End Of The Month Scramble(d egg recipe)
At some point or another almost everyone has the grim realization that there’s still plenty of month left at the end of the money. Whether you’re a student, or bringing up a family whilst money is tight, a pensioner on a fixed income or you’ve been downsized against your will there’s times when eating cheap is important, sometimes you think you’re fine and then a big bill hits and it’s time to scrimp.
This recipe used to be a mainstay for me, and my frugal habits have stuck with me. I don’t throw out food, and leftovers or scraps have to find a way into a meal somehow. “End of the month scramble” started out as just that, a meal made as I scrambled about in the kitchen, making use of what was left before payday, but now sometimes I make it just because I like it too.
The recipe below gives you some standard ingredients, but the joy of “End of the month scramble” is that it is flexible enough to incorporate all sorts of leftovers, bits of frozen veg, as well as anything you have growing in your garden, on your windowsill or front steps. That can include well washed dandelion leaves and nettles for the truly frugal.
- Prep time:
- Cook time:
- Ready in:
- Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 Cups veggies from the bottom of the refrigerator
- Choose any combo from
- – thinly sliced onion
- – sliced pepper (any colour)
- – chopped brocolli
- – sliced zucchini/courgette if you have some in the garden
- – green beans
- – tomato if there’s some in the garden
- – grated carrot (squeezed dry or it can make the scramble watery)
- – cooked potato
- – spinach/watercress/rocket/arugula
- 4 -6 Free range eggs depending on size and hunger level
- Half a cup of grated cheese if you have some
- You can include leftover veggie sausage if you have some
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet (frying pan)
- Add the paprika, it smells good and helps people get hungry for leftovers
- Add the veggies in the order of slowest cooking first. I’ve listed them in roughly that order
- Cook each veggie til it starts to soften, then add the next
- Keep going until all your veggies are warm and soft
- Whisk the eggs together and add to the veggie mix
- Add the cheese
- Cooks slowly, stirring all the time to scramble
- As soon as the egg sets serve immediately
- Serve on toast, or with salad, or if necessary with your trusty ramen noodles.
What To Buy When You Have Cash
The key to making leftover dishes work, and to making the most of what you can buy cheaply, is having something to perk up the flavors. Eggs become far more of a meal with paprika, canned tomatoes and basics spaghetti are suddenly “Pasta Pizzaiola” with the addition of oregano and black pepper. Potatoes, butter and flour can be “Gnocci Romana” with a sprinkle of sage. All it takes is smoked paprika to turn some mushrooms that were half price because they looked so sad into Stroganoff. A tin of gabanzo beans can be falafel with a little cumin, cilantro and a healthy imagination.
The difficulty is that when you’re skint a jar of herbs or spices can cost as much as the meal you’re planning on making. Try and stock up your spice rack when you’re feeling flush, just one jar at a time, or buy refill. Add a stocked spice rack to your Christmas list.
Milk or No Milk
Some people add milk to scrambled eggs, I rarely do, unless I need to use it up. I think it makes the eggs a bit runny, other people think it makes them creamier. What’s your view?
Do you add milk to your scrambled eggs or omelets?
