Migas

These are kinda like the migas at Trudy's Texas Star Cafe. 

Serves 2. 

Ingredients

4 eggs

1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp margarine, or butter, or bacon grease, or combination
1/2 med to smallish onion, diced
2-3 tablespoons drained Rotel tomatoes with green chiles
2-3 handfulls of bagged tortilla chips, crushed in your hand when adding to skillet
Some cheese: velveeta, mexican blend grated, or leftover chile con queso
Serranos or Jalapeños finely diced
Flour tortillas

Wrap 4 tortillas flat in foil and put into a oven set at about 250 degrees. 

Put two plates into the microwave so you can heat them later. If melting Velveeta, put the cheese and a little milk into a small bowl and put that on the plates. 

Sautè the onions in the margarine. While onions cook, beat eggs with milk. 

Once onions soften, add the drained Rotel tomatoes. Heat until most of the liquid has evaporated and tomatoes are heated through. 

Add the beaten eggs and crumble the tortilla chips onto the eggs. 

Cook as you would scrambled eggs. Lowered heat and moving eggs spatula to get the curd size you like. Turn on the microwave for about a minute watching cheese doesn't overflow if melting cheese. 

Plate the eggs, drizzle with the melted cheese or sprinkle with grated cheese. 

Sprinkle some diced serranos or jalapeños. Don't forget the tortillas in the oven. 

Freshly brewed coffee is a great beverage choice.

Egg Confidential

I hated eggs my whole life growing up. Would not eat them no matter how they were prepared. When I got to University of Texas, a roommate suggested we go to Trudy's for migas. I protested. He said there was hardly any egg in them and I should try them. I complied and am forever grateful to Jim Speedy for getting me to try these.

Chili Con Carne

While cookin' up a mess o' chili I can't think of anything better to enjoy than some Stevie Ray Vaughn. Any song will do. This recipe is not the chili I learned to love at The Texas Chili Parlor, but it makes a lot and most folks like it.

Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 pound bulk Italian sausage

Dry Ingredients

1 tablespoon bacon bits
2 tablespoons Ancho chile powder, or use another two tablespoons of regular chili powder here
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano, Mexican oregano if you have it
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt, leave out to reduce sodium

2 beef bouillon cubes or 2 tsp beef base (optional, its fine without this)

Canned Ingredients
45 ounces chili beans medium, canned, drained (3 cans)
15 ounces chili beans spicy, canned with the sauce
2 x 28 oz diced tomatoes with juice, canned
6 oz tomato paste

Vegetables
1 large Yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 medium Jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped

Wet Ingredients
1/2 cup beer (no bitter IPA's please)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Hot pepper sauce, e.g. Tabasco

Garnish
corn chips, Fritos
diced onion and jalapeños
shredded cheese or some chili con queso you've made


Instructions

1. Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.
2. Add all the dry ingredients to the cooked meat and stir. 
3. Add the vegetables, wet, and canned ingredients. Stir to mix ingredients.. Simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.
5. To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips, cheese, some finely diced onion and a sprinkle of freshly minced jalapeños.