There’s a little saying that goes, “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” And when life hands you eggs and a fridge full of nothin’ but leftovers, you make BRUNCH. Aw yes, folks, I’ve been cooking. That’s right. ME! Cooking on the fly, making up recipes. And I’m going to share the wealth of my knowledge with you. But first, the human element!
So, we have this 8-inch stainless steel pan and I LOVE IT. It was a gift from my boyfriend’s mom, and it’s solid steel, meaning you can put it in the oven. That part is important! Get you a pan that does both: stovetop and oven!
We also had a bunch of leftover vegetables from the week. Random tiny containers of squash, zucchini, bell peppers, and onions. An open jar of pasta sauce. Sriracha. And eggs. And! It was raining. Like, a lot. Cold and rainy and no food in the house on a Saturday morning? It’s like the start of a horror movie. Here’s how we survived:
SATURDAY: OPERATION FRITTATA
- 6 eggs
- leftover cooked veggies
- 1tsp butter (optional)
Beat the eggs together as if you were going to make scrambled eggs. Butter up the pan, and heat over medium. Pour the eggs into the pan! Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350. Once the eggs start to set — i.e., they look like they’re sticking to the bottom, sprinkle the vegetables in. Place them evenly through the pan, that’s where they’ll stay! Carefully transfer the pan to the oven once it’s warmed up, and leave it to cook until the eggs are solid. How will you know? Using an oven mitt (safety first!), jiggle the handle of the pan. Once the middle of the eggs are set, you’re pretty much good!
SUNDAY: SHORTCUT SHAKSHUKA
I’ve been obsessed with shakshuka for a long lime. I had it once in a restaurant and it was divine, and I’ve been wanting to attempt it at home for a long time but I’ve been too scared. Emboldened by by frittata success, I decided to attempt a shakshuka. Also, by Sunday morning, it was really rainy, really cold and I was sort of hungover and didn’t want to go shopping for food but guys. We had ZERO food in the house. AND YET. This is probably the MOST DELICIOUS brunch I have ever made and this is all I used:
- 4 eggs
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 a garlic clove, diced fine
- tomato sauce (leftover marinara sauce is what I used)
- Sriracha to taste
- fresh basil leaves (optional)
Pour a dash of oil in the pan and add the garlic. Sautée the garlic just a tad, and then fill the pan halfway up with sauce. Add a Sriracha to taste and stir around. I made this a bit too spicy, but it was still AMAZING. Once the sauce is warm, you’re going to add the eggs. Don’t be scared! You got this! Crack the eggs gently over the sauce. If you’re using four eggs, crack them in their own area of the pan and try to keep them separate. Nobody puts Baby in a corner, but you will want to keep Eggy in his own corner. Ya feel me? Once you’ve cracked the eggs in, cover the pan and cook it for 10-15 minutes. Oh yeah. Now, I will say this: I cooked mine for 15 and they were basically hard-boiled in the sauce, which was yummy, but I wish I’d left my yolks to be more runny, so ten minutes is probably the winning answer. Feel it out, you’ll be fine!
So if you have eggs and…not much else…rejoice! You can still make amazing brunch! In fact, I loved the shakshuka so much (shukshess! lol success, get it?) that I want to make it for dinner! I would absolutely make the frittata for guests, since 6 eggs was quite a bit more food than my boyfriend and I could eat — we finished the rest up as snacks. Finally, tell me what you make for brunch! Do you have any classic egg dishes? And do you LOVE Sriracha as much as I do?!? Leave me easy recipes! I’m getting hungry, I’m going to start dinner!
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