Vegan Migas

Preparation

1. To prepare Salsa Ranchera: Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes, garlic and chiles to taste; cook, turning every few minutes, until the skins are blistered and charred in places, 15 to 20 minutes. The vegetables will cook at different rates. Remove each when it is charred or browned; allow to cool slightly. Peel the garlic, core the tomatoes and stem the peppers.
2. Transfer the vegetables to a blender and puree until smooth.
3. Heat oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Carefully pour in the puree, season with salt and cook, stirring and scraping up any bits in the pan, until the sauce has thickened somewhat, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside 1 cup for this recipe and refrigerate or freeze the remaining 2 cups for another use.
4. Meanwhile, to prepare Vegan Migas: Drain tofu in a fine-meshed sieve over a bowl.
5. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tortilla strips and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and crispy, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
6. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and return to medium heat. When hot, crumble the tofu into the pan in various-sized pieces to resemble scrambled eggs. Stir in turmeric, chiles to taste, ground chipotle (or paprika) and scallions; season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until the water remaining in the tofu has cooked away, but not so long that the tofu turns hard, 4 to 6 minutes. It should remain tender, like eggs.
7. Add cilantro, tomatoes, cheese and the tortilla strips. Cook, stirring, until the cheese has melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates, using a slotted spoon so that liquid remains in the pan. Serve each portion with 1/4 cup of the Salsa Ranchera and 2 warm tortillas.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate Salsa Ranchera for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months.

• Notes: Chipotle chiles: Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are smoked jalapeños packed in a flavorful sauce. Look for the small cans with the Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, they’ll keep at least 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer. Ground chipotle chile, made from dried smoked jalapeños, can be found in the specialty-spice section of most supermarkets or online at penzeys.com.
• Paprika is a spice made from grinding dried red peppers. Paprika specifically labeled Hungarian delivers a fuller, richer flavor than regular paprika. Smoked paprika is made from smoke-dried red peppers and adds earthy, smoky flavor. It can be used in many types of savory dishes. Look for different types at large supermarkets, at tienda.com or penzeys.com.
• Tip: To warm tortillas, wrap in barely damp paper towels and microwave on High for 30 to 45 seconds or wrap in foil and bake at 300°F until steaming, 5 to 10 minutes.

Nutrition