All the Goodness of Eggs

I have never been into fad diets. Nor do I reposit my faith in pretend foods. Why would anyone eat I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter when you can have the real thing which is Butter. But when I was younger I did attempt ‘altering’ my diet occasionally.

To find an alternative to tasty butter-toast, I would quick-cook a bunch of ‘green’ things – onions, tomatoes, sweet peppers, sometimes mushrooms, lots of coriander, some mint and green chillies – season it with salt and pepper and serve it on toast. A delicious alternative you will agree.

I still do it sometimes for TH who skips the butter on his toast. Last weekend I got into that mood again. We’d had too much bread that week and I was feeling a little guilty about all that maida and butter. I had a packet of fresh mushrooms and decided to cook my medley for breakfast.

While it was cooking I had an inspired idea – I removed some of the mix for TH who does not eat eggs, and then went ahead an added an egg to the vegetables still in the pan. What a perfect breakfast it was – a ‘poached’ (almost) egg on a bed of herby fresh veges. It was crying for toast so I gave in and toasted a slice and used it to break into the creamy ‘sauce’ of the yolk.

I am glad I do not have cholestrol problems. I could never eat an egg and not eat the yolk – I could leave out the white, if you like. The yolk is the point of the egg, don’t you think? Whether boiled, poached, fried or made into an omlette, the egg is not an egg till it’s got its yolk! As a kid when having egg-curry, I used to happily exchange my whites for the yolks with my sister. I still feel the same way about them yolks.

In this version of kitchen-sink eggs, the yolk is a beautiful surprise. As the white cooks in the steam it hides the gooey yolk inside. You gently break it, dip the toast, pile on a bit of the veges, and…deep satisfaction. If you feel the way I do about the yellow part.

Leave out the toast and you have a low fat, zero-carb, quick dish to satisfy your soul. Cholestrol be damned. Moderation, not fat-free butter, is my motto.

Eggs with Vegetable Medley
(Sorry, not very creative at all. All the creativity is in the dish)

1 t olive oil
2 C sliced mushrooms
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 spring onions, sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 green chilli, chopped very fine
1/2 C chopped cilantro/coriander
1/4 C chopped mint
Italian seasoning (or a mix of oregano and basil)
1-2 T grated cheese (Gouda or Swiss, or even good-old Amul Processed Cheese)
salt and fresh ground black pepper
1-2 eggs

Heat oil in your (ahem) cast iron pan. Don’t let it get smokin’ hot though. Throw in the smashed garlic and then the onions and stir for a min. Toss in the spring onions, bell pepper, and the mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes, stirring all the time. Add the tomatoes, the green chilli, and the herbs. Stir some more. (If you are not going to add the eggs, season the medley, sprinkle with the grated cheese and serve.)

Make a small hollow in the center of the vegetables, taking care to leave a thin layer of vegetables in the hollow. Break the egg(s) into this hollow, cover the pan, and turn the heat as low as possible. Let cook for 2-3 min till the whites are cooked. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper, and some coriander. You may serve from the pan or gently remove to a plate. The vegetable layer keeps the eggs from sticking to the bottom and you need no additional oil!

I think this deserves to be at the Weekend Herb Blogging event, started by herb-love