Migas Breakfast Tacos

June 01, 2015 by Aurel Pop in Breakfast/Brunch

I've been struggling with coming up with a story for this post. Initially I didn't understand why this was happening, but then I realized that it was because every time I read an article about Austin, breakfast tacos are always mentioned. It feels like there are no more stories to be told about them. With that in mind I'll spare you the usual rundown and go straight to the point: breakfast tacos are absolutely fantastic and deserve all the hype!

If you aren't from Austin and you happen to take a trip here, don't make the mistake of not having a breakfast taco even if it's not for breakfast. You see, Austin is a weird place where most of the taco places will serve you breakfast tacos all day long. It's Austin's favorite breakfast after all. It's got all the ingredients for the perfect breakfast: eggs, vegetables and cheese.

Migas breakfast tacos are perhaps the most famous of all. It's also the preferred breakfast in our household. Almost every weekend we have them by either making them at home if we have the ingredients , or by going to our favorite breakfast taco place, Veracruz. With the monsoon season hovering over Austin for the entire month of May, getting drenched in the rain in line at a taco stand didn't sound like a very good idea, so we made sure that our grocery list included eggs, tortillas, onions, tomatoes, peppers and queso fresco.

Preparing migas shouldn't take too long. You can have them ready and steaming on your table within 20 minutes. If you consider that to be a lot of time, just take a minute and think about how long it would take you to get dressed, drive to a taco shop , wait for your food and then go home. I'm all about efficiency so I prefer cooking my breakfast tacos in my pajamas. Is there really a better way to spend a rainy weekend morning?

In the recipe I recommend corn tortillas, but you can go for flour or whole wheat if that’s your preference. Corn tortillas make the tacos more authentic in my opinion and add a distinguished Latin American taste. The vegetables are also open to variation. The ones I mention in the recipe are the usual suspects in Austin migas, but spinach or mushrooms are also good options. The most important part of the migas and the ingredient that cannot be replaced is the tortilla strips. Migas translates to English as crumbs, so if you're removing those you're having a vegetable scramble and not migas.

Enjoy!

MIGAS BREAKFAST TACOS

Yields 8-10 tacos
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

5-6 eggs, pasture raised
1/4 cup milk (whole or low-fat)
3/4 cup queso fresco, crumbled (or cotija, añejo, or mix of all)
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 TBS canola oil (peanut, or sunflower seed)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, diced (red, green or mix of both)
1 jalapeño, deseeded and sliced (or serrano pepper)
1 medium tomato, diced
2 small tomatillos (optional)
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 poblano pepper, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 corn tostadas, broken into bite-size pieces (or fried tortillas or thick corn tortilla chips)
1 tsp kosher salt (add more to taste)
8-10 corn tortillas
1 avocado, sliced
1 lime, wedged
1 TBS queso fresco, crumbled (for garnish)
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

In a medium bowl beat eggs until the yolks and egg whites are well combined. Add milk, cheese and pepper. Do not add salt just yet as it will make your migas watery and the tostadas less crunchy. Set aside.
In a deep skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering add onions, bell peppers and jalapeños and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and tomatillos and cook for another 3 minutes. Season with black pepper (still no salt).
Pour in egg mixture. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir for about 1 minute. Put in back on the stove and continue cooking for another minute or two. Add poblano pepper and half of the cilantro you have prepared. Repeat the one minute off, two minutes on while stirring and folding the mixture. This procedure will make your migas creamy while keeping the vegetables crunchy. When you reach the desired consistency (I prefer the eggs on the runny side) remove from the heat and fold in the tostada pieces. Now it's the time to salt it. Taste and season to your liking. You're done!
Serve migas on corn tortillas with avocado slices, chopped cilantro, pepper slices, and crumbled queso fresco with lime wedges on the side. If you want to take your breakfast taco to the next level add a few spoons of my Fiery Jalapeño Salsa and/or the milder Roasted Vegetable Salsa.

NOTE: Corn tortillas tend to fall apart easily, so you may want to double up with 2 per taco.

Roasted Vegetable Salsa

April 26, 2015 by Aurel Pop in Condiment

I love Mexican cuisine and all of its American variations: Tex-Mex, New Mexican, Rancho, etc. I can't resist the bold flavors that fresh ingredients bring into these dishes, the a mix of hearty meats and cheeses with all kinds of sauces and vegetables.

