Tomato Basil Scramble

I spend the first half of Passover with my sister and her family in Dallas. Her in-laws have a sheep farm where they also raise chickens, and we took a trip up there to visit. And brought back some beautiful eggs my nephews collected that morning!

If you've never had a farm-fresh egg, I highly suggest you do. The yolks are a richly dark yellow, almost orange, and the flavor--well, it's worlds above store-bought.

For breakfast the next day I made myself this tomato basil scramble. Vine ripened tomatoes + fresh basil + farm-fresh eggs = WOW.

Tomato Basil Scramble

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil
1 small shallot, sliced thinly
1 vine-ripened tomato, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of black pepper
4 basil leaves, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat oil in small skillet and saute shallot until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add tomato and cook 2-3 minutes more.
2. Combine eggs, salt and pepper and add to skillet, then sprinkle basil on top. Stir and cook until done to your liking (you could also do an omelet).

Variations:

• Add some sliced mushrooms in step 1.
• Sprinkle in a little cheese.
• Experiment with other herbs like dills, cilantro or chives.

The cost: <2.00

Shakshouka

Last night, AK made me something for dinner I had never before even heard of: Shakshouka. A popular dish in Israel, shakshouka is a North African dish of eggs poached in a mixture of onions, peppers, tomatoes and spices.

It was, in a word, delicious (and I'm not just saying that :)). It's also pretty cheap, considering you can serve it over toast or pita for a very filling meal.

Shakshouka

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 tsp vegetable or olive oil
1 large can diced tomatoes, half drained
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
6 eggs
freshly chopped cilantro or chives (optional garnish)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a deep saucepan and saute onion 4-5 minutes until soft and browned. Add peppers and cook 2-3 minutes more.
2. Add chopped tomatoes and spices to pan and stir to combine. Heat until bubbling.
3. Crack eggs and add to tomato mixture, ensuring they are evenly spaced around the pan. Using a fork, carefully stir tomato mixture around eggs so it mixes with the eggs whites and "there isn't any white, everything is pink" (a direct quote from AK). Try not to break the yolks.
4. Cover pan and cook 5-6 minutes until whites are solid and yolks are cooked to your liking.
5. Serve over toasted bread or pita (or in my case, with a side salad). Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro or chives.
   

The cost:

onion: .45
pepper: 1.29
tomatoes: 1.49
eggs: .99

Grand total: $4.22; serves 2-3