Eggs!

Most Americans grew up eating eggs once in a while. Heck, many of us grew up thinking that breakfast wasn't breakfast if it didn't include eggs, cereal, toast, coffee, and juice, or any combination of the above. Pancakes and French toast were frequently relegated to weekends, but they usually involved eggs.

While there are probably hundreds, if not thousands of ways to fix eggs, there are some that have become favorites around my house, including (are you ready?) three ways to dress up scrambled eggs, that staple of so many breakfast tables, as well as Pirate Eggs and Spinach Frittata. Enjoy!

GRANDPA SHWEDO'S SCRAMBLED EGGS

My dad and his dad both loved to cook. Whenever Dad's parents would spend the weekend, Mom knew better than to attempt to fix every meal; there were entire weekends when the only time Mom could make an appearance in the kitchen was when it was time to clean up. Siiigh... This was one of Grandpa's Sunday morning specials. While the sour cream might not seem like anything special, it definitely perks up the taste of scrambled eggs very nicely.

I've written the instructions for two servings. You can adjust the amount accordingly.

4-6 large eggs

3-4 Tablespoons sour cream (you can use low-fat, if you'd like)

salt and pepper to taste

margarine for the pan

Crack eggs into a medium-sized bowl (or any bowl that won't have you spilling eggs on the counter). Add sour cream and stir well. Add margarine to pan and melt on medium heat. Add eggs and stir frequently, cooking on low- to medium-heat. Add salt and pepper to taste just before the eggs are finished cooking. Enjoy!

VEGGIE SCRAMBLED EGGS

This is how I sometimes fix scrambled eggs. You can start off with plain scrambled eggs, which is what I'm doing for this recipe, or start off with Grandpa's version. Whatever works for you! Again, this is for two people.

4-6 large eggs

2-4 Tablespoons milk

1 onion, chopped

1 pepper, diced (see note)

1 potato, peeled and diced small

margarine for pan

salt and pepper to taste

Melt margarine in pan over medium heat. Add the diced veggies and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently so they don't burn. Crack eggs into bowl, add milk, and stir. Pour over the veggies, then stir frequently in the pan. Add salt and pepper just before the eggs are done. Enjoy!

Note: Whenever I run out of peppers, I usually buy a bunch of them in a variety of colors, usually green, red, orange and yellow, trying to get an equal number of each. Then I chop them all up, removing the seeds and stems, and put them into a freezer-safe container with lid. Then, whenever I need peppers, I've got a colorful mix to add to whatever I'm fixing. Usually I guess-timate the amount, approximately 1-2 peppers-worth. But if this doesn't sound like something you're into, no problem. Simply dice up any color pepper you want and add to the mix.

PIRATE EGGS

When my sister and I were kids, my mother used to fix this for us on a regular basis, except that she called them Gypsy Eggs. Once my brother came along, though, they became Pirate Eggs. The name stuck. Most people from the Northeastern U.S. tend to call them Eggs-in-a-Hole or some variation of that. But whatever you call them, they're good.

The instructions are for one person. Adjust for the number of people you're feeding.

1-2 eggs

1-2 pieces of bread

margarine for the pan

Melt the margarine in the pan over medium heat. Take the bread and cut a round hole in the middle. Place bread in pan, then crack the egg and dump onto the bread so that the yolk is in the hold. If you prefer non-runny yolks (my preference), crack the yolk with the corner of a spatula. Cook on the first side for several minutes, then flip over and cook the other side. You can flip it several times until the egg looks cooked. Enjoy!

SPANISH OMELET

POINTS® value | 5

Servings | 1

Preparation Time | 8 min

Cooking Time | 10 min

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup spinach, coarsely chopped (do not dry)

2 large egg(s)

2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp olive oil

Directions

In a medium saucepan, cook spinach with just the water that clings to it until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain well, squeezing out all liquid. Cool, then chop finely.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon water.

In a small nonstick skillet, heat oil. Pour egg mixture into pan; reduce heat and cook until base is set and top is still a little creamy, about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle spinach over one half of eggs; fold omelet in half and cook until eggs are completely set, about 1 minute longer. Serve at once.

SPINACH FRITTATA

I fixed this one evening when I wanted something quick, easy and filling. You can use any veggies and cheese you like, but I'm adding the ones I like. This is enough for two people.

4 eggs

2-4 Tablespoons milk

1 onion, chopped

1 pepper, chopped

1 potato, peeled and diced

1/2 bag of spinach (10-16 ounce bag), rinced

1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese

margarine for pan

salt and pepper to taste

Melt margarine in an oven-proof pan over medium heat on the stove. Add veggies, cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Crack eggs in bowl, add milk, and beat. Pour eggs over veggies. Do NOT stir all the way through like you would with scrambled eggs, but do occasionally stir the top layer of liquid-y eggs, letting the bottom layer set. Add the shredded cheese and salt and pepper, then place a lid to help the eggs cook more evenly, lifting the lid only to stir the top layer so that it cooks evenly. When the eggs are almost completely done cooking, turn the oven's broiler on and place the pan--WITHOUT THE LID!--under the broiler, and broil for 1-2 minutes. Take out of oven, using care, as the handle will be very hot. Cut the frittata in half, place on plates, and enjoy!

CHICKPEA AND CHERRY FRITTATA

This is from the February 2014 issue of Runner’s World. It begins, “All runners (not just diabetics) benefit from the abundant carbs, protein, and antioxidants in this tasty dish. ‘It's big and bold-flavored,’ says (Sam) Talbot,” a runner, surfer, and type 1 diabetic who “makes this dish for a hearty pick-me-up breakfast after a morning workout.” Serves 4 to 6.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

8 eggs, lightly whisked

1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 cup chopped fresh cherries or 1/2 cup chopped dried cherries

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup loosely packed, torn fresh mint leaves for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl, mix the eggs, chickpeas, cherries, goat cheese, almond milk, thyme, agave nectar, and cream of tartar. In a medium ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and cook for 2 minutes without stirring. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake till the eggs are puffed and set in the middle, about 20 minutes. Let the frittata cool for 5 to 10 minutes. With a rubber spatula, gently work the frittata out of the pan and transfer it to a cutting board. Cut the frittata into wedges and serve garnished with the mint. Serves four to six.

Nutrition Information: Calories Per Serving: 395; Carbs: 25 g; Fiber: 4 g; Protein: 22 g; Fat: 22 g