Goat Cheesy Scrambled Eggs

Readers, I thought I should let you know that I'm going on a diet so this is going to be my last post for the foreseeable future. April Fools! I am totally kidding because eww, diets are stupid. I used to go on crash diets all the time to prepare for beach holidays and important occasions but I can't do it anymore. I don't have the willpower because I don't care enough and it's horribly unhealthy anyway. My body is my body and as long as the way I look doesn't cause an angry mob with torches and pitchforks to show up at my door, I'm happy.

But, that's not to say that I don't work on my bod. These days, if I've got to whip into shape, I just eat things that are a bit better for me, cut down my portions just a teensy smidge at each meal, and do squats while I'm brushing my teeth. I don't really have a name for this un-diet. It's just good sense. I'm sort of in that mode right now with the warm weather fast approaching. Plus, I'm heading to DC with a friend in a few weeks and I want to look a little less chunky for the loads of photos we'll be taking. And, I'm heading to France in about a month and a half and I'd like to look un-frumpy for those photos as well.

Eating an egg or two for breakfast is a great way to fill your belly with lots of protein. It will keep you full for longer than a bowl of cereal would. Normally, I'm a sunny side up kind of girl when it comes to eggs because I love a good runny yolk. I like to swirl my bread in it, I think it looks gorgeous, and it's so yum. Oddly enough though, recently I had a craving for scrambled eggs. Scrambled is how I used to eat eggs as a kid (because back then I was squeamish about raw yolk) so I'm guessing I was feeling a pang of nostalgia. But, instead of regular ol' scrambled eggs, I mixed in a little goat cheese to make them look and taste a little bit more adult. Aren't I so awesomely cool and sophisticated? Thank you, thank you, please, I'm blushing.

Ingredients [for 1]:

2 eggs

1 oz. goat cheese (a good sized clump)

black pepper to taste

splash of cream (or milk)

1 teaspoon butter

scallion for garnish

+ one or two slices of toast (I had French bread)

This recipe is so basic and simple with just a few ingredients but the assembly is super important. Start by beating the eggs with just a splash of cream and a sprinkle of black pepper. If you're the type of person who loves salt, you can add in a pinch but remember that the goat cheese is salty so go easy. Use a fork or whisk to mix the ingredients together until it looks pretty uniform. You want to incorporate a few bubbles but not so many that the eggs are foamy. The cream will help add a lightness to the eggs so there's no need to overdo it with the beating.

Add a pat of butter to a nonstick skillet.

Turn the heat on low and let the butter melt. You want a low heat because you're trying to gently cook the eggs without letting them brown. Browning is for frittatas, not for scrambled eggs. Pour in the egg mixture and leave the pan alone for a few seconds. When the egg starts to set up, push the cooked edges towards the center and allow the uncooked, liquid egg to flow back out around the sides of the pan and set up. Repeat a few times until the egg is almost completely cooked but still quite a soft consistency. You'll know you're there when the uncooked egg no longer flows freely around the pan.

When your eggs have reached that point where it's no longer liquid enough to flow around the pan, remove the pan from the hob.

This is the perfect time to stir in the goat cheese since the eggs are still slightly runny. Stir gently and just a few times; the goal is to distribute the cheese a bit but also leave one or two bigger chunks in tact. The residual heat will finish cooking the eggs and soften and melt the cheese a little.

Plate up the eggs and garnish with scallions or chives or fresh parsley and a few more crumbles of goat cheese. I also served my eggs alongside two slices of French bread with avocado. In college, there was a bagel place that made what they called a 'California bagel' which had scrambled eggs, pepperjack cheese, and avocado so this is somewhat of a more grownup play on those flavors with far fewer carbs.

Ooh, and another tip from moi to vous: plate up your yummies on a small plate and it'll look like you're serving yourself an extremely generous portion; another great trick for "non-dieting." Honestly, your brain will be like, "Whoa! All that for me?! Thank you!"

The eggs are seriously soft, creamy, fluffy, gooey, and cheesy. A few of the bites had amazing salty bursts of goat cheese; they were nice, delicious surprises.

I love this sort of hearty but still healthy breakfast that's full of protein, good fat, and flavor. The colors are so pretty. But, I have to admit that I wish I had something orange or red on the plate as well. A grilled tomato would've been perfect, methinks.

Anyway, this is a lovely way to start a morning, don't you agree?

Here's the recipe page: