So Dad was over for a visit and wanted scrambled eggs for breakfast. When I expressed some reluctance about pulling out a frying pan (OK, it was a whole lot of reluctance), he remained undeterred. “You don’t have to fry it,” he told me. “Use the microwave. Get me a saucer.”
It took a crafty 92-year-old cook to show me how to exploit the microwave, which in my kitchen is better known as the popcorn maker and frozen-leftovers defroster. Within minutes, we were both enjoying a delectable scrambled egg. Cleanup was just as simple.
When I realized the cooked egg was nearly the same size and shape as an 8-inch flour tortilla, this rollup was a natural progression. And frankly, if you’re going to start with a no-brainer microwaved egg, you might as well keep the resulting recipe just as easy, or what’s the point? The fillings suggested here can be swapped out with any number of ingredients.
Caveats: The recipe is for one rollup; because the egg is cooked in two 1-minute phases, you can be filling one while the next one starts cooking. Be careful not to get too much of the giardiniera’s liquid onto the egg or it won’t set. Also, I use a slightly cupped Corelle saucer (easy to find at thrift stores), but any microwave-safe saucer no larger than 8 inches in diameter will do the trick. Finally, key to easy cleanup: Use nonstick spray or a little oil on the saucer; it makes the egg easier to remove — and the plate faster to clean.
No-Brainer Egg Rollup
1 large egg
1 teaspoon water or milk
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Pinch salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup (about 1 small handful) baby kale or baby spinach
2 tablespoons shredded Italian blend cheese
1 tablespoon mild giardiniera or to taste, drained
1 (8-inch) flour tortilla, warmed
Combine egg, water, seasoning, salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl; lightly beat with a fork. Pour into a 7- to 8-inch microwave-proof saucer that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Carefully place in microwave; cook on high, 1 minute.
Remove saucer; egg won’t be fully set in the middle and that’s OK. Distribute the kale, cheese and giardiniera (in that order). Return to microwave; cook 1 minute more.
Remove egg patty from saucer with a spatula; place on a flour tortilla. Roll up; serve. Makes: 1 egg rollup
Per serving: 280 calories, 12 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 196 milligrams cholesterol, 27 grams carbohydrates, 14 grams protein, 955 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.
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