This dish is a riff on a Mexican dish called “migas,” which is traditionally made with older corn tortillas. This one uses tortilla chips. You can use old stale ones and smaller broken bits in the bottom of the bag, but fresh chips work fine too. My son is not a fan of eggs, but this dish never fails to please him, plus it is a great vehicle for getting vegetables into the kids. I use leftover zucchini, peppers, grilled onions, broccoli, and even green beans. Adding chilled avocado is nice, too. The contrast between the hot egg and the cold avocado is fun. This recipe is a guideline. Play with it and make it your own. Be sure to add the oil and water to the eggs to prevent sticking.
INGREDIENTS:
3 eggs
2 cups tortilla chips, broken up into 1 to 1½-inch bits
2 ounces roasted green chilies (1/2 a small can or 1 roasted New Mexico pepper)
2 ounces sliced black olives (1/2 a small can)
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, rinsed and dried well, stems minced and leaves separated — both kept separate
4 green onions, finely sliced, whites separated from greens
1/2 avocado, or more, cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced, or a couple of shakes of powdered garlic
Spices to taste (I use a mix of ground cumin and coriander seed with oregano and thyme)
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil as needed (at least 2 ounces)
Optional: Up to 1 cup of chopped leftover vegetables such as roasted pepper, onion, broccoli, zucchini, etc. Cut everything to roughly the same size, about 1/4 inch
Optional: 1/2 to 1 cup grated cheese
Optional: 1/3 cup sour cream or thick yogurt
METHOD:
Break the eggs into a bowl large enough to hold the eggs and some ingredients without crowding. Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil and 2-3 tablespoons cool water to the eggs. Whisk well. Add in spices and season with salt and pepper. If you are using garlic powder, add it now.
Heat an 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add enough oil to liberally coat the bottom of the pan.
When the oil is hot, add the whites of the onions and cook just until they turn translucent. Add in the chopped cilantro stem and stir in, cooking just until they lose their raw quality. If you are adding optional chopped leftovers, add them now and cook until they are warmed. Add the chilies to the pan and cook until warm. If you are using fresh garlic, add it now, cooking until fragrant, but not burning. Add the olives and stir to mix with the rest of the ingredients.
Add the tortilla chips to the egg mixture and stir to coat. (If you add the chips in too soon they absorb too much egg and just sort of melt into the eggs.) Add in most of the green onions.
Center the ingredients in the pan and pour the egg mixture over them. Let the eggs cook for a minute or two, then give the handle a shake. The eggs should be beginning to set. Start to stir the eggs with a spatula, getting the bottom of the pan to prevent burning. Keep cooking and stirring, allowing the eggs to rest on the pan bottom so the tortillas get crisped here and there.
When the eggs are done they should no longer runny, but they should still be a little moist. To serve, either transfer to plates or a serving bowl and scatter the avocado over the eggs, followed by the cilantro leaves and remaining green onions. A dollop of sour cream or not as you choose, and the dish is ready to serve.
CHEF NOTES:
Depending on your pan, you may need more or less oil in the eggs. I use it so I know I have a better chance of eggs releasing from dubious pans. If you use milk in scrambled eggs, there is more likelihood of sticking and scorching as well.
As to additions, you can use anything you have on hand, and this is just a guideline. When I have tomatoes, I love to scatter them over also. Leftover beans? Heat them up and bed the eggs on them.
YIELD: 2 servings
