E is for Easter, E is for Eggs
Spell it with food.
That was the mission for those who chose to accept this year’s Eating Your Words Challenge. I chose, as you may have guessed from the picture above, to spell it with eggs. Bizarrely, I have Yellow Tail wines to thank for the eggy inspiration and you may very well end up with reason to thank them too.
You see, the folks who distribute Yellow Tail here contacted me with an offer of an Easter hamper for a Spud reader, containing several bottles of Yellow Tail shiraz, along with lots of Lindt Chilli Chocolate (worth a try with the spicy shiraz), a Lindt Easter Egg and some Easter bunnies (the chocolate kind).
A little something for you, the reader
They proposed that a little reader competition to win said goodies might involve ideas for eggs, it being an Easter hamper ‘n’ all. The suggestion was enough to get my creative yolks flowing and very soon, I found myself carving out edible eggy words. So I got to complete my mission and one of you readers gets a winey, chocolatey hamper. I’d call that a win-win situation.
So leave a comment below if you want to be in with a shout for the hamper and, to borrow a slogan from a rather well-known brand of chocolate gooey egg, you can tell me how you like to eat yours (your eggs, I mean).
I’ll leave this open until next Tuesday March 30th at 6pm (GMT), which will hopefully allow enough time for the winner to get their delivery in time for Easter. I’ll select the winner as randomly as I can and, yes, you will need an address somewhere in the Republic of Ireland at which to receive the goods.
Update 31/3/10: And the winner of the winey chocolatey hamper is… Yvonne Carty, who says that she likes her eggs scrambled with some chili and served with smoked salmon. Wouldn’t say no to some of that myself! Congratulations Yvonne & Happy Easter.
Now, though, it seems only fair that I show you how I like to eat mine. In fact, let me spell it out for you.
Inside-out Eggs
So here it is then, my entry for the Eating Your Words Challenge 2010, hosted by Tangled Noodle and Savor The Thyme.
The idea is simple: cut shapes out of a plain omelette, refill with reserved egg whites et voilà – white and yellow have swapped their usual places. You can, of course, adjust the amounts here to suit the size of pan you want to use. You’re aiming to make a thick-ish omelette, which is easier to work with when it comes to cutting and refilling.
You’ll need:
- 6 medium eggs
- 0.25 tsp fine salt
- oil for frying
You’ll also need:
- A shallow, preferably non-stick frying pan – mine was about 24cm diameter – and a plate that is slightly wider than the pan onto which you can slide the omelette.
- Cutters for whatever shapes you want to cut out. A small sharp knife is also useful for those occasions where the cutter does not cut right the way through.
The Steps:
- Separate 2 of the eggs and keep the whites aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the 2 egg yolks and remaining 4 eggs. Add the salt and whisk again. You can add other herbs or spices here as the mood takes you.
- Place your pan over a medium heat. When hot, add 1-2 tsp of olive oil (or another vegetable oil if you prefer).
- Pour in the beaten egg and swirl it around to coat the pan. Cook over a medium heat for around 5 minutes or until it is has just about set right through. Note that I didn’t turn the omelette in the pan as I wanted to keep everything nicely yellow on one side.
- Slide the omelette off the pan and onto your plate. Using your cutters, carefully cut out the desired shapes, employing a small sharp knife if necessary to complete the separation. Remove the shapes and set them aside.
- Place your pan back over a medium heat, adding a little more oil if it needs it. Slide the omelette back onto the pan and carefully pour the reserved egg whites into the spaces left by the shapes you have cut out. Depending on the size of the spaces and thickness of the omelette, you may not need all of the whites. Cover with a lid and cook for another minute or two, just until the whites have set.
- Serve up and enjoy!
The Variations:
- The shapes used are up to you, of course, and you can add whatever herbs or spices you like to the eggs before cooking.
The Results:
- Plain omelette for 2-3
HOW CUTE! I love it!
Scrambled, with goodies in it -ham, cheese, onion being a particular favourite. Alternatively, a Mexican Omelette from the Wild Onion – Salsa, chillies and cheese. Delicious…
Sounds eggsciting – the chocolate and the wine I mean
Love the photos but don’t know if I’d have the patience! Mind you the kids would love em!