In certain ways the abundance of flavors, textures and spices remind me of Eastern European cooking. In Romania we have a spread called zacusca which has a bunch of variations in the Balkans like ajvar, ljutenica or pindjur. All of them are vegetable-based with ingredients like onions, peppers and tomatoes, and sometimes aubergines, mushrooms and beans. If you think about Mexican salsas, they are not that different ingredients-wise. One thing that's not common between the two is that the salsas are served fresh, whereas the relishes/spreads in the Eastern European cuisine are preserved.

What blows my mind is that, even though the two cultures are so different and the two regions are so far away from each other, there are still similarities when it comes to flavors and ingredients.

I find salsa to be one of the most important ingredients in Mexican food. A good salsa has the ability to make a decent dish amazing. It's the ingredient that will take your taco or burrito game to the next level. What's amazing about them is how easily they can be made. If you read my previous blog post, I shared my Blackened Fish Taco recipe. That taco is marvelous as is, but if you add a spoon of this salsa or my other favorite, the TacoDeli-inspired Doña salsa (recipe to come), I guarantee that your tasting taste buds will have an orgasm.

This salsa recipe is my take on a traditional charred vegetable salsa. I've tried several other combinations and this is the best I could come up with. I added a little twist by grilling the lime and adding a bit of cumin, but the main ingredients are the traditional onions, peppers and tomatoes.

My version is on the milder side of the spectrum. I use poblano and jalapeño peppers instead of serranos and I usually remove the seeds and most of the white membrane that holds the seeds (placental tissue). That's not because I don’t like heat, but because it’s a good balance to my more fiery salsa mentioned above. You can use it for your tacos, burritos, on your breakfast eggs or as a dip with warm corn tortilla chips. No matter how you eat it, this salsa is going to make your food taste better.

Enjoy!

Roasted vegetable salsa

Yields 2-3 cups
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 large tomatoes, halved
1 large red onion, halved
1/2 medium yellow onion, halved
2 poblano peppers, halved and deseeded
1 jalapeño, halved and deseeded
1 bulb garlic, halved
1 lime, halved
2 tsp olive oil, drizzled
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 lime, juiced (about 1-2 TBS fresh lime juice)
1/2 tsp cumin, ground
1 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
salt, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. If you're using your oven pre-heat it to 425F (220C) degrees.
Place the tomatoes, onions, poblano and jalapeño peppers, garlic and lime halves in a medium bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. The amount of salt shouldn't matter at this point so don't sweat too much over it.
Transfer the vegetables to the grill. If you're roasting them in the oven, transfer them to a baking tray that's lined with aluminum foil.
Grill until the veggies are blistered and charred, about 10-15 minutes, turning them occasionally.
Remove the vegetables from the grill. Start with the tomatoes as they cook faster. If you're broiling them in the oven, jut take the tray out and let them cool for a bit.
Once the veggies are cooled down, press the garlic out of its shell, remove the skins of the tomatoes and peppers, clean the peel off the onions and gently squeeze the charred limes into the food processor. Make sure that only the juice gets out of the lime because the pulp and the white membrane is going to make your salsa bitter.
Transfer the vegetables and juices to a food processor, add the cilantro and pulse until you reach your preferred level of chunkiness. Add the lime juice, cumin, black pepper and salt to taste and pulse one more time to mix in the spices.
Transfer to a mason jar and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving. If properly cooled, it will stays good for about 10 days.

Blackened Fish Tacos with Pickled Onions and Mango Salsa →

April 23, 2015 by Aurel Pop in Main Dish

The warm weather finally arrived. And if you live in Texas like I do, by warm I mean hot. I am personally not a big fan of torrid weather mostly because here in Austin, summers seem to never end. It's always hot and the cold weather seems to last for 2 weeks max. Back home in Romania, I was used to eating hearty food year-round, but it just doesn't feel right in this heat. My appetite diminishes. I crave simple, refreshing and easy dishes like tacos.

I am a taco fan, but my girlfriend is their number one fan. She's a taco groupie. As a matter of fact, she's fairly convinced that tacos are the ultimate food. She will have them for breakfast, lunch, dinner or as a snack. You know how they say that there are seasonal dishes? Hearty and heavy during the colder months, and light and simple during the warmer ones? Well for Roni the taco season lasts all year long (and most Austinites would agree).

