Royalty Fast Food

Although most Americans have never considered tortillas a breakfast food, we have been obsessed with tacos for decades. That’s not the case in Austin, Texas, where many residents start their days with 99-cent tacos filled with beans, salsa, and scrambled eggs. Not only are they tasty, but if you stick to corn tortillas—which contain double the fiber and half the calories of flour tortillas—they’re also an incredibly healthful way to start the day.

Ingredients

• 4 bacon slices, diced
• 1⁄2 chopped onion
• Two cups of chopped mushrooms
• 11/2 cups thawed frozen spinach
• Six beaten eggs
• To taste, add salt and black pepper.
• Eight tortillas made of corn
• 1/2 cup of Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• Salsa in bottles or pico de Gallo

METHODS OF ACHIEVERS

1. Cook the bacon for five minutes over medium heat in a big, nonstick skillet, or until the fat renders out and the bacon starts to crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove and set aside on a paper towel.
2. Remove the bacon fat from the pan except for a thin layer.
3. Cook the onion and mushrooms together for around three minutes until the onion becomes transparent. After adding the spinach, cook it through until it’s completely heated. (If there’s any water left in the pan, carefully empty it into the sink.)
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4. When the eggs are set, add them and scrape them regularly from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. (Achieving light, fluffy eggs is the aim, and moving the spoon constantly will assist.) Add pepper and salt for seasoning.
5. In a pan, preheat the tortillas over medium heat. (Alternatively, if time is of the essence, wrap in a wet paper towel and nuke for 30 seconds.) Spoon as much salsa as you like over the tortillas, top with the eggs, and divide the cheese among them.

Tips

In terms of nutrients, corn tortillas beat over their floury cousins, yet most people still find it difficult to switch to the more genuine taco basis. The principal problem? Feel. A warm, toasted corn tortilla is unmatched, but one that is cold is useless.

If you have a gas burner, you can use a cast-iron skillet or nonstick sauté pan set over medium heat, or you can reheat the tortillas directly over a low flame for 20 seconds on each side. Cook a couple of tortillas at a time, turning them over for approximately 30 seconds on each side, or until the surface is gently browned.