Scromblette with Onion, Zucchini, Tomato, and Cheddar

I used to make omelettes with vegetables and cheese and good things inside. But they always seemed to fall apart and get very messy, because I was horribly inept at flipping them. So now when I make eggs with veggies and cheese and good things, I make something in-between an omelette and scrambled eggs, and I really like it. I call them scromblettes, for scrambled + omelette. They are sort of scrambled up (I have accepted my inferior flipping skills and now make the most of the situation) but sort of flat and fluffy like an omelette. Here is a scromblette I made recently with two eggs, sauteed red onion, zucchini, fresh tomato, and 2% cheddar cheese.

Garden Veggie Scromblette!

After typing a draft of this post, I became curious about whether anyone else makes something like this. On urbandictionary.com there is an entry for “scromlette,” which reads as follows:

“Scrom-let – A sumptuous dish served only (as far as I know) at Kingfisher B&B in Worcestershire. It is essentially the bastard child of scrambled egg (scrom) and omelette (lette). It was created one bleary eyed morning after a heavy night on the good stuff as a result of a complete lack of culinary dexterity. Despite it’s shaky beginnings frankly scromlette is infinitely more delectable than either of it’s two inferior egg based parent dishes.”

So, apparently I am not the only one doing this! Scromblettes / scromlettes are happening in Richmond, Virginia and at a bed and breakfast in England. Interesting, although I could find no mention on scromlettes on the Kingfisher Bed and Breakfast website.

Scromblettes are Scrumderful (that's scrumptious + wonderful)!

Fried Egg, Tomato, Mushrooms, and English Muffin

Yesterday I had to leave Richmond for most of the day, and since Aaron and I usually spend Saturdays together, this made me feel a little sad. I figured since I was leaving in the morning, I should make a big breakfast for us both, on account of how Aaron is notoriously bad at cooking. In a big skillet, I fried a couple of eggs, some fresh tomato slices, and some mushrooms in a little bit of light margarine and olive oil. I also toasted some whole-grain English muffins. We had a bowl of organic red grapes and glasses of orange juice as well (not shown).

Big Giant Breakfast for the Boy who Can't Cook So Great.

The yolk oozed its yellow goodness onto the plate, where it mingled with the hot tomato juices and was sopped up with the crunchy English muffin. Aaron’s favorite part of the breakfast was the mushrooms, which soaked up a lot of flavor while sauteeing in the pan with the other good things.

My favorite part, of course, was the egg. Aaron admitted that he cannot cook an egg sunny side up. He says that when he attempts it, the top does not get cooked at all, but the bottom burns. I admitted that I have real trouble cooking an egg over-easy, because I always manage to break the yolk. Sunny side up is no problem, though, as you can see!

Readers, over the next couple of days I will be extremely busy. Tomorrow I start a new job AND I have my first day of online classes for my Master of Library Science. If you do not see another post from me until Wednesday or Thursday, or if my heart explodes from the stress of it all before I get to post again, please enjoy these breakfast photos. I will be having more eggs tomorrow morning to give me the energy to face The New Job and The New Classes all in one day. 🙂

Sauteed Potatoes, Red Bell Peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms

Aaron and I usually buy our groceries on Tuesday, since that seems to be the day that our preferred grocery store gets its shipment of fresh produce and other perishables – we found out that going on Tuesdays means fresher food that’s less picked-over and that lasts longer. Monday nights are usually the night I try to find a way to use up the odds and ends before the Tuesday morning shopping trip, and on this particular Monday night, I needed to use up some red potatoes (featured in Tilapia with Chimichurri), mushrooms, spinach, and onions (featured in salads like the one with the Barbequed Chicken Thighs), a bunch of green onions, a small tomato, and a red bell pepper. So I threw it all in a pan with salt, pepper, and a dash of worcestershire (thank you, spellcheck!) sauce, and this is what I got:

A successful use of leftover ingredients - and it wasn't soup!

But I thought to myself… “What could make this a little better?” Do you know what I came up with?

