Tag Archives: migas

Working Austin favorites into your vegan meal plan

Today’s blog post comes from Carolyn from the blog content guild who wanted to share with you how to make restaurant dishes at home. I do love migas and I sure miss the version they used to have at Snackbar.

Trying to find the quintessential Austin food is likely to start an argument for the ages. Your friends will insist the food truck phenomenon is the cat’s meow but you’re more partial to the cutting edge foodie culture championed by the master chefs of Austin. Either way, when it comes to breakfast everyone can agree that Austin has cornered the market on breakfast tacos and migas. As you well know, finding acceptable versions to fit into your vegan meal planisn’t going to be easy. We hear there are quick to-go options for the intrepid vegan who’s willing to traipse all over town, but wouldn’t it just be easier to make them?Mouthwatering migas

Migas is a dish from Spain and Portugal, although some people think it can be traced back even further to a type of African couscous. Traditionally, it was a dish for using leftover bread that wasn’t fit to eat in other dishes. In Texas we’ve changed it around a bit to include tortillas instead, along with scrambled eggs, onion, pepper, tomatoes and cheese. Obviously, the eggs and cheese aren’t going to work so we’re going to need some creativity. Fortunately, the food wizards who make soy products have made it easier for us.

Ingredients
- 1 14-ounce package soft tofu
- 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon canola oil, divided
- 3 stale corn tortillas torn into strips
- 1 pinch of ground turmeric or to taste
- 2 jalapeños, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile or to taste
- 4 scallions, trimmed and chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese
- 1 cup of your favorite salsa

Drain the tofu in a colander. Add the teaspoon of oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tortilla strips and fry until golden, then remove and set aside. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and crumble the tofu into the pan along with the jalapeños, chipotle, turmeric, salt and scallions. Cook the mixture until the water has evaporated and the tofu has the consistency of scrambled eggs, about five minutes. Add in the tortilla strips, tomatoes and vegan cheese and you’re ready to go! Add some of your favorite salsa if you want, or eat it as is. You can also eat the mixture in tortillas, but that’s a lot like our next option.

Tremendous tacos

Tacos are the perfect breakfast food. Tasty as any pancakes and a trillion times more portable, you can’t go wrong with this Austin favorite. Your quest for vegan breakfast tacos could be a little bit easier as places like Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse and Whole Foods have vegan options. That said, don’t you think it’s time to spread your culinary wings? Who knows, you could be the next food truck rock star if you create a bunch of tasty recipes to share with the world. Take inspiration from the migas recipe to create your own delectable version of Austin’s favorite breakfast food.

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Sunny Days in Texas: Zucchini Migas

Migas are a regional Mexican dish created to use up leftovers from the night before. Traditionally, cooks fry up some onions, peppers, and spices, add the leftover meat, and then scramble with eggs and cheese and then mix in last night’s tortillas. Restaurants in Austin have about a zillion spins on this, sometimes using chorizo or queso instead of cheese, or using tortilla chips instead of dried out tortillas and, of course, the migas breakfast taco. So… maybe not quite a zillion but more like 10 different ways. Mr. Natural has the best tofu version I’ve tried.

I think the first vegan food blog in Austin that I was aware of was Two Vegan Boys. Krys is always cooking up amazing vegan comfort food for her family and has lots of tips on being frugal and gardening. I was really excited that she donated her recipe for Zucchini Migas to the Sunny Days zine because I love migas and everyone always need more recipes for zucchini!

It took me quite a while to get the technique for making migas right. I think the trick is to keep a low heat once you add the tofu and to turn over the tofu instead of stirring it. The recipe called for firm tofu but for some weird reason I only had soft tofu on hand and I was pleased that it worked so well. I also ended up baking some tortillas to make chips because I didn’t have any on hand. Next time I’ll use queso instead of cheese and serve with some roasted potatoes. Or migas con hongos is always good too. It is a great flexible recipe, now I’m even more excited to try her homeade oreos, also in the zine!

Every post this month for Veganmofo will be celebrating the recipes in the zine Sunny Days in Texas, a fundraiser cookzine to help Sunny Day Farms Animal Sanctuary.