When getting settled into a routine and habit of providing yourself with food, basic meals are not ones that you should overlook. As an affordable option for budgeting and a key source of protein, eggs are a staple for a balanced daily diet. They can be prepared on their own a number of different ways and are often ingredients in other easily prepped meals.
Knowing how to make a good scrambled egg (really, its usually two or more) is a crucial first step in cooking. Its quick, can be modified to taste and can be prepared or served with a number of other foods for breakfast or whenever you feel like having it. Its also really handy when you have company, since it's easy and once you really master it can be spiced up to a first class breakfast or brunch with a handful of small additions offering a really well rounded and delicious meal that's low prep and works with pretty much the bare minimums in the fridge.
For this recipe you'll need a small or medium sized nonstick pan of your choice, a good cooking spray or butter, a small bowl, whisk (large forks work just as well) and a flat wooden spatula.
INGREDIENTS:
2-3 Large Eggs
salt
pepper
milk or milk substitute (almond milk is my favorite)
butter (optional, but a cooking spray is also needed for the pan if you don't use butter)
optional addition: Shredded cheese
Once you have all your ingredients out and you've washed your hands, turn on your pan to medium-high heat and give it a generous coating of cooking spray or butter so that it covers the whole surface of the bottom of your skillet. Make sure the oil or butter is heating, but don't let the pan get hot enough to burn the butter or that the skillet begins to smoke.
While your pan heats up, crack your eggs into the bowl adding a pinch of salt and pepper to taste, and a tablespoon of milk for volume. The milk isn't necessary but it helps fluff up the eggs and give them a nice soft texture when they're fully cooked so they aren't dry or chalky. Mix briskly until the eggs begin to fluff in the bowl a little and there are bubbles in the mixture.
When your pan is up to temperature pour the eggs into the skillet quickly and begin to use the wooden spatula to pull from the outside edges of the pan to the middle, dragging all the cooked eggs to the center of the pan. All the liquid will continue to move outward to the edges of the skillet continuing to cook.
Continue this movement all around the pan until all the eggs are at the center of the pan. If you're choosing to use cheese in this recipe, spread a small handful or more to taste over the eggs so they can begin to melt. Use the spatula to divide the eggs and move them around the pan until they appear fully cooked (no more transparency or runniness) or until they're your preferred texture. I like mine to still be moist when they come off the pan, and usually push them directly on my plate when I see they're fully cooked to avoid over doing them or browning of the cheese. These eggs can be served plain, with toast, avocado, on a toasted bagel with cream-cheese, bacon or sausage, or put into tortillas with some fresh diced tomatoes and hash-browns for breakfast tacos or a burrito. Experiment with how you like them, and don't be afraid to add other seasonings or serve them with vegetables like broccoli and spinach.
When I first got to college, breakfast was the most comforting part of my day because I could go to the dining hall, choose something to eat different every morning and do some reading over some coffee or just collect my thoughts before starting my day. Often I enjoyed meeting friends early to eat together before the busier parts of our days when our schedules didn't really ever overlap or line up. The only time we could meet was early before classes started at 8 or 9. It was a labor of love that often ran late or got skipped closer to finals when time was a lot tighter and study nights ran later but we always made the effort whenever it was possible. The experience of sharing a meal is one that can really create a sense of home and help structure a routine when you're navigating a new environment. It had been that when we could all eat together that this would be a way I met many of my friends in my first two years, and it has been one of the things I miss most of all about living on campus without COVID. After spending the late half of the spring semester and the summer cooking for myself and my roommates I learned that part of what I really miss is also having the time to collect my thoughts and genuinely start my day before going into classes and having to focus or think critically about my course work. The mornings were the time when I could drink my coffee (or tea since I recently switched over to limit my caffeine intake), listen to music or a favorite podcast or do some reading in my own mental space outside of my dorm before heading into the busy and kinetic environment of my classes. Sometimes I'd take time to read something outside of my courses, write a poem or message friends that lived far away about my previous day or talk about music or a discussion from class I'd had. Since living and spending almost all my time exclusively in my apartment I've learned that in addition to missing the times with my friends, what I really miss is having the time to myself outside of school or "home" where for thirty minutes or an hour I didn't have to be either place. Physically moving to somewhere other than where I sleep and get ready marked a distinct start to my day and allowed me time to get ready for class and prepare for my day, waking all the way up and taking in some of the world around me. Often, even if I didn't have class at 8:00 or 9:00 in the morning, I'd make a habit of walking around campus with my coffee and just looking at my surroundings or reading before class outside. It's something I didn't realize how much I looked forward too before and that I sorely miss now in my daily routine. Instead, learning to cook myself thoughtful meals, drink a cup of tea and take a moment for myself before diving into a day of work from home has allowed me to make space again for that transition from resting to working and to manage my time more efficiently. The time I spend inside, listening to a podcast or music while I finish my breakfast is time that brings me closer to being mentally present and invested in my work and towards a time when I can meet friends for breakfast and walk around campus with a hot drink without compromising anyone's safety.
Think about how you can start your day with something that is meant to be good for you, and the ways you can support yourself when your regular routines or selfcare routine is out of reach or within harms way. You might just find something that makes every day a little bit better and where you're living a little bit more like home.
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