One Great . . . tortilla breakfast

Facing a busy weekend, we needed a simple Friday night dinner. So I swung by a local Mexican food shop and picked up carnitas and a big stack of fresh corn tortillas.

The next morning, I was casting around for something for breakfast when I remembered all those tortillas. And I remembered migas.

Migas is one of the great Saturday morning breakfasts. It's probably more Tex-Mex than Mexican, although the combination is such a natural, I bet you find it anywhere you find cold tortillas and eggs.

Infinitely forgiving, you can throw in almost anything. If you have onions and peppers, you can use them. If you only have onions, you can use them, too. Tomatoes are good, even if you just have those little grape tomatoes around.

All you really need are a few tortillas -- flour will work, although I prefer corn -- a few eggs, a little oil, maybe some cheese. Crumbled queso fresco is best, but shredded mozzarella or cheddar works too. I topped mine with a little diced avocado because I had some handy.

You end up with something tasty and satisfying that will keep you going through a morning of Saturday chores.

Migas

This is for 1 serving, with what I had on hand. You can toss in what you have. Just don't overcook the eggs.

1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
1 tortilla, preferably corn
2 tablespoons each diced onion and pepper
2 tablespoon diced fresh tomato if available
2 eggs
1 teaspoon milk
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons shredded cheese -- queso fresco, mozzarella or cheddar
1 to 2 tablespoons diced avocado (very optional)

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the tortilla in the skillet and fry a few minutes per side, until it's just crisping up but isn't browned. Set aside on a cutting board. Use a big knife to cut it in half, then cut each half into strips. Set aside.

Add the onions and peppers to the oil in the skillet and cook a few minutes, until starting to soften. Add the tomatoes and stir around to heat them. Add the tortilla strips to the skillet and stir to mix it all together. Reduce the heat a little so the skillet isn't too hot when you add the eggs.

Whisk together the eggs with the milk. Pour into the skillet, covering the tortilla strips and vegetables. Use a spatula to scramble gently, folding it all together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese at the very end and serve, topped with avocado if you have it.

YIELD: 1 serving. For every serving, use 1 tortilla and 2 eggs.