“Because everyone is defenseless at breakfast, there should be no contentiousness or crossness” ~ Marion Cunningham | The Breakfast Book
(This post may contain affiliate links)
Lately, we've had a lot of friends passing in and out of our days. Lots of catching up
One I met a few years ago at a food swap. She's from Russia, makes the best crepes, plays the cello, and is one of the coolest people I've ever met. Over lunch, she tells me the secrets to making boozy mustard. I tell her how much I'm going to miss her when she moves away
I drop a meal off for a neighbor, who pours me a cup of tea. We sit near the street-facing window as she tells me of everyone's comings and goings. I tell her about Tips from Spies and the story of the Israeli spies in Switzerland. How little old people (LOPS) are considered lethal
A much-loved couple, who are jazz musicians, stop for a visit. We could've talked all night long. The bourbon in the bottle is a few fingers lower than it was last week, and our house feels nice, very much lived-in
Most days, I spend long stretches of time alone. I like the quiet. I don't need much company. But then someone comes into town, or maybe only across town for Spaghetti Saturday, with a pint of homebrew or a fancy lime pie because it's St Patrick's Day
We pull out the tables; the cats go deep into hiding, a big fluffy dog lays at our feet. We've done this before, many times, and I realize how much I appreciate the people in our life. They wake me up from wherever I've been
The scene on Sunday mornings after hosting a party for twenty (+/-) isn't as disastrous as one might imagine. The dishwasher will run (at least) three more times throughout the day. Empty wine bottles by the front door. A few odds and ends still left to be put away
I don't think there's anything I like cooking quite as much as spaghetti and meatballs for the people we love. Because if they're invited, we're obviously fond of them, and who better to cook for than the people you're fond of?
But first, breakfast.
My favorite meal of the day. A time when we're both a little soft. Before anything unfortunate has gotten in the way. I can hear my husband rustling around, trying to be quiet, and then the shower turns on. While it runs, I sneak out of bed and into the kitchen to grind the coffee, boil the water, start the eggs
I even remember that I picked up some very pretty tangelos at Trader Joes on my flower run the day before, and decided to put them in a bowl on the table. Tangelos go with fritters. Fritters go with toast. Toast goes with blueberry jam or drizzle of honey.
I've spent the last few months unearthing recipes I'd had bookmarked for an awfully long time. A number of them, as I discovered, hadn't aged like fine wine. Fillings that ran and veggies never quite caramelized. Not to mention that cake I served to dinner guests that was nearly inedible(!)
The rest of them, however, caused me to be consumed with regret when I think of all of the times we could have already eaten drip beef sandwiches, creamy tomato soup, and frozen pink cheesecake but didn't know about them yet
This is one of those times
I have a theory that you can tuck almost any finely chopped or shredded veggie into a savory pancake, cook it in small mounds until nicely done on both sides, serve it with a dollop of yogurt or a drizzle of hot sauce
They're one of those magical foods that come together quickly. They freeze well. They reheat well. You can serve them with a salad and call them a balanced meal. Not to mention they fill you up, allow you to put neglected ingredients in your refrigerator to good use, and they're terribly good for you too
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, if you have a six-pack of eggs on hand, a simple, and satisfying meal is never more than a few minutes away
This particular recipe is from Michelle Tam and following her lead, ham, and spinach is truly a great way to make them. Although I've certainly branched out. I've used my favorite pesto, a small handful of greens, and crumbled cheese in addition to the omelet-egg base.
You can add spices, seasonings, tiny grains, herbs, curry pastes, and infusions to the eggs before cooking. You can play around with different spreads, meats, cheeses, salsa and/or avocados as fillings. If you're partial to the flavors of Thai, use Thai ingredients. If you're partial to Japanese flavors, integrate those ingredients
Really, there are a million different ways you could remix them
Enjoy!
xoxo
— — —
~ Adapted from Nom Nom Paleo
Eggstra Special Fritters
Ingredients
- 6 eggs (large or XL)
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup diced ham (or cooked meat of choice)
- 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- ¼ onion, minced
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
- ½ tsp baking soda
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ghee or coconut oil, for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the eggs, coconut flour, fish sauce, and apple cider vinegar. Whisk until smooth
- Mix in the ham, spinach, onion, parsley, baking soda, a pinch of salt, and a grind or two of black pepper
- In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat (or on your griddle), melt a Tbsp of ghee
- Using a ¼ cup measuring spoon, plop the batter into the pan and flatten with a spoon until the fritter is roughly uniform (Be careful not to overcrowd them)
- Cook without disturbing them for a couple of minutes before flipping them over and cooking on the other side until golden brown. (You'll know they're cooked through when their centers bounce back after being pressed with your finger)
- Repeat until you’re out of the batter
- As each pancake finishes cooking, transfer it to a wire rack to cool
63 Comments
Your Sunday mornings with dishes remind me of when I cook on a holiday, it takes 2-3 loads plus hand washