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Cook the Book: Migas

Posted by Caroline Russock, October 26, 2009 at 1:20 PM

This migas (with potatoes, beans, and tortillas) is actually from Mi Madre's in Austin. [Flickr: Mr. Wright]

There are so many good things about Ree Drummond's The Pioneer Woman: wonderful recipes, beautiful photographs her family and ranch, sweet and funny anecdotes about country living. But what really sets her blog apart are the amazing step-by-step photos accompanying the recipes. Even the most concisely written recipes can leave the best cooks scratching their heads, but adding pictures is truly worth a thousand words. Chances are if it looks like the visuals (or close enough), it's probably right.

Every recipe that we are sharing with you this week from The Pioneer Woman Cooks has been lovingly tested and photographed by Drummond, and this hearty Tex-Mex breakfast classic, Migas is no exception.

Every step—from the chopping of the vegetables, to the frying of the tortillas, and final plating of the eggs—is broken down and documented. This visual method of writing and illustrating recipes works equally well for relatively simple dishes, such as this one. What could be better than a stunning portrait of the finished product? Well, multiple stunning portraits of the dish from beginning to end!

As always with our Cook the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of The Pioneer Woman Cooks to give away this week. Enter to win here »

Migas

- serves 6 -

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond.

Ingredients

1 medium onion
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
4 tomatoes
1 or 2 jalapeños
10 to 12 large eggs
1/4 cup half-and-half
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 corn tortillas
Canola oil for frying
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups grated Mexican Cotija, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack Cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup cilantro, depending on your taste
1/4 cup sour cream
Orange slices, for garnish

Procedure

1. Begin by roughly chopping the onion, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Finely dice the fresh jalapeños, removing white membranes and seeds, using disposable gloves to protect your hands.

2. In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs and half-and-half. Lightly season with salt and pepper.

3. Finally, in a small skillet, fry the corn tortillas in canola oil until just barely crisp. Don't overbrown.

4. Fry them just until they're no longer floppy.

5. Drain the fried tortillas on a paper towel, then place on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut the tortillas into strips.

6. Then turn them in the other direction and cut into large squares. Set aside.

7. In a skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the onion and bell peppers in the olive oil and butter until they develop a little color.

8. You want the veggies to have some brown and black areas, but not be soggy or soft.

9. Next, throw the tomatoes in the skillet and cook for 1 minute.

10. Then throw in the tortilla chips and the jalapeños. Stir the mixture and reduce the heat to low.

11. When the skillet has cooled slightly, pour in the egg mixture.

12. With a spatula, very gently fold the mixture together, allowing the eggs to cook slowly. Do not stir the mixture, just turn it lightly.

13. When the eggs are cooked, throw in the cheese and plenty of chopped cilantro. Taste to check the seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, or cheese as needed. I always add cheese, it's a habit of mine.

14. Top with a dollop of sour cream and serve on a plate with orange slices or other fresh fruit.

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Tags: breakfast, Cook the Book, eggs, Mexican, Ree Drummond, Tex-Mex, The Pioneer Woman, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, tortillas