Yep. Fried Egg!

A fried egg on top! This made the whole dish very breakfast-y. And as we learned from yesterday’s Pasta with Fried Egg post, gooey egg yolk makes a lot of things taste really, really good. This was no exception!

What are your strategies for using up leftover food or odds-and-ends in the kitchen?

Homemade Egg Muffins

I call them Egg McEricas!

Recipe (makes one sandwich):

You will need:

• Whole wheat or multigrain English muffins (I use Thomas’ Multi-Grain English Muffins)
• 1 egg, and a small ramekin to bake it in
• non-stick cooking spray
• 1 Morningstar Farms veggie sausage patty (I usually use one and a half, since the patties are slightly smaller than the muffins)
• 1 slice American cheese
• 1 Tbsp. light margarine
• 1-2 Tbsp. real maple syrup (optional)
• salt and pepper

How to do it:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray the ramekin with cooking spray. Crack the egg into the ramekin, being careful not to break the yolk. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top of the egg. Place the ramekin on a Pyrex dish or baking sheet lined with foil to make the ramekin easier to get in and out of the oven, and to catch any possible spills. Bake the egg in the ramekin until the whites are cooked but the yolk is still slightly jiggly, or to your liking.
2. While the egg is baking, cook the veggie sausage patty according to the package directions. I usually bake them in the oven on a foil-lined baking sheet at the same time the egg is cooking.
3. When the egg and veggie sausage are ready, remove from the oven. Slice an English muffin and toast the slices lightly in the toaster, toaster oven, or oven. Spread the margarine on the toasted English muffin slices. Place the sausage patty on the bottom slice of the muffin. If you prefer, you can add a drizzle of maple syrup over the veggie sausage. To remove the egg from the ramekin, first run a knife around the edge of the ramekin, then carefully lift the egg out with a fork. Place the egg on top of the sausage. Place the slice of American cheese on top of the egg. Top with the top half of the English muffin.
4. Enjoy your homemade vegetarian sausage, egg, and cheese muffin!

Using the ramekin makes a perfectly round egg.

These are so incredibly easy to make, and they taste virtually identical to what you can buy at McDonald’s. However, because of a few changes I’ve made, these little sandwiches are a lot healthier! According to the McDonald’s website, a Sausage McMuffin with Egg has 450 calories, 27g of fat, and 10g of saturated fat. I am not sure whether this information includes cheese… since it is not listed as “Sausage, Egg, and Cheese McMuffin,” I would guess that it probably does not include cheese. A Sausage, Egg and Cheese McErica has about 405 calories, 19.5g of fat, and 6g of saturated fat. In addition, the Egg McErica has 9.5g of fiber – over 30% of recommended daily value – whereas the Sausage McMuffin with Egg only has 2g of fiber, only about 8% of the daily value. And if you’re a vegetarian, this is a great way to satisfy a McDonald’s breakfast craving.

I really like the Sausage, Egg, and Cheese McGriddles from McDonald’s. Who wouldn’t? It’s like a McMuffin, but instead of the English muffin… maple-flavored pancakes. The Sausage, Egg, and Cheese McGriddles has 560 calories, 32g of fat, and 12g of saturated fat, according to the McDonald’s website. To satisfy the McGriddles craving, I like to drizzle a little real maple syrup over the veggie sausage patties – delicious! This adds a couple of extra calories, but since the flavor of real maple syrup is strong, you don’t need to add a lot – 100 calories’ worth gives you a ton of maple-y goodness. This doesn’t add any additional fat, so the Sausage, Egg, and Cheese with McErica with Syrup is by far a better choice than the McGriddles.

As far as cost goes… I’m not sure exactly how much a Sausage, Egg, and Cheese McMuffin costs. I would guess around $2.50. This is about how much a Sausage, Egg, and Cheese McErica costs to make. Of course, you save gas money by not having to drive to a McDonald’s, and at home you can drink your own coffee or orange juice, which will be much cheaper than what McDonald’s offers. 😀