While Andy is over-emoting about the cute “chicks” in the wire-fenced yard of our friends, Sandy and Stacey, telling me about how soft and sweet the hens “talk,” about how beautiful they are, about how funny they are, I can only think about my childhood pet rooster, Pecker. Maybe I’m thinking about him because of all the news headlines of the last month. Or maybe I just like roosters more than hens.
I suppose you’re wondering why I named him Pecker. In the mind of a 10-year-old, if a chicken goes around pecking at things, Pecker seems pretty logical. In the eyes of that 10-year-old’s mother, the perspective is different. Suffice it to say, my mother – in a 1950’s parental approach – could never bring herself to explain to me why that name might not be appropriate. And the only inkling I ever had that it had something off about it was the night Pecker didn’t appear for his feeding and I loudly called – all over the only-slightly-rural neighborhood – “Pecker, Pecker, Pecker,” at which point my mother hushed me but still didn’t explain why.
But we’re talking about eggs here.
It’s 11:30 a.m.; Andy is bicycling; I am hungry. We have no leftovers left. Super Chicken Hen to the rescue.
A 6″ frying pan, a little butter, one egg, a tortilla or some kind of bread, one or two add-ons, and you’ve got lunch – or brunch – or even dinner for one. Add another egg and you can serve two.
Super Simple: The Egg & I
Scrambled Egg Tacos with Salsa Verde
- 1 T butter
- 1 large egg
- salt and pepper
- 1 or 2 small tortillas
- 2 tsp salsa verde (we like to make our own – but use jars of Herdez Salsa Verde as a back-up)
- chopped cilantro to garnish (optional)
Heat a small frying pan over medium heat; add the butter; when the butter is almost melted – but not browned – add the egg and gently scramble, adding salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat. Heat the tortillas directly over the flame of a gas range – or on a hot cast iron (un-oiled) pan, turning several times, until they start to brown at the edges. Place the eggs on the tortillas and add the salsa. Eat and enjoy.
Scrambled Eggs with Spinach, Goat Cheese, and Pita Bread
- 1 T butter
- handful of chopped, fresh spinach (or frozen, quickly defrosted in the microwave)
- 1 large egg
- about 1 T of goat or feta cheese, cut or crumbled into small pieces
- 1/2 of a large pita bread or one mini pita, toasted
- a sprinkling of hot paprika
- slices of peeled fuyu persimmon in the winter or tomato in the summer (optional)
Heat a small frying pan over medium heat; add the butter; when the butter is almost melted – but not browned – add the spinach and cook and stir until it’s wilted, then add the egg and goat cheese and gently scramble, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add a sprinkling of hot paprika to the eggs and then serve them with or in the pita bread.
Scrambled Egg Muffin Sandwich with Prosciutto, Cheese, and Arugula
- 1 English muffin
- 1 T butter
- 1 slice of prosciutto, diced
- 1 large egg
- 2 T of grated cheese (Parmesan, Cheddar, Swiss, or Gruyere)
- a bit of arugula and a slice of tomato, if tomatoes are in season
- a few dashes of Tabasco Sauce (optional – but not for me)
Put the English muffin in the toaster to toast. Heat a small frying pan to medium heat; add the butter and prosciutto and cook until the prosciutto is slightly browned and getting crispy. Add the egg and gently scramble, adding salt and pepper to taste (remember that the prosciutto is salty). Add the cheese just before the egg is totally scrambled and carefully mix it in. Butter the English muffin, both top and bottom; put the egg and arugula on the bottom half of the muffin, add the top – and sit down, relax, and enjoy. [/recipe-ingredients]
Yummy. Kristin brings me eggs from her chickens in Smith Valley , Nevada. I will make all of your recipes. Have them almost every day. Usually with cheese, chives, spinach salsa, etc.
Thanks for the comment. Eggs definitely are versatile and fun.
I can just see your mom trying to hide her face from the neighbors while trying to get you to hush up.It’s hard being a mom & hard to understand our mom. Cute picture, love them. h
It is interesting how some memories stay with you. That was a long time ago but still fresh in my mind.
I love that you had a pet chicken! I had a chicken for a while when I was 10. It was for my science project, as my psychologist father suggested I use operant conditioning to teach the chicken to “dance.” It worked! Well, if you consider spinning around and around dancing.
Pretty interesting that we both had pet chickens. Maybe the spinning was a form of square dancing.
Fresh eggs really make a difference! T still does not believe eggs can be dinner but maybe we’ll convert him with your stamp of approval.
I love eggs for dinner! Fresh eggs really make all the difference. I’ve been trying to convert T but he’s still not sure it’s a true dinner meal…
Eggs are a great and simple source of protein for quick dinners. I have to admit that we do not have eggs for dinner often, but when we do we are always happy with the outcome. So there is our stamp of approval. His reticence about eggs for dinner is probably an artifact of his upbringing.
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Fortunately times have changed from the days when consumption of an egg was sure to lead to transportation to a hospital. Your egg dishes look great.
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