recipe: mel & carlos’ green eggs

Editor’s note: This recipe is from Jules Clancy of Stone Soup.

mel & carlos’ green eggs
serves 2

Inspired by a wonderful breakfast hosted by my great Melbourne mates, Mel & Carlos. I love it when my friends cook for me and inspire a ‘why didn’t I think of that moment’.

5 eggs
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons pesto
2 handfuls baby spinach, washed

1. Heat a small fry pan on a medium high heat.

2. Break eggs into a small bowl and stir to just break up the yolks. Season.

3. Add butter to the hot pan and allow to melt a little. Add eggs and cook for about 30 seconds, turning down the heat if they are cooking too fast.

4. Scoop all the cooked egg into the middle of the pan and allow the runny egg to run to the sides.

5. Stir in pesto and continue to cook for another minute or until the eggs are no longer ‘runny’

6. Quickly serve eggs on a bed of baby spinach.

prepare ahead?

Not a good idea.

leftover potential

Eggs will keep for a few days in the fridge and you can eat them cold, but it’s not ideal.

variations for fun

green eggs & ham – make like the Dr Zeuss book and pan fry some good quality leg ham to serve under your eggs.

vegan / dairy-free – try green tofu. Crumble some firm tofu and pan fry until warm and starting to brown in places. Stir in some dairy-free pesto such as a sicilian nut pesto made with a few handfuls of almonds instead of the parmsean.

budget – make your own pesto or finely chop 1/2 bunch parsley and use it instead to make your eggs green.

decadent – add a few tablespoons of sour cream in with the eggs for a richer, creamier scrambled egg experience.

cheesy -serve with extra finely grated parmsean cheese.

nut-free -replace pesto with 1/2 bunch finely chopped basil leaves and a little parmesan if you like.

problem solving guide

too bland? Use a better quality pesto next time but for now be more generous with your salt & pepper.

too dry / rubbery – a sign of overcooked eggs. Next time be more careful and remember the eggs will still be cooking from residual heat after you take them out of the pan. So best to remove them before they’re completely ‘set’.

watery eggs – if there’s lots of excess water that could mean you’ve completely overcooked the eggs so the protein is starting to weep. Next time use a cooler temperature and cook for a shorter time.

soft & slimey eggs – it means your eggs are on the undercooked side. If it bothers you, pop them back in the pan for a little while. And next time cook for longer.

too much garlic – if you’re sensitive to garlic, especially at breakfast, be careful of commercial pestos that are strong in garlic. You might prefer to make your own pesto without garlic just for this dish.

serving suggestions

Great as a breakfast on its own.