In Spain and Portugal, migas is a dish of eggs and stale, leftover bread. The bread may be torn into crouton-sized pieces and pan fried in cooking fat. The dish is often seasoned with paprika. Migas means roughly: crumbs. The dish may be made with vegetables and chorizo as well as the bread.

In Mexico, and in Texas, the dish is rather different. The ‘bread’ is stale, leftover tortillas. The tortillas are cut into pieces or strips, lightly fried and scrambled with eggs. It is not typically a meat dish. In Tex-Mex cooking, one often sees tortilla chips scrambled in eggs. I know it sounds rather strange, but it is very popular, very common. Tex-Mex migas are often accompanied by cheese and pico de gallo.

And so, in short, migas is a dish about leftovers, about using what you have. It is about inexpensively feeding a big family. To me, such recipes are great and old traditions. And, I always love the challenge of cooking to use leftovers. As good cooks, I think we should strive to minimize food waste – to be creative. It is the opportunity the empty the produce drawer for the week and to start fresh. I sometimes say about such dishes, “clean up on aisle 12!” My own migas are perhaps a blend of these migas traditions. I like to use leftover tortillas as I always have tortillas around. I like to include a lot of vegetables, more like a Spanish migas, because I like vegetables. I like the egg to be scrambled in a Tex-Mex style.

Given this is a dish of leftovers, I must tell you it is never exactly the same. I know. I may lose some of you who are uncomfortable without exact amounts and instructions, but stay with me. For the moment, let’s try to think in terms of ratios, and then in options, ok?

The basis for our recipe is 2 tortillas and 3 eggs for every 2 persons. Thus, for 4 persons, we will need 4 tortillas and 6 eggs. Then we begin to go through the crisper drawer! Half an onion? Check! A Roma tomato? Great! 2 jalapenos? Absolutely! Cilantro? Fabulous. A bell pepper? Why not? Again, thinking in terms of ratios, let’s then say that the total vegetable content should be upwards of, but perhaps not more than 2 cups (to the 4 tortillas and. 6 eggs). Dice them all finely and leave them sitting together on the cutting board.

Crack your eggs into a small bowl, salt and pepper, and stir them briskly with a fork.

You can use either flour or corn tortillas. But the choice does make the dish different: Flour tortillas make a softer dish and the corn tortillas make a rather heartier dish. I would not mix and match though, as they have different cooking times. Use only all flour tortillas or only all corn tortillas, and not 2 flour tortillas and 2 corn tortillas together. In Texas, it is common to see tortillas that are a blend of flour and corn (“Mixla” tortillas). Those are my favorite for everyday use. And they are great for migas. Cut all 4 tortillas in half and place them in a stack of 8 halves. Now slice them, still in a stack, the short way, into strips about ½ or ¾ of an inch wide.

Grab a roughly 12-inch skillet and put in a heaping tablespoon of butter and/or oil. I like to use half butter and half olive oil. Avocado oil works well too and has a higher smoke point. But I do like a hint of buttery taste on the tortillas. Bring the skillet and the oil to medium heat and drop in your tortilla strips. Spread them out the best you can to an even layer. Let these brown a little, then flip them over, or just stir them up and settle them back into an even layer, in attempt to get their other sides to brown. They should be lightly browned and slightly crispy.

I then push the tortillas to make a ring around the outer edge of the pan and I push my veggies from the cutting board into the center of the pan. While these are segregated, I let the water cook off of my veggies and I let them begin to soften. After a few moments, and seeing that the (mostly tomato) water has cooked off, I can begin to mix these together.

If you have any salsa (or you have made my cooking salsa), I often add about 2 heaping tablespoons to the center of the pan at this stage. And, again, I allow the liquid to cook off for a moment.

Then, I mix all the things together and I, again, push all the things to the outer ring around the pan leaving the center area of the pan open. I drop in a pat of butter, (but again, you can use any oil you like) and then I pour in my egg mixture. As the egg mixture starts to firm up, I give it a gentle stir with a spatula a couple of times, and then I begin to bring all the ingredients together, coating the tortilla strips and veggies with egg. Salt and pepper liberally at this stage. I also like a bit of cumin and/or chipotle chili powder. When the egg is almost set, I then sprinkle on a bit of cheese.

Not only is this a great use of leftovers before the big weekend grocery outing, it is also, “one -pot cookery.” You have only 1 pan to wash. This is a big favorite for my family and friends. I serve this by itself, with biscuits, with veggie sausage or with more tortillas.