I also like an omelette or a Spanish tortilla with potato in it. I’m also partial to egg mayo sambos. Had one for my lunch today in fact on homemade multiseed bread. Yum!
Nice comp by the way :)
E
Eggs Benedict or Florentine – either is good – with lashings of Hollandaise sauce. That has got to be heaven on a plate!
Whoa, this is a seriously impressive Eating Your Words entry, Spud! Love it!!!
I’ve had my thinking tiara on for weeks and have yet to come up with a single idea for this year’s challenge. You’ve thrown down the gauntlet for sure!
I like my eggs scrambled, preferably by my husband who makes the best scrambled eggs ever. :)
me, me, me !! please can i be in your competition ???
p.s. your omelettes look pretty and pretty delicious :)
ooh, chili chocolate is my absolute favorite — and those egg photos are very cool.
so, i like my weekend eggs scrambled — preferably with the scrambled raw eggs being poured over appropriately half-fried: onions, mushrooms, a little rosemary or something, olive oil, pepper, and cherry tomatoes.
maybe with a few chunks of cheese if i’m feeling extra protein-deficient.
Piper: thanks – it’s a pretty cute way to do eggs, alright :)
Margaret: ooh, Mexican omelette, love the sound of that!
Fiona: indeed it is & sure ‘twould be even more eggsciting if you won :)
Enormous: it is a bit fiddly, I’ll grant you (plus I was trying to take pictures too!) but I imagine that kiddies in particular would love something like this
Diva: I was tossing around ideas for weeks on this one too – I’m sure you will come up with something Divalicious in the end :)
Joanne: I never have any objection to lashings of hollandaise sauce where eggs are concerned!
KD: but of course you can be in :)
Tim: I have to say that I really liked this particular chili chocolate – not too chili-heavy but leaves a nice tingling sensation at the back of the mouth, amplified if you take it along some of the shiraz – good stuff
You’ve a truly eggscellent entry to the eating your words competition.
Speaking of competitions … Chilli choc? Wine? Count me in!
A rare treat but Eggs Benedict
I don’t have an address to enter but had to say how neat those letters were. Did you use cookie cutters?
So clever, Spud! The inside-out thing is awesome. Competition is going to be stiff this year! I just finished working on my entry and there’s a cutout egg in it as well (but used in a different way…stay tuned, will post it soon) I know I don’t qualify to enter the Yellowtail contest but I still wanted to comment about my favorite way to eat eggs – soft boiled and stirred with some soy sauce (weird but that’s how my mom used to make it for me when I was a kid).
wow, great photos! I love poached eggs in many different variations – with hollandaise for eggs benedict, or gently poached in spicy tomato sauce for huevos rancheros. They must always be soft with a beautifully runny yolk, otherwise, what’s the point?
Rufus: now why does it not surprise me that you’d want in on this? :)
Sarah: oh I did indeed use cookie cutters – I don’t trust myself to be that neat freehand…
Phyllis: Can’t wait to see your entry – though if Greg puts in another video like last year, we’re probably all sunk! As for the soft-boiled egg with soy sauce, I’d be all for that – I mean, I douse my egg-fried rice with soy sauce, so why not?
jean: big fan of poached eggs myself and have to agree about the runny yolk, though I don’t always get it right myself!
Hehehe…That’s so cool!!! Nicely done!!! Hopefully I can make my entry in time.
AWESOME!! First of all, thank you so much for participating in Eat Your Words, but second – I must have whatever you used to cut out your letters! This is so clever as well as tasty. I see ‘eggs-citing’ and ‘eggs-cellent’, but has anyone used ‘eggs-traordinary’ yet? 8-D
Now, it’s my turn to be envious again of those of you most fortunate to live in fair Eire – I’d love to win this Easter hamper!
How cute & lovely!! hahahahaha,…did you win the competition??
How was it???
That’s so cute! It’d be a brilliant way to propose to someone… Although writing ‘Will you marry me?’ would use about 30 eggs!
I’d say you just put yourself in the running for the challenge prize. What a creative idea and it worked out beautifully! I still need to come up with something.
Chocolate and wine…mmmm. Not to mention chili chocolate and wine, even better. I do wish I had an address in Ireland for many more reasons that just to win this.
jenn: thanks – hope you make it in with an entry, the more the merrier!
