Tex-Mex Scramble — New Year’s Morning Fuel for the Year Everything Accelerates

New Year. 2023. The year the savings cross six figures. The year the Manual nears completion. The year the competition resume peaks. The year the magazine column enters its second year. The year the cooking program reaches twenty stations. The year the location in Mesa becomes more than a memory. The year everything accelerates toward the corner where Rivera's will stand.

Jessica and I did our annual patio planning session. Champagne, the spreadsheet, the goals. 2023 goals: 1) Cross $100,000 in savings by March. 2) Complete The Manual by June. 3) Enter two competitions, including the State Championship again. 4) Write twelve more columns. 5) Have David Kim begin lease negotiations on the Mesa location (if it is still available — if it is not, identify alternatives). 6) Start the construction timeline: architect, permits, build-out plan.

The sixth goal is new. It is the goal that turns the dream into a project. A construction timeline means contractors, permits, inspections, equipment orders, design decisions. It means the building is not theoretical anymore. It is physical. It has a schedule. It has a budget line. It has a completion date.

Jessica looked at the list and said, "If we execute all six goals, we could open in 2026." 2026. Two years earlier than the revised 2028 timeline. Four years from now. I said, "That is aggressive." She said, "I am an accountant. I am precise, not aggressive." She has a point. The numbers do not lie. The numbers say: the dream is closer than it looks in the rearview mirror. The dream is ahead, on the road, visible, and gaining speed.

Made black-eyed peas and cornbread. The tradition. Luck and happiness. The beans simmer. The bread rises. 2023. The year the fire moves from the backyard to the blueprint. The year the blueprint becomes a building. The year the building becomes a restaurant. Or maybe not this year. Maybe next year. But the direction is set. The coals are ready. The fire is lit. And Roberto, sixty-five years old, sitting in his Maryvale backyard on New Year's Day, eating my black-eyed peas and cornbread, says: "This is the year, mijo." Maybe it is. Maybe it is not. But the fact that he says it — the fact that he believes it — is enough fuel for the fire. His belief has always been enough fuel for mine.

The black-eyed peas and cornbread are tradition — Roberto’s tradition, the family’s tradition, the luck-and-happiness tradition that anchors every January first. But the morning before the beans go on, before the cornbread hits the oven, someone has to eat. Six goals on a spreadsheet require fuel. This Tex-Mex Scramble is what I made that morning while Jessica reviewed the numbers one more time — peppers, onions, eggs, cheese, everything in one skillet, bold and uncomplicated, the way a meal should be when the year ahead is anything but.

Tex-Mex Scramble

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 small bell pepper (any color), diced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• Salsa, for serving

Instructions

1. Prep the eggs. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the milk, and whisk until well combined. Season with cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
2. Sauté the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened.
3. Add the beans. Stir in the black beans and cook for 1 minute until warmed through.
4. Scramble the eggs. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Let it sit for about 30 seconds, then gently stir and fold with a spatula. Continue folding every 15–20 seconds until the eggs are just set but still slightly creamy, about 2–3 minutes.
5. Add cheese. Sprinkle the pepper jack cheese over the scramble, remove from heat, and let the residual warmth melt the cheese for about 1 minute.
6. Serve. Divide among plates, top with fresh cilantro, and serve with salsa on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 265 | Protein: 18g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 9g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 380mg