Keurig, and toast a Cinnamon-Raisin English Muffin, lightly buttered with honey and enjoy it on my way to work-- listening to my daily podcast. 

I stock up on English Muffins, when they are on sale and freeze them.   Then, the unthinkable happened. One Monday morning, I sleepily reached for a muffin. Empty. Nothing.  I checked the freezer, and the familiar plastic bag wasn't there.  Nooooooo! The drive to work, just wasn't the same for me, as I sipped my coffee and made a mental note to stock up, after work.

Necessity is the Mother of Invention, so during my break, I decided to do a little research on how to make my own English Muffins. I found a recipe on "Baking Bites".  That evening, I measured out the water, sugar and yeast.

Then, I unpacked the English Muffin Tins I had purchased some time ago-- with the intention of learning  how to make English Muffins.  NOTE: You don't have to own muffin tins. I've heard that people make them out of foil-- or the dough is supposed to be thick enough that you can do this "free form".

This is a plastic bucket with a lid, that I use a lot for making bread.  A glass bowl and plastic wrap works just as well.  To the sugar and yeast, I add warm water (at about 110F) and stir it; set it aside for 5-10 minutes until it becomes bubbly and alive.

Turn on the oven to WARM for 2-3 minutes and then turn it off.  This is my way of speeding up the proofing process.

See this cool little tool?  It's a Danish Dough Whisk, and this has become a handy little tool. It makes mixing bread dough a breeze.

It's been less than ten minutes, and I've measured out flour, raisins, cinnamon and I'm warming up some 1% milk to about 110F.  The yeast is nice and foamy...

I've dumped in the flour and cinnamon, and now I add the warm milk...

 ...and mix the dough together until smooth.

This is effortless, I tell ya!  The dough is wet, almost like a very thick pancake batter.

Add the raisins, and give the batter a good stir.

Cover the dough and let it rise.  I placed mine in my warm and snug oven.

45 minutes later, we have English Muffin Batter!

The English Muffins are actually cooked, rather than baked. I used my cast iron griddle, that I very lightly sprayed with baking non-stick spray.  I set the heat at medium-high.  If you don't have a griddle you can certainly use a skillet.

I also sprayed the muffin tins with non-stick spray.  So, this is very much liking making thick pancakes.  I've made this recipe, twice, and found that 1/2 cup of dough worked out best.  These do puff up a bit...

You will actually notice a bit of bubbles, which is a sign that it's time to flip the muffins over-- this took about 2-3 minutes.  It all depends on your stove and skillet/griddle.

A couple of tricks that I learned, is that I used a small spatula to spread the batter evenly (if you're using tins).  Otherwise, you can certainly make these "free-form" and use a spatula to shape them.  If you're using muffin tins, they get hot (and I am speaking from personal experience), so having a towel to grab them helps.  Just like making pancakes, I slipped a spatula underneath the muffin, said a prayer and....

The first once was a little messy, and borderline burned.  That's why I suggest starting at a medium heat until you get to know your griddle.

I finally got the hang of it.  Total cooking time was about five minutes per muffin.

The tins slip off pretty easily, so I could check if they were properly cooked.

I do recommend that you test one of the thicker ones.  I didn't do that the first time, and I ended up with a couple of raw muffins. Not good.

See?  It's not ready yet.  You want a toothpick to come out clean.  I let these cook for another minute, and they were done.

From start to finish, I had homemade Cinnamon-Raisin English Muffins in one hour! How fun!

I had to wait about 10-15 for these to cool. 

The moment of truth, as I split one open with a fork.

I know one thing, for certain. I will never run out of Cinnamon-Raisin Muffins again!

I packed up the muffins for the next morning...

I toasted a muffin, and made my cup of coffee...

...and added honey to it. All was right with the world, again.

TASTING NOTES:  Delicious!  It has just the right balance of cinnamon.  It's so easy, that you don't even need to use a stand mixer.  These are just as good-- if not a wee bit better-- than the commercial ones that I pay up to $4.00 a package for.   The biggest difference, though, is that these need to be frozen, if you don't eat them in a matter of a day or two. Otherwise, they will begin to mold (also spoken from experience, after the first batch).  You see, there are no preservatives.

I'm so glad that I finally learned how to make English Muffins. They're less scarey and complicated than I thought.  Next, I'll work on a Whole Wheat version.  I hope that you give this a try, yourself.  Breakfast is an important way to start the day, and these would be a great way to do it.

A printable recipe card is at the very end of  this post. If you have trouble viewing it, click here to see it.

Enjoy,

Debby

Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

With the arrival of Spring, I'm on a citrus kick.  I have three recipes to share with you, and two of them uses Meyer Lemons.  My husband planted a Meyer Lemon tree for me, a few years ago.  I love the beautiful orange color of Meyer lemons and am always looking for ways to enjoy the flavor of these lovely citrus fruits.

Meyer lemons are thought to be a cross between a lemon and a mandarin or a common orange; they are a bit sweeter than the more traditional Eureka lemons.They're also pricey to buy! Yikes! Still, they're worth it.