Vegetexican Tex-Mex Migas

4 tortillas, either flour or corn

6 eggs, beaten, in a bowl and set aside

½ small white or yellow onion, finely chopped

½ bell pepper or poblano, diced

½ – 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and finely diced

And handful of cilantro, finely chopped

1 Roma tomato, finely diced, and/or 2 heaping tablespoons of my ‘cooking salsa’

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon salt

Optional:

Shredded Mexican cheese or cotija cheese

Of late, I am feeling very mindful about waste in the kitchen. I am trying harder to make optimal utilization of the food I buy and to keep my refrigerator and pantry fresh and clean. It means that I look for ways to work with what I have on hand. I look to make efficient use of my staples. I enjoy the challenge of being creative, and making something delicious, with a few simple things. And, less waste, saves money too.

There are certain staples that I always have on hand. In the refrigerator, I always have: carrots and celery. In the pantry, I always have: onions, garlic, some kind of potato, olive oil, dried mushrooms, dried beans, dried pasta and some kind of grain, often farro or a mixed wild rice.

Of these weekend/end of grocery cycle meals, I have a favorite right now, a kind of mushroom/onion/leek wild rice blend (and sometimes farro) ‘risotto.’ I switch it up a bit depending on exactly what I have, but it goes like this, here’s what I have on hand:

A leek

An onion

Garlic

A stalk of celery

1 sm. pkg. of dried porcinis

4 lg. “baby bella” mushrooms

Butter

Oil

Wild rice and brown rice blend

Black pepper

Truffle salt (optional)

Parmesan (optional)

I put my leek greens (just the upper middle section) and the onion top in a pan with about 2 cups of water and set that to boil. I put my dried porcinis in a small glass bowl and poured about 1½ cups of boiling water over them out of my kettle.

Then I dice up the following: ½ of the lower, mostly white, portion of the leek, ½ an onion, 1 stalk of celery, 2 cloves of garlic, my fresh mushrooms.

In a large skillet, I warm 1 tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp of butter (you can use only oil if you do not eat butter). I put all of the diced vegetable bits in the pan to sauté. Because I am Southern, I brown the heck out of these bits. I sauté them on medium-low about 15 – 20 minutes. If they start to stick to the pan, pour in just a little bit, maybe a quarter cup, of either of your stock preparations. When all is cooked though, this can remain on low.

I drain the dried mushrooms and save the stock or jus. I put these reconstituted mushrooms in the mixture in my sauté pan with my vegetable mixture.

I then strain the onion top/leek green stock and save that stock. Discard the onion top and leek greens. Then I combine the mushroom and onion/leek stock.   I measure out 2 cups of that stock. I measure about 1 cup of wild rice/brown rice blend. I then bring the stock and rice together to a boil in a small pot. After these come up to a boil, bring the temperature down to low and cover your pot with a lid. These need to cook about 45 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.

Alternatively, I have made this using half farro and half wild rice/wild rice blend. To do so, I cooked the farro and stock alone together for at least half an hour before I added in the other half of wild rice/wild rice blend. This is because the farro typically takes longer to cook. I actually like it a little better with this blend, but it is an extra step and takes a little bit longer.

When this is done, I add about 1 tsp of truffle salt or regular salt and about ½ tsp of black pepper. Then I garnish with Parmesan cheese.

The house will smell delicious! This is inexpensive, easy, healthy and super comforting food.

When I was a kid, pimento cheese sandwiches were a typical weekend lunch. These sandwiches often accompanied soup, salad, crudité or fruit. I didn’t know that this was an exclusively Southern food until I moved to the Pacific Northwest. I never, ever saw pimento cheese there, or really, anywhere outside the American South (interestingly though, I have read that there is a Pilipino version of pimento cheese, but I have never had this). Pimento cheese sandwiches of my childhood were made of grated bright orange cheddar cheese, mayonnaise and a tiny jar of pickled pimentos. To any Southerner: a salad. For anyone unfamiliar, the pimento is a sweet red pepper. This was served on white sandwich bread with the crusts cut off – and, honestly, usually to old ladies and small children. For me, a serious cheese lover, this comforting food is a lifelong love.

I have seen many slight variations of Southern pimento cheese. Some seemingly not untraditional additions include: a bit of yellow mustard, some minced garlic, diced dill pickle, onion or shallot, or hot sauce. A typical ratio for a very basic recipe might be 2 cups of grated cheese, ½ cup of mayo and ½ cup of diced peppers.

The truth is that today, jarred pimientos are sometimes puréed and re-formed into strips, resembling the cut pepper, using a stabilizer. I tend against any such processed food and so, these days, I use a roasted or raw, but finely diced, red bell pepper. Likewise, I now try to avoid cheese with added coloring. I will say that I also tend against any recipes that add cream cheese. In my experience that was not traditional, and more specifically, I think it adds the wrong tang. Now that I am ‘all growed up,’ but still a pimento cheese lover, I like to add fresh herbs like thyme. I have added diced Roma tomato. I even once had a pimento cheese with broccoli sandwich, grilled.

