Terra Americana

Curt said "Scrambled eggs with tomatoes; I could eat them everyday!"  I thought he was talking about a recipe his mother made growing up in Pennsylvania.  No he was talking about one of the dishes at the Muslim restaurant in our neighborhood here in Jinan.  It is a perfect combination in a place where tomatoes and eggs are the pride of local farmers.

Since then I have seen restaurant menus and street vendors offering their own versions.  At a hole in the wall eatery outside the gate of Confucius Woods, where the great philosopher is buried, we enjoyed a particularly delicious recipe.  I now know what Curt meant.  This one many be a regular guest at a Sunday morning table in western Massachusetts.

• 2 tomatoes
• 3 eggs
• Sea salt or Garlic Ginger Salt
• 1 tbsp Peanut or Coconut Oil
• chopped green onion

 


Cut the green onions into chops and put them into a plate for later use.  Clean the Tomatoes and cut them into chunks. Put into a plate.  Crack eggs into a bowl or a small basin and add a dash of salt. Beat it up.
   
Place a wok or saute pan over high heat until hot, add 1 tsp of the oil, swirling to coat sides. Add in the beaten egg slowly when the oil is hot. Stir-fry it for 10-20 seconds until it sets and forms yellowish. Turn off the heat and cut the egg into chunks with the cooking ladle. Pick them out of the wok and put them into a plate.

Add the remaining oil the wok, swirling to coat the sides. Turn on the heat and add in the chopped green onion when the oil is hot. Stir-fry it for 10 seconds, add in the tomato chunks to be stir-fired for about 3 minutes on high heat until you can see the tomato juice run. Add in the egg chunks to be stir-fired for 30 seconds more.

Now, turn off the fire, add a dash of salt and stir it until the sauce is evenly mixed with the other materials in the wok. Pick the delicious scrambled eggs with tomatoes out of the wok and put it into serving plate.

More eggstraordinarily simple recipes;

• 12 steps to heavenly hard boiled eggs

• Savory Breakfast Cupcakes

• Old Favorites for Baking: Maple Flapjacks

• Baked Ham and Cheese Omelet Roll

Photo Credit:  Julie Cecchini

Sauteed spinach is a frequent visitor to the Cecchini table.  It is a simple luxury.  Sliced garlic lightly browned in good olive oil, seasoned with italian sea salt and gresh ground pepper. My mother's version is perfection.

The green is also found on the menu of many a restaurant here in Jinan.  I love them all, but none have come close to home.  That was until I tasted Susan's choice at a little hole in the wall near campus the other night.

Just as simple, this recipe is a light, fresh version that is not weighed down by oil.

• 1/2 tbsp Sesame Oil
• 2 sections of a clove of coarsely chopped garlic
• 1 bunch or 10 oz fresh spinach, rinsed and dried
• 1/8 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• Black pepper or Midwestern Garden Radish to taste, optional

Chop spinach, separating stems.  Heat the wok or saute pan on low.  Add the stock, garlic and spinach stems.  Let the stems simmer for 5 minutes.  Fold in the spinach leaves and .  Cover the pan to steam for 5 more minutes. Stir for a few seconds until the garlic is aromatic.

 Sprinkle the spinach with a bit of black pepper or Midwestern Garden Radish if desired.  Serve immediately.

If you love spinach:

• Mango and Spinach Salad with Langostines

• Marinated 8 Layer Salad

• Mostaccioli

• Baramundi with Rice & Lentils

Photo Credit:  Julie Cecchini