Apologies for the delays since the last post.  Getting back to work at the day job took a little getting used to.  Anyway, we’re back up and running here at Beyond Bacon…

I can’t remember exactly when I first had the famous heirloom breakfast, a meal prepared by every member of Courtney family.  They call it simply “egg dish,” but the name is deceivingly simple.  The real dish is more like a frittata, except that it is fried over low heat instead of baked.  It’s also like a quiche, except that it doesn’t have a crust.  Perhaps “Waittata” would be the best name?

Normally the dish includes broccoli, yellow squash, zuchini, onions, garlic, and sometimes potatoes, all spiced with cayenne and other peppers and Italian seasonings and then topped with egg and cheese.  It can be modified to include any and all leftovers in your fridge.  Or it can be made with just about any other variation—the only key ingredients are eggs, sauteed veggies, and slow cooking in a covered pan over low heat.

This past weekend Courtney decided to make a special variant using some artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes that we had lying around.  (Really, we bought enormous Costco jars of both for a pizza a few weeks back.)  These specialty items are suitable for toppings but not good for sauteeing, so we planned the dish accordingly.  We also had a mixture of green and yellow peppers freshly picked from the garden, so we threw those in. Here’s a recipe of sorts:

First, add some vegetable oil to a pan over medium heat.  Add red pepper, black pepper, white pepper, dried oregano and basil (not ground), minced garlic, and a little salt.  Let the spices season the oil.  Add potatoes and cook for a few minutes.  Next add the onions and then the peppers since they don’t require as much cooking time. You want the potatoes to be browned and edible in texture before adding the egg.

Second, scramble about eight eggs in a separate bowl.  Add a splash of milk or cream.  Pour over the sauteed veggies and tilt the pan to make sure it fills in all the cracks.  Cover and reduce heat to medium-low.  Don’t leave it too high or the egg will burn.  As it cooks it the egg will begin to poof up, as in the photo:

After about fifteen minutes, test the consistency by poking a raw noodle of spaghetti inside.  When you can remove it without it being covered in sticky raw egg material, you’re all set to move on.  If it stays jiggly and the lid is dripping wet, try removing it so the dish can dry out.

Third, add toppings of choice.  On a traditional egg dish this usually includes cheddar and feta cheeses.  On this one, Courtney added the artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta.  I think the big hunks are goat cheese, but I can’t remember for sure.

When the cheese is melted the dish is done.  Cut carefully with a spatula and work cautiously to remove the first slice without mangling it (eat whatever falls out).  Try to make triangular sections.  We cut this Waittata into six pieces and ended up eating 1.5 each.  You can impress your guests by telling them that each slice has only 1-1/3 eggs and is relatively low-fat. Enjoy: