Egg-Xactly Right

“This recipe is certainly silly. It says to separate two eggs, but it doesn't say how far to separate them.” - Gracie Allen

Found in Women's Lip: Outrageous, Irreverent and Just Plain Hilarious Quotes, edited by Roz Warren, page 43.

Most Americans grew up eating eggs once in a while. Heck, many of us grew up thinking that breakfast wasn't breakfast if it didn't include eggs, cereal, toast, coffee, and juice, or any combination of the above. Pancakes and French toast were frequently relegated to weekends, but they usually involved eggs.

While there are probably hundreds, if not thousands of ways to fix eggs, there are some that have become favorites around my house, including two ways to dress up scrambled eggs, that staple of so many breakfast tables. Also check out the Spinach Omelet or Pirate Eggs. Enjoy!

Note: If you'd like a few more egg recipes, check out my post from October 12, 2016.

GRANDPA'S SCRAMBLED EGGS

My dad and his dad both loved to cook. Whenever Dad's parents would spend the weekend, Mom knew better than to attempt to fix every meal; there were entire weekends when the only time Mom could make an appearance in the kitchen was when it was time to clean up. Siiigh... This was one of Grandpa's Sunday morning specials. While the sour cream might not seem like anything special, it definitely perks up the taste of scrambled eggs very nicely.

I've written the instructions for two servings. You can adjust the amount accordingly.

Ingredients

4-6 large eggs

3-4 Tablespoons sour cream (you can use low-fat, if you'd like)

salt and pepper to taste

margarine for the pan

Directions

Crack eggs into a medium-sized bowl (or any bowl that won't have you spilling eggs on the counter). Add sour cream and stir well. Add margarine to pan and melt on medium heat. Add eggs and stir frequently, cooking on low- to medium-heat. Add salt and pepper to taste just before the eggs are finished cooking. Enjoy!

MARY'S SCRAMBLED EGGS

I visited family more than fourteen years ago. During that time, Mary fixed these scrambled eggs, which are as easy to fix as Grandpa's are. (Scrambled eggs really shouldn't be difficult!) Her "secret"? Cheese. Again, I'm giving you instructions for two servings. Adjust accordingly.

Ingredients

4-6 large eggs

2-4 Tablespoons milk (doesn't have to be exact)

1/4 - 1/2 C shredded cheese (I usually use sharp cheddar for this)

margarine for pan

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Crack eggs into bowl, add milk and cheese. Stir. Add margarine to pan and melt on medium heat. Add eggs and stir frequently, cooking on low- to medium-heat. Add salt and pepper to taste just before the eggs are finished cooking. Enjoy!

SPINACH OMELET

This is from a Weight Watcher's emailing list from y-e-a-r-s ago, and began, “If you like, add a chopped tomato to the mixture just before folding the omelet.”

When this was sent, it had a points value of 5.

Servings: 1; Preparation Time: 8 min; Cooking Time: 10 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup spinach, coarsely chopped (do not dry)

2 large egg(s)

2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp olive oil

Directions

In a medium saucepan, cook spinach with just the water that clings to it until just wilted, about 2 minutes.

Drain well, squeezing out all liquid. Cool, then chop finely.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon water.

In a small nonstick skillet, heat oil. Pour egg mixture into pan; reduce heat and cook until base is set and top is still a little creamy, about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle spinach over one half of eggs; fold omelet in half and cook until eggs are completely set, about 1 minute longer. Serve at once.

OMELET PROVENCAL

This recipe begins, “Create the perfect omelet with the savory French flavors of Provence: tomatoes, garlic, olives and herbs. Make one omelet for two, or two omelets for four. Either way, this easy main dish becomes the highlight of a quick, nutritious meal.”

Recipe Yield: Servings: 2

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/omelet-provencal.

Ingredients

3 large eggs*

1 tablespoon water

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 cup diced canned tomatoes with garlic and onion, drained

1/4 cup shredded Muenster cheese

2 tablespoons canned sliced black olives

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon herbs de Provence Parsley sprigs, for garnish

* If you need to restrict cholesterol, use 3/4 cup egg substitute, or use some egg whites in place of a whole egg(s).

Directions

Combine eggs, water and pepper in a small bowl; whisk gently to blend the whites and yolks, but not to make them frothy.

Melt the olive oil in a 10-inch, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, tilting to coat the bottom and sides.

Once the oil is hot, pour the eggs in.

As the eggs start to set, lift the edges so the uncooked egg mixture flows underneath. Cook until the eggs are set and no visible liquid egg remains, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

Top half the omelet with tomatoes, cheese and olives; sprinkle with parsley and herbs de Provence. Flip the unfilled half of the omelet over the top.

Heat until lightly browned on the bottom, then slide onto a plate to serve.

Garnish with parsley sprigs.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 240; Fat: 17 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sodium: 550 mg; Cholesterol: 330 mg; Protein: 13 g; Carbohydrates: 7 g

PIRATE EGGS

When my sister and I were kids, my mother used to fix this for us on a regular basis, except that she called them Gypsy Eggs. Once my brother came along, though, they became Pirate Eggs. The name stuck. Most people from the Northeastern U.S. tend to call them Eggs-in-a-Hole or some variation of that. But whatever you call them, they're good.

The instructions are for one person. Adjust for the number of people you're feeding.

Ingredients

1-2 eggs

1-2 pieces of bread

margarine for the pan

Directions

Melt the margarine in the pan over medium heat. Take the bread and cut a round hole in the middle. Place bread in pan, then crack the egg and dump onto the bread so that the yolk is in the hold. If you prefer non-runny yolks (my preference), crack the yolk with the corner of a spatula. Cook on the first side for several minutes, then flip over and cook the other side. You can flip it several times until the egg looks cooked. Enjoy!

SPINACH FRITTATA

I fixed this one evening when I wanted something quick, easy and filling. You can use any veggies and cheese you like, but I'm adding the ones I like. This is enough for two people.

Ingredients

4 eggs

2-4 Tablespoons milk

1 onion, chopped

1 pepper, chopped

1 potato, peeled and diced

1/2 bag of spinach (10-16 ounce bag), rinced

1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese

margarine for pan

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Melt margarine in an oven-proof pan over medium heat on the stove. Add veggies, cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Crack eggs in bowl, add milk, and beat. Pour eggs over veggies. Do NOT stir all the way through like you would with scrambled eggs, but do occasionally stir the top layer of liquid-y eggs, letting the bottom layer set. Add the shredded cheese and salt and pepper, then place a lid to help the eggs cook more evenly, lifting the lid only to stir the top layer so that it cooks evenly. When the eggs are almost completely done cooking, turn the oven's broiler on and place the pan--WITHOUT THE LID!--under the broiler, and broil for 1-2 minutes. Take out of oven, using care, as the handle will be very hot. Cut the frittata in half, place on plates, and enjoy!