Migas

This is a great way to use up a couple of leftover tortillas!

Makes: 2 big servings

Cost per serving (Heidelberg): coming soon

Calories per serving:  ~564 (excluding flour tortillas or garnish)

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon salsa
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 six-inch corn tortillas, torn into small pieces
• ½ medium onion, chopped finely
• 1 spicy pepper (jalapeño or whatever you can get ahold of), seeded and chopped finely
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and cubed
• 1 avocado, cubed
• ⅔ cup shredded cheese (originally Monterey Jack, but...yeah. We use the Rewe "Reibekäse".)
• flour tortillas, sour cream, more salsa (all optional)

Beat the eggs and salsa together with 1 tablespoon water.  Set aside.
Heat butter and oil in skillet.  Add tortilla pieces and fry until softened, then add onions and fry until transparent.  Add spicy pepper, then pour egg mixture into skillet. Scramble until eggs are done. Remove from heat and add tomato, avocado, and cheese. Stir all together and serve with flour tortillas, sour cream, and salsa.

Salsa

• 3 medium tomatoes
• 1/2 medium onion
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeno
• ~1/4 cup water
• 1 Tblsp. olive oil
• juice from 1/2 lime
• salt and sugar to taste

Peel and chop tomatoes. Peeling can be made easier by placing tomatoes for ~5s in boiling water and then shocking cold water. Finely chop onion and jalapeno. Mince garlic. Heat oil in medium sauce pan. When hot, add onion, garlic, jalapeno, and tomatoes. After about 1 minute, add enough water to achieve desired consistency. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes. The mixture should change colors from a orangey-red to a deeper red color. Add lime juice and salt and sugar to taste. Pour into a clean jar and let cool to room temperature before placing in refrigerator. Makes ~1 pint.

Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots (Escabeche)

• 150-200g jalapenos
• 2 large carrots
• 1/2 medium onion
• 5-7 cloves garlic
• cauliflower florets (optional)
• apple cider vinegar (or diluted white vinegar)
• 1 tsp sea salt or kosher salt

Slice jalapenos into rings (alternatively, if whole peppers are preferred, cut a deep cross into the tip of the pepper to let the vinegar enter, or use a mix of sliced and whole peppers). Peel and slice carrot into rings. Peel garlic cloves, but leave them whole. Cut the half onion into quarters. Mix everything in a small sauce pan and add salt and enough vinegar to cover. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for ~2-3 minutes--until the peppers are done (they will begin to take on a translucent quality). Divide vegetables between two one-pint (0.5 liter) jars that have been washed with hot water and add enough of the cooked vinegar mixture to cover. Let the mixture come back down to room temperature and then move to refrigerator. Alternatively, process hot jars for 10-15 minutes in a hot water bath.
Source: adapted from Simply Recipes.

Flour Tortillas

Once we figured out how easy it is to make delicious flour tortillas at home, we haven't gone back to the mediocre variety available in the grocery stores in Germany. One side benefit of making them at home is that the dough can be used to make sopapillas for dessert.

Adapted from a recipe at Epicurious.com.

• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 50g lard
• 1 Tblsp. vegetable oil
• 1/2 C warm water

Mix the flour and salt. Cut the lard into smaller pieces and cut it into flour using finger tips (alternatively, it may be possible to use two table knives, a pastry knife, or a food processor) until it has the consistency of meal. Mix in vegetable oil and water and knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic (about 4 minutes). Form into a ball, wrap in baking paper (or plastic wrap), and let rest for ~1 hour. After rest, divide dough into 12 equal-sized balls. Roll out into tortillas on a lightly floured surface (the recipe says they should be ~7 inches in diameter, but it is possible to roll them out a bit thinner). Cook on dry skillet that has been preheated over medium heat. Tortilla should bubble and be lightly browned (but not burned)--about 45-60s per side.

Makes 12 flour tortillas.

Corn Tortillas

Only one store in Heidelberg used to sell corn tortillas. That store has now closed. Thus, we've had to learn how to make our own. They're really easy to make (especially with a tortilla press), and they taste better anyways.

Source.

• 2 C masa harina corn flour (e.g. Maseca Corn Masa mix)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/8 C water

Mix ingredients very well so that they form a thick paste that isn't crumbly. It will probably be necessary to add extra water, one tablespoon at a time, to get the right consistency. Divide the dough into 16 equal sized balls, and cover them with a damp kitchen towel to keep them from drying out. Either (1) roll the balls out between two sheets of durable plastic (e.g. plastic baggies) or waxed paper or (2) press the balls between two sheets of plastic (or waxed paper) using a tortilla press. In the mean time heat a skillet over medium heat. If using an uncoated pan, using a napkin or paper towel that has been dabbed in oil to spread a very thin sheen of oil over the surface of the pan. Fry tortilla briefly on both sides (about 40-60s per side). Prepare tortillas according to recipe

Makes 16 corn tortillas