If you've never made scones before, I can assure you that they are very easy to do.  They are virtually fool-proof-- but there are a few important tips that I will share with you.  I was inspired to make these scones when I saw them posted on "Our Best Bites".  My son loves Lemon Poppy Seed Scones, and he used to buy some "pre-fab" scones that are sold in a plastic bucket.  I knew I could make a better version.  I printed the recipe and made a batch in no time at all.

The recipe begins with flour, baking soda, baking powder, lemon zest...and (I would find out too late), some sugar.   I rarely do this, but I forgot the sugar!  More on that later....

Tip #1:  Grate frozen butter.  This is much easier than cutting cold butter, and using a pastry blender. You can use a box grater, a micro-plane (for cutting coarser products...yes, I have an assortment of micro-planes) or your food processor with the grating disc.

 

Why frozen butter?  Tip #2: Scones puff up better, and have a very tender texture when there are cold chunks of butter (just like making pie crusts).  The butter creates more steam, they bake.  Add the grated butter to the dry ingredients, and use your fingers to toss and combine-- until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Tip #3: Don't overwork the dough!  Don't squeeze the dough... just toss gently.

For the wet ingredients, whisk one egg with the buttermilk.   I wanted to make sure that the lemon flavor would be the star of the show.  I keep pure lemon oil in my refrigerator, for times like this. I suppose lemon extract could work, but I'm a purist.  A little goes a long way, I added 1/4 teaspoon.

Pour the wet ingredients over the crumbly mixture and gently combine with two forks, or I like to use a flat whisk.  You don't want the dough to be "wet", but more "shaggy".  That means, mix until it's wet enough that any loose flour has been incorporated.  Then, stop!

Lightly flour a surface and dump the dough.  Patiently pat the dough... pat, pat, pat.   NOTE: This is the first batch that I made, and I had to add a bit more buttermilk to it.  It did come together better.

Tip #4:  We are not making bread!  Don't be tempted to knead the dough!  Pat, pat, pat.  Trust me, we don't want to work the gluten in the flour, or we'll have hockey pucks for scones.

When I posted recipes for  my Strawberry Scones or Harvest Pumpkin Scones, I show how I shaped the dough into a circle, and then cut them into wedges. 

This time, I wanted to make mini scones, so I shaped the dough so that I cut squares and then cut each one into a triangle.

A bench scraper makes this easier to do.

Spread each scone, evenly, on either parchment paper or a Silpat Mat.

Tip #5:  Freeze the scones. Yes, freeze them for at least 10 minutes.  Tips #1 & 2 explains why this is a good thing.

I set two timers-- one for 15 minutes, and another for 12 minutes. I wanted to be sure that I didn't burn the scones.  At 12 minutes, they weren't golden brown, yet. So 15 minutes did the trick. Look!  Puffy!

While the scones were baking, I made a glaze of powdered sugar, the juice of the zested lemon and 2 Tablespoons of half & half cream.  NOTE: In my first batch, I made a glaze with melted butter, instead of half & half, but found that the butter muted the lemon flavor.  I prefer a glaze that I can easily drizzle over a scone, so add the half & half (or you can use heavy cream or whole milk) a little at a time.    Here's the COOLEST TIP YET:  Balance a cooking rack over your kitchen sink (carefully, obviously)...

That way, when you spoon a glaze, the mess drips right into your sink-- no tray to wash, no parchment paper to waste.

Easy cleanup!

This is the first batch of glaze, made with melted butter instead of half & half.  It's thick, but as I've said, I felt it muted the lemon flavor. It was good, but...

I made a thinner glaze and spooned it over warm scones.  NOTE: I forgot to sift the powdered sugar, for this batch, hence there are clumps of sugar.  Simply esthetic flaws, but the flavor was great.

Once the scones had cooled, I added one more layer of glaze. Perfect!

TASTING NOTES FOR BATCH #1:  As I first mentioned, I forgot to add sugar to my first batch.  However, the thicker glaze saved the day.  I was disappointed, and my son reluctantly said that these were "okay".  Craig, on the other hand, ate them all and said he liked that they weren't sweet.

I couldn't stand it-- I had to make another batch, and tweak the recipe a bit.  I decided to switch sour cream for buttermilk, because I felt that my first batch of scones had a texture that I wasn't crazy about.  This time, I added the sugar, and made the glaze without butter.

TASTING NOTES FOR BATCH #2:   Bingo!  Redemption tastes sweet.  In this case, the sugar made these scones just sweet enough. I loved that the lemon flavor really took center stage.  The scones were tender and I am happy with this version.  That is not to say that Our Best Bites recipes isn't good. It is-- sometimes, a tweak or two is a good thing. In this case, I can say that this recipe is adapted from "Our Best Bites".  Thanks for the inspiration!

By the way, I froze half of my second batch of scones.  The following Saturday, I took them from the freezer into a 400F oven, and they turned out perfectly!  This is a great tip for planning ahead-- or, in my case, not being tempted to eat all of them at once.

A recipe card is at the end of this post.  If you can't "view" the card on this page, please click here.