In even the sparsest of college houses and apartment refrigerators, I’ve found the same three staple ingredients: eggs, beer and peanut butter. But rather than use the Great Trifecta and risk a vomit-inducing flavor profile — peanut butter-frosted beer cupcakes anyone? — I am choosing to focus this week’s column solely on eggs. These same college houses and apartments have seen their fair share of vomit without my help.
Eggs really are an incredible ingredient. From smooth meringues to fluffy frittatas to melt-in-your-mouth popovers, you can do almost anything with eggs. But sometimes the simplest preparations are the best way to go.
Sunny side up eggs with bread crumbs
This is hands down, without a doubt, my absolute favorite way to eat eggs. If you’re a bit squeamish about raw eggs, I would recommend cooking the egg for a bit longer or cooking it over easy, but I like it barely cooked so I can enjoy all of that yolk-y goodness.
What you’ll need:
- 3 tablespoons bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups of greens*
*You can either use raw greens, such as mesclun greens or baby spinach, or cooked dark greens, such as spinach or arugula in a bit of olive oil and garlic.
- Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat.
- Heat the olive oil in the pan for about 30 seconds and then add the bread crumbs. Stir the bread crumbs until they are crisp and golden brown.
- Once the bread crumbs are done, immediately remove them from the pan and squeeze the lemon juice on top.
- Wipe the same skillet with a bit of paper towel to remove any excess crumbs, and place back on the stove. Lower the heat to medium-low and add a touch more olive oil or butter.
- Crack the egg right into the pan, making sure not to break the yolk, then leave it alone. The point is to leave the egg completely intact.
- Once the whites have set (after about 1 or 2 minutes), remove from the heat and carefully place on top of your greens.
- Sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper and top with the lemony bread crumbs. I promise, simplicity never tasted so good.
Parmesan orzo scramble
Whenever I make pasta, I always seem to make way too much. And I always find that reheated pasta tastes pretty nasty. This egg scramble provides the perfect solution for all that leftover pasta. I first made it using orzo, but you can use any small pasta, or any larger pasta cut into smaller pieces.
What you’ll need:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ white onion, diced
- 1 zucchini, cut into small cubes
- 1 cup cooked orzo, or other cooked pasta
- 6 eggs
- 6 tablespoons milk
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.
- Add the garlic and onions and sauté until the onions are barely translucent.
- Add the zucchini, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for another 5 minutes, until the zucchini is tender.
- Add the orzo and toss until the pasta is fully heated through.
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, ¼ cup of Parmesan, and a little bit more salt and pepper.
- Add the egg mixture to the pan and scramble for about 3-4 minutes until the eggs are fully cooked. Top with the remaining Parmesan and serve!