When I was a kid and my brother and I were really hungry, my mom used to whip up this quick tortilla-egg thing.
She’d tear tortillas into pieces and fry them in a little bit of oil, and then crack in some eggs. She somehow fried the tortillas exactly how I wanted — not too crispy and not too soft. Finding one of these tortilla pieces in my bowl (the tortilla-egg thing was always served in a bowl) always felt so surprising and good.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about these comforting, informal dishes we ate as children and how much of an impact they make. My mom hasn’t made the tortilla-egg thing for me in years, but I still think of it every now and then and sometimes whip up my own version. I know now this dish is called migas, by the way — my mom told me that years later. (I still call it the tortilla-egg thing because old habits are hard to break.)
This morning I had old tortillas I wanted to use up, so I cut them into pieces and fried them. Added some roasted red peppers and fresh peas, and poured in a bowl of beaten eggs. The result was good, but the tortillas were too soggy. If you want them really crisp, I think you have to keep it simple: just tortillas and eggs.
What do you remember eating as a kid that made you feel good?
Migas with red peppers and peas
Serves 3
Ingredients
1 teaspoon oil
4 corn torillas, cut into pieces
1/4 cup (heaping) chopped onion
1/2 whole roasted red pepper, cut into squares
1 cup (heaping) peas
6 eggs, beaten
For garnish:
Cotija cheese
More roasted red peppers
Salsa
Directions
Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add corn tortillas and stir to coat. Cook until crisp, stirring occasionally, about five minutes. Add in vegetables and stir quickly, cooking until peas turn slightly tender, perhaps 2 minutes. Sprinkle some salt to taste.
Pour in eggs and turn heat to low. Cook until eggs are scrambled. Garnish with cotija cheese, more roasted red peppers and salsa.