And you know what? She's right. Tacos are awesome! What's great about them is that they can be done with minimal effort and cooking skills. Heck, you can build them based on personal preference! If you're a health freak grill your protein, add veggies and go easy on the cheese and salsas. If you're a filthy animal like me, pan-roast your protein and then load your tacos with cheese instead of veggies and top everything with your favorite salsa (a few recipes to come).

The choices are endless. Next time you plan a trip to Austin, go to Veracruz, TacoDeli, Taco More or Papalote and experience it for yourself. You will find all sorts of tacos from pork or fish to cauliflower or beans. Put eggs in them and call them breakfast tacos. You can't go wrong with tacos.

I consider myself a newbie to the taco scene. I ate them for the first time 4 years ago when I moved to Austin from Hungary. I clearly remember that moment- I had a Baja Shrimp and a Mr. Pink at Torchy's. From that minute I knew that I had to start making them for myself.

My obsession with tacos escalated to the point where I turned my sister into a taco junkie. Two years ago she visited me and stayed for 2 weeks. I took her to different places so she can experience the Austin food scene, but the one thing she kept mentioning (and still does when we Skype) are the tacos. She became addicted to them. She was so desperate that when she returned to Hungary she packed (read: loaded) fresh cilantro and bottles of salsa in her luggage. Ever since I call her the Pablo Escobar of cilantro.

Over the years I have tried several recipes and experimented with non-conventional ingredients only to come to the same conclusion - keep it simple. As I was playing with the different variations and flavors I became more and more interested in breakfast tacos and fish tacos, as they are the two types of tacos that people are most opinionated about. I've tried several spice combinations for blackening the fish and I can confidently say that after 4 years I found the perfect one.

The combination of flavors in this recipe is amazing. The sweetness of the mango will cancel out the tartness of the pickled onions and the heat of the jalapeños, while the warm tortilla and flakey fish chunks will melt in our mouth.

Now enough with the talk, let's get down to business. Ladies and gentlemen, I present you with the perfect Blackened Fish Taco!

BLACKENED FISH TACOS WITH PICKLED ONIONS AND MANGO SALSA

Serves 3-4
Prep time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Blackened Fish Tacos

2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp Hungarian paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 big tilapia fillets (replace with sea bass, flounder, halibut, catfish, cod)
1/2 cup peanut oil (or canola oil, or sunflower seeds oil)
2 TBS unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sprigs rosemary or thyme
9-12 tortillas (corn, wheat or flour)

Pickled onions

1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
10-15 black peppercorns, whole
3 whole cloves, whole
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1 big red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup carrots, julliened or grated

Mango Salsa

1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 jalapeño, deseeded and diced
1/2 poblano pepper, deseeded and diced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
salt, to taste

Instructions

Blackened Fish Tacos

In a small bowl combine smoked paprika, Hungarian paprika, garlic and onion powder, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper.
Dry the fillets thoroughly with paper towels then coat each fish fillet with plenty of spice mix. Let them rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.
In a large cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is sizzling, add the fillets and cook for 3 minutes on each side.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, crushed garlic and the sprigs of aromatic herbs. Continue cooking the fillets turning them over a few times (so that they brown evenly) and basting with the lightly browned butter. Cook for about 3 more minutes until fish is white and opaque.
Transfer the fillets to a serving platter and let it rest for a few minutes.
Break up the fish into chunks and assemble the tacos on a warm tortilla (corn is my personal favorite) by adding pickled onions and mango salsa.

Pickled Onions

In a small saucepan mix vinegar, water, brown sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves and salt.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisk for about 5 minutes until all sugar is dissolved.
Add onions and carrots to the pan and gently stir to combine. Remove from the heat after 1 minute.
Let the mixture cool down to room temperature then transfer it to a mason jar or to a hermetic glass container.
I prefer the way they taste after refrigerated for at least an hour.

Mango Salsa

In a medium bowl mix mango, bell pepper, green and red onions, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño and poblano peppers. Squeeze the lime all over the salsa and season with pepper and salt to your liking. Toss and combine.
Keep refrigerated for an hour before serving. That way the flavors will blend and the salsa (pico) will taste a lot better.