Tangled Noodle: And thank you for hosting such a cool challenge :) There was a quick trip to my favourite kitchen supplies shop the other day to source the sturdy letter cutters – it was a big relief to find that they had E, G and S (otherwise my plans would have gone slightly awry!)
Sophie: no winning to report as yet for me :) I’ll find out about the blog awards on Saturday and the Eating Your Words challenge sometime after March 31st…
Lilly: …which would be fine as long as they *really* liked eggs and had an extremely large appetite – otherwise you’d have to do it in stages over a few days, one word at a time, lol
Lori: We’ll see :) I’m looking forward to seeing the other challenge entries and what creative things people come up with!
DEADLY
that’s what I’m going to spell out with mine
Poached with Hollandaise a la Monsieur Benedict! Mmmm.
I may have to withdraw my own Eating Your Words entry what with such brilliant competition :) I love this. I featured your eggs today on my column (ediblecrafts.craftgossip.com). (I’m in the US so as yummy as chocolate and wine sounds right about now, this comment isn’t an entry for your giveaway, it’s just to rave about the eggs.)
Love it……..I love egg and soldiers……..hands down! Simple but stunning!
I came here to NOT think about the fact that I have not even started this challenge. I am determined to do another video… I hope there is time. Yours is so graphically beautiful. GREG
Very cool! Awesome entry for the challenge!
Lu: love it!
Deborah: Mais oui, bien sûr Madam! :)
meaghan: thank you so much for stopping by and for the mention – and, having seen your entry for the challenge, you must, on no account, withdraw it :) Your DIY poetry cookies are fab!
Kitchen Butterfly: aren’t egg & soldiers the best – I must remind myself to eat them more often!
sippitysup: I hope you do another video Greg, or even just re-submit the one from last year – I could watch it over and over
5 star foodie: thanks – but will it impress Andrew Zimmern, I wonder? :)
can i just say… that is hands-down beautiful and creative! i never would’ve thought to do that! i’ve been seeing other blogs enter this Eating Your Words Challenge. i really love the yellow and white from the eggs. SO PRETTY!
Love the arty egg-work!! I am looking at my teddy bear cookie cutter in a whole new light with a toddler in mind!! I have to say I am very fond of a mushroom omelette since I learned how to make one properly!!
What a cool but simple idea! I’d like to put my name in the hat for the prize please!
…this comp sounds so eggcellent….as for the “eating your words challenge”…..it cracked me up……only yoking….i love it !!!
Poached eggs for me! With a sprinkle of chilli flakes on a slice of buttery toast.
Drool….
But I’d take some inside-out eggs at a push ;)
krissy: that is very sweet of you to drop by and say so, I was just very pleased that it worked out so well :)
Yvette: That mushroom omelette education was courtesy of Darina, I take it? Meanwhile, I would love to know what young master Luke would make of inside-out teddy bear eggs!
Jo: no prob, your name is in
Fiona: that’s what I’d call an eggstra special entry, lol
Top Fuzz: some poached eggs with chili flakes and buttery toast would hit the spot nicely, thankyouverymuch
I love your cutouts too cute…I love my eggs I mean huevos rancheros baby!!
sweetlife
Fabulous entry! I am racing against time to get mine done..
Fried eggs with loads of blackpepper, served atop toasted soda farls, smothered in butter and served with a bucket of coffee.
sweetlife: huevos rancheros – hell yeah :)
Mardi: thanks for stopping by to say so and good luck with getting your own entry in!
Triona: excellent choice, I especially like the addition of coffee, a bucket thereof :)
in my giddy excitement at seeing a WINE competition, i didn’t actually read the requirements ! i like my egg perfectly fried, sunny side up, barely sprinkled with maldon salt, black pepper and chilli flakes, and served on hot buttered brown soda bread ….
Scrambled eggs with chilli…served with smoked salmon.am I too late?????
KD: your entry is now copper-fastened :)
Yvonne: am just about to pick the winner, so you’re in with a shout!
WOW!!!
What lovely use of eggs…
Very creative entry for “Eating your Words Challenge’
The Variable – Nachiketa
Crazy Over Desserts – The Variable, Nachiketa
Thank you Nachiketa, very nice of you to say so!