Sparkle Kitchen: Breakfast Tacos
When I was editing the At Home with Martin & Sylvia story "Carrying Your Home," I had to smile. For the first time ever, Martin and Sylvia had breakfast tacos!
Breakfast tacos are a staple in our house. I was raised in South Texas, and even when we made our home in Vermont, I always included Mexican or Tex-Mex in our weekly menus. I knew that our time here in Austin was really inspiring the resident storyteller when I read that there were breakfast tacos on Martin and Sylvia’s plates!
If you live in Texas or Southern California or Arizona or any state that has a good Mexican border, you’ll know all about having your breakfast wrapped in a warm tortilla. But if you don’t, I have to show you what we do!
First, find quality tortillas.
We eat corn tortillas in our house because we’re gluten-free, but a quality flour tortilla is delicious. In the northeast, we buy Maria’s brand. Here in Austin, because we live close, we buy the Whole Foods brand. The tortillas are usually fresher and tastier if they're found in the refrigerated section. If you don’t have a store with refrigerated tortillas, I would buy whatever corn tortillas you can find, ideally that are GMO-free. (And of course, if you’re in a town with a business that makes tortillas locally, go there!) Good tortillas make a big difference!
Breakfast Tacos
Ingredients
- scrambled eggs
- home fries
- grated cheese
- pico de gallo
- salsa, either fresh or store bought
- refried beans
- breakfast sausage
- sliced avocado
For more vegetarian options, include:
- tofu scramble
- pinto or black beans
- veggie sausage
- freshly grated zucchini or yellow squash (my favorite addition)
- or pan fried zucchini or yellow squash
- green onions
And if you’re a real meat-eater, try - bacon - chorizo (mexican sausage) - carne guisada (mexican beef stew)
So many possibilities!
(egg & potato, bean & potato with avocado, egg & bean with salsa)
Also very important: how you heat your tortillas. You want the tortillas to be warm and soft. A dry, tough corn tortilla can be like shoe leather! So this is important stuff.
The very best way to do this: take a cast-iron or heavy skillet and heat it thoroughly on a medium-high flame without oil. You want the pan to be dry and very hot. Lay a tortilla in the pan, and allow it to heat for 20-30 seconds, and then use a spatula to flip. Heat the second side. Sometimes our pan smokes just a bit, but we’re okay with that (as long as we’re not cooking in oil). Place the heated tortilla between two plates or cover it with a clean dishtowel, and warm the next tortillas in the same fashion. Make sure the heated tortillas remain covered until serving.
(What do I do when I’m short on time? I pop them into the toaster for a bit — watching them until they get limp and soft. They’re not as moist and soft as heating in the pan, but they’re not bad! David likes to put them on a baking sheet, cover them very tightly with foil, and put them in a hot oven — say 400 degrees — for 4-5 minutes until they are steaming.)
Now it’s time to serve! Take a warm tortilla and fill it with breakfast goodies, being sure not to overfill. Fold or wrap the tortilla and enjoy! (And be sure there’s a plate to catch any little bit of egg or potato that wants to jump out the back side!)
(my boys’ favorite: plain old egg and cheese)
Enjoy!
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About the Author
Lisabeth Sewell
Lisabeth Sewell has worn many hats at Sparkle over the years, from Sparkle Kitchen Blogger to Editorial Director to Doer of All Odd Jobs. Her primary role is as CEO.