And, more recently, I noticed a recipe that I really like. In The Southern Vegetarian, by Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence, they make a pimento cheese with lemon zest, thyme, sharp cheddar, a bit of goat cheese, olive oil mayo, a diced red bell pepper, a splash of champagne vinegar, half a shallot minced and salt and pepper. This actually makes a lovely combo – and a slightly, if only slightly – grown up pimento cheese sandwich.

I hope that you will try a pimento cheese sandwich for yourself, or with your children and your grandmother. I think you do not have to be Southern, a baby, or an old lady to love a pimento cheese sandwich, served grilled or cold, on a weekend afternoon.

I love Mexico, I love Mexican food, and especially, I love the Yucatan.

Merida, the humble capital of the Yucatan, is one of my favorite cities. I love the nearby access to the pyramids and the Native American history and culture. I love the colonial Spanish architecture of the Merida Centro, the diversity of the population, the freshness of the food… I love the Yucatan’s nearly white beaches and the azure water. Some will love the access to so much fresh seafood.

When I put Mexican food on my table, I almost always have a bowl of Mexican pickled red onions. This condiment, a sort of pickle relish, comes from the Yucatan (and has been traditionally paired with seafood, often fish tacos).

I adore both its brilliant pink color and its bright flavor. I have seen, and made, many variations: Sometimes the onions are blanched, sometimes they are added raw, sometimes the flavor is quite clean and sometimes spices, like earthy cumin may be added… This is the way I have tended toward making the onions of late.

I suggest that you make this a few days ahead, so that the flavors have time to combine – and the onion sort of pickles and crisps.

You will need:

¾ cup boiling water

½ teaspoon salt

1 medium red onion

10 black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon sugar

1 and ¼ cup red wine vinegar

½ small lime, juiced

A small – medium glass jar with a lid, e.g. holds about 2 cups or so of liquid

A mandolin slicer is highly desirable (and I suggest you either buy a cut-resistant glove, or just put the band-aids on before you get the slicer out of the box).

A fine mesh colander

First, cut the top off of your onion. Trim the root so that you have removed the root fibers without cutting far into the flesh of the onion. Then, cut your onion in half from pole-to-pole/top to root. Lay the half rounds so that the flat surface is down and either run the flat top against the mandoline’s blade or make thin, horizontal slices with your knife. In a small pan, boil the water and add the salt. When the water comes to a boil add in the onion slices and stir to just coat the onion with the boiling water. You are not cooking the onion. You are just barely blanching it. Drain the onion using a fine mesh colander.

In the glass jar combine, the onion, the peppercorns, the bay leaf, the oregano and cumin, the sugar, and then, pour the vinegar over the top of these. Squeeze in ½ a lime.   The jar should be nearly full. If it is not quite full, it is ok to add a little water. Put on the lid and shake everything up to combine well. Take the lid back off of the jar and allow the mixture to cool thoroughly for an hour or so. Then, put on the lid, give it another good shake, and place it in the refrigerator. Leave it over night. You can serve these as soon as the next day. I think it is best a few days later. The onion will lose its sharpness and the flavors will develop over a few days.

Serve these onions with any tacos. I sometimes even put this on my vegetable enchiladas. I also regularly serve these on salads. I absolutely love these with cooked greens!

As much as I love to eat my vegetables, and really all vegetables, I am not a fan of iceberg lettuce salads, nor even, any mostly lettuce salads. I like big, hearty salads, kale salads, roasted vegetable salads…
My mom’s favorite salad is a black-eyed pea salad. I love this salad too, for its heartiness, for its flavors and for the healthy fat in its avocado. My parents are at my house, visiting, and my mom wanted to make a dish to take to her church this weekend for their potluck. I think this one is a great choice when one needs to bring a dish to a potluck or party.
She and I each make this salad a little differently than the other. Today, we made her classic style – and below, I suggest variations that I tend toward.

The salad itself – and nothing need be exact about any of this – includes:
2 cups of fresh or thawed from frozen corn kernels
2 cups black-eyed peas or 1 can, rinsed (I use dried, cooked the day before and rinsed, but my mom prefers canned and rinsed) (I also sometimes use 1 cup of rinsed black-eyed peas and 1 cup rinsed black beans)
1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
½ medium – large red onion, diced
1 medium – large avocado, cubed
1/3 – ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Optional: I also like halved or quartered green, pitted olives, maybe 1/3 – ½ cup. I also add a diced bell pepper. If you like heat, you could add a thinly sliced jalapeño.

The dressing includes:
2 tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
¼ teaspoon each of garlic powder, cumin, oregano
Add several good dashes of hot sauce

Once the vegetables are chopped, the hardest part is over. This is so easy. Combine all of your vegetables in a large bowl. Combine all of your dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk them together. Pour the combined dressing over the vegetables and gently combine. You can serve this immediately. I prefer to let it marinate together overnight. This will serve ~6.

Truly, it is a humble, but healthy and flavorful dish.