Eggs and Tomatoes with a Twist

This was inspired by two friends who hadn't had dinner, five eggs leftover from baking, and two tomatoes from the farmers market. This egg and tomato dish, or 番茄炒鸡蛋 is actually a staple of traditional Chinese home-style cooking. Usually, it looks something more along what you see below. 

From Serious Eats

The eggs are first cooked to near-done in the pan and set aside, followed by the cooking of the tomatoes until near-done, at which point the eggs are added back in and everything is stirred together before serving. This is one of the first dishes I learned to make from my mother. It's also not a dish that's subjected to too much variation, making it quite foolproof. This time, however, I decided to try something different. I was reluctant to cook the tomatoes, given how incredible they were raw. They actually taste like a 'tomato'. Silly as it sounds, it's true in the sense that they're full of flavor instead of just water, fiber and seeds. So, I took a gamble and cooked just the eggs, pairing it with fresh tomato slices. My friends loved it, and while the saying goes that hunger is the best seasoning, I'm sure the flavor still had something to do with it. 

On a side note, you may be wondering how I managed to get tomatoes in the middle of winter. There's actually a vendor at the farmers market I go to who sells tomatoes grown via hydroponics and a greenhouse. Ironically, the only time she doesn't have tomatoes are during the summer months when it becomes too hot. 

Eggs and Tomatoes--serves 4, or 2 hungry friends

Ingredients:

• 2 large tomatoes
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 Tbs. sesame oil
• 1 stalk of scallion, chopped 
• 1/4 tsp salt   

Directions:

1. Slice the tomatoes into 1/2" thick wedges and arrange in a windmill pattern on a large serving plate.
2. Crack eggs into a large bowl. Add in salt along with scallion and beat for 30 seconds to a minute. 
3. Heat a medium frying pan to medium-high heat before adding the sesame oil--make sure there is enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Wait about 30 seconds for the oil to heat before adding the eggs to the pan. 
4. When the bottom of the eggs have started to solidify and resemble a pancake, use a spatula to break up the eggs in to bite-size pieces and continue to cook the eggs, stirring frequently--basically stir-frying. 
5. Once the eggs are done (when the eggs are no longer runny), remove from heat and plate on top of the tomatoes. 
6. All done--serve and enjoy!