Sometimes, I overthink things.
Scratch that.
Most of the time, I overthink things.
Ok, I usually ALWAYS overthink things. What shoes go with a certain outfit. What to plan for a dinner party. Analyzing the crap out of emails from men. What recipes to put on my blog.
After all, I’m a girl and I’m a lawyer. It’s like the worst combination of over-analysis EVER. But it’s actually something I’m working hard to loosen up on. Because if you overwork a problem to death, it turns out you never actually DO anything!
When I first started my blog almost two years ago, I had a certain idea about what food I wanted to write about. I wanted to talk about the food I love to cook, and the food I love to eat. But there are some things I LOVE to eat, but I just don’t think about as “recipes.”
The perfect example: these soft-scrambled eggs with herbed goat cheese. This recipe was the product of an excess of goat cheese (damn you, Costco) and herbs in my fridge that produced a beautiful, elegant meal to have for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s a simple, elevated twist on a classic.
When the folks at Town Square 49 emailed to tell me they were interviewing regular blog contributors for segments on the radio and asked if I’d like to participate, I thought it sounded fun. So I invited the interviewer, David, over for lunch at my house.
And then I started totally freaking out about what I was going to make.
Risotto! No, takes forever.
Lentil soup! Might as well start the interview with, “Hi, my name is BORING BORING BORING lentil soup BORING.”
Wild rice salad! Dude, Heidi. Do you even want the guy to like you?
Then I just thought- oh, the hell with it. I opened my fridge to see what I needed to use up (some of my best ideas come from this process) and saw two brand new logs of goat cheese (seriously, must stop using Costco as my local grocery store). Who doesn’t like scrambled eggs? They are the world’s most perfect food when cooked properly. Cook them slow and low, as I like to say, for perfectly tender, soft scrambled eggs. Served on buttered toast, it’s an utterly simple, divine meal.
At least I think so. David cleaned his plate. :)
Click to listen to the Town Square 49 Radio segment:download the audio.
Soft Scrambled Eggs with Herbed Goat Cheese
(Inspired by 101 Cookbooks)Serves 2
5 eggs
pat of butter for pan
splash of half & half or milk (optional)
4 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper, to tastebuttered toast, for serving
Using a fork, mix and mash the chopped parsley and dill with the goat cheese, adding a splash of half & half or milk (a tablespoon or so) to help loosen the cheese for mixing.
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Crack eggs in a large bowl, adding a tablespoon or two of half & half if you like your eggs a little richer. Beat the eggs with a whisk, attempting to incorporate as much air as possible for maximum fluffiness. Melt a pat of butter in the pan. Add the eggs to the pan and slowly scramble using a spatula. (This will take several minutes, but your patience will be rewarded!) As the eggs start resembling a custard-like consistency, add a dash of salt to taste and fresh ground pepper and turn up the heat to medium to finish them off. (Adding the salt too early will make the eggs tough.)
Once the eggs are scrambled to your liking, remove the pan from the heat and top the eggs with several dollops of the goat cheese mixture. (You will not use all of the goat cheese mixture- maybe a 1/3 or 1/2 of it. Use the rest for next time!) Let the cheese soften for 30 seconds or so, then fold the eggs over the goat cheese. Serve immediately on buttered toast.
Enjoy! xo H
Heidi was born and raised in Fairbanks, and grew up in and around the waters of the Chena River. She graduated with a degree in History from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and received her law degree from Willamette University. A lawyer by day and self-taught home cook at night, she is passionate about cooking and creating tasty, uncomplicated food. She is also a firm believer in buying local produce and products whenever possible, and is an avid fisherwoman. She currently lives in Anchorage with her trusty terrier, Milo.
