Herb and cheese scrambled eggs

on Jul 21st, 2008Herb and cheese scrambled eggs

Light, fluffy and savory scrambled eggs. The trick is to use a bit of water, the right size pan and don't overcook them.

For some reason, we Americans tend to think of scrambled eggs as a breakfast or brunch dish, not a main course for lunch or a light dinner. Many people in other countries have them for any meal of the day and they can be a perfect choice.

Since I’ve been trying to follow the Big Breakfast Diet, I’m more inclined than ever to have traditional breakfast fare later in the day and this is one of my favorite ways to make scrambled eggs. They are distinctly savory with cheddar cheese — I use the natural white — a touch of curry and two herbs. This time I used egg substitute.

Even when I make them in a non-stick pan I use a small amount of butter. The added flavor is worth every calorie to me. You’ll see I add a splash of water or milk to the egg mixture, which I also do for omelettes. The liquid creates a little steam and makes the eggs fluffier. And while fried eggs are best made slowly over low heat, omelettes and scrambled eggs are made quickly over high heat, taking care not to overcook them.

Ella’s Herb and Cheese Scrambled Eggs

2 large eggs
OR
1/2 cup / 113g egg substitute
2 tsp cold water or milk
2 TB shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp curry powder
1 tsp dried parsley or 1 TB flat-leaf, chopped
1/2 tsp dried basil or 1 1/2 tsp fresh, chopped
kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste
1/2 tsp unsalted butter

Combine all ingredients except butter in a small bowl and whisk or beat well.

Melt the butter in a small skillet (7 or 8″) over medium-high heat. When the foaming subsides, pour in the egg mixture and, using a spatula, push and flip eggs constantly until cooked but still creamy and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes.

Serves 1

Ella’s notes: I take them off the heat while they’re still a little moist and let the carryover heat in the pan finish cooking them. I don’t like very dry scrambled eggs; those are overcooked to me. An easy way to “chop” such a small amount of fresh herbs is to snip them with kitchen shears.

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Tags: big breakfast diet, budget meals, easy, quick

11 responses so far ellaella main course, meatless, recipes

11 Responses to “Herb and cheese scrambled eggs”

# katmon 21 Jul 2008 at 6:07 am

Yum. This looks awesome. I’ve put all sorts of interesting things in scrambled eggs, including finely chopped kimchi (you have to drain it well).

Maybe I’ll make eggs one day this week.

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# Blue Smoke of Paradiseon 21 Jul 2008 at 11:34 am

Thanks for the splash of water tip. I will keep it in mind, as I do eat organic eggs to boost my protein intake when I am training.

I agree about a pat of butter no matter the calories when cooking eggs. Moi aussi!

You were missed!

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# wankettaon 21 Jul 2008 at 2:35 pm

Great choice for a low carb diet! Instead of butter, I’d use olive oil or a quick shot of cooking spray, replace 1 whole egg with 2 egg whites, and Parmesan or Fontinella cheese (but that’s just my preference).

I LOVE low carb eating, it has kept me in a size 5/6 - but I can eat satisfying meals. I give my self some leeway on maintenance, which means more veggies and some fruit added. Since last Monday, I have been a little stricter, in order to lose that infamous last 10 pounds, have already lost 4. I may go for 15.
# ellaellaon 21 Jul 2008 at 6:38 pm

@katm - Thanks! Kimchi’s a good idea!

@bluesmoke - And thank YOU too. The mere word “training” is more than I can bear, Great to see you!

@wanketta - Hello! Congratulations on the weight loss! Not easy.

Yes, many use oil but I love the taste of butter with eggs. For those who don’t know, cooking spray should never be used on non-stick cookware or bakeware. It gunks up over time and actually impairs the pan’s ability to be non-stick. It’s no friend of hard-anodized aluminum either. Save it for stainless!
# sulzon 21 Jul 2008 at 8:49 pm

oh god, i wish i could have that for breakfast in macau. *moans*

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# amandzingon 22 Jul 2008 at 3:23 am

looks sooooooooo yummy! am definitly going to try this this weekend!

amandzing’s last blog post..?
# ellaellaon 22 Jul 2008 at 9:07 am

@sulz - oh, to be in Macau… welcome back.

@amandzing - Thanks. Do let me know if you try it!
# shoreacreson 23 Jul 2008 at 9:36 am

Welcome back!

Old habits are hard to break, but I’m creeping toward a “real” beginning of the big breakfast diet this weekend.

A note re: the blueberry smoothie - in the process of trying it I discovered I could get my elderly mom to drink smoothies instead of eating ice cream. It’s a great way to add nutrition to a diet.

I’m a great fan of scrambled eggs for supper, and tried these last night.
Terrific!

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# ellaellaon 28 Jul 2008 at 10:26 am

Thanks for the welcome back and other kind words. I’m so glad you’ve liked what you tried, but especially happy that your mom’s willing to give smoothies a try. Certainly a more healthful choice than ice cream.

BTW, I ran across a Greek pomegrante yogurt and tried it in the superfoods smoothie. Big yum. I used skim milk instead of pom juice, since I had the yogurt.

Have a great week!
# Ladyon 16 Oct 2008 at 11:01 am

Oh my goodness, the photo makes me salivate!!!

Thanks for the recipe!
# ellaellaon 16 Oct 2008 at 2:12 pm

Welcome back and thanks for the kind words. They are delicious. I make this at least once a week; the curry is the key!