Cheesy Scrambled Eggs with Gypsy Peppers and Onions

I had some elaborate plans for these pretty little Gypsy peppers that were in my CSA box.

But, at about 6 p.m. last night I got hungry and lazy at the same time and I started to look around my fridge. While perusing the contents of my fridge, I sauteed the peppers with some onions in olive oil -- always a good start.

I had a lot of my Pie Ranch eggs left over from the last 2 weeks and I felt that I needed to play a bit of catch up before I get more eggs this week. I also had a lot of grated colby jack cheese, salsa, and tortillas. So, I put the eggs in a bowl with a bit of milk and some salt and pepper and whisked them. I put them in the pan with the peppers and onions, scrambled them, and then added a handful (or two) of grated cheese.

I put some salsa on the eggs and I served them with some refried beans and tortillas. These eggs would also be good with the Balsamic Roasted Fingerling Potatoes that I posted earlier this week. They are good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. And, feel free to substitute other types of cheese -- goat cheese, gruyere, mozzarella, fontina, or any cheese that melts well would work with this recipe.

Cheesy Scrambled Eggs with Gypsy Peppers and Onions

Ingredients

4 gypsy peppers, seeded and chopped

1/2 of a large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon of olive oil

6-8 eggs

6 tablespoons of milk

salt and pepper to taste

1 - 1/2 cups of grated colby jack cheese

1. Heat the olive oil in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the peppers and the onion and sauteed until the veggies are soft.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add the eggs to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes (until the bottom is slightly set). Then move the eggs around the pan. Add some cheese while the eggs are still runny. Finish cooking the eggs to your taste. I like mine cooked all the way but still light yellow. Add some more cheese at the end, allow it to melt, and serve.

Serving suggestions: You can serve these eggs with refried beans, salsa, and tortillas or they would be good with the Balsamic Roasted Fingerling Potatoes that I posted earlier this week.

Eggs in Cocotte with Leeks

Don't let the fancy-sounding name fool you. This is a very easy dish to prepare and only has a few ingredients. You just cook leeks, put them in a ramekin, and then crack eggs over them and bake the whole thing in the oven.

If you don't have ramekins, I think you could just make this dish in a pan on your stove. You could cook the leeks in butter on the stove, crack eggs over the cooked leeks, cover and cook until the eggs are done the way you like them. Though, I have to say, the ramekins make a nice presentation. I'm not a big proponent of buying all kinds of kitchen equipment; but, I think ramekins are a nice investment. They are inexpensive and they make this dish and even a simple chocolate pudding look dressed up.

I think that it is a shame that most people think of eggs as a breakfast food. This egg dish (and many others) makes a great dinner. I served the eggs with some rainbow chard that I sauteed with garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flake; and, some pan roasted potatoes.

I got this dish from The Silver Spoon Cookbook. This cookbook is a classic in Italy; and, a bit overwhelming (there are 1200 pages). But, it is full of good and simple recipes like this one.

Eggs En Cocotte with Leeks

Ingredients:

1 pound of leeks, washed and trimmed

1/4 cup of butter

pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

4 eggs

salt and pepper

Halve the leeks lengthwise, then slice them very thinly. Melt the butter in a skillet, add the leeks and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until softened. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with the nutmeg. Stir well and add 3 tablespoons warm water, then cover and cook on low heat for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease four ramekins with butter. Divide leeks among the ramekins, break an egg into each dish and bake for 8-10 minutes depending on how well done you like your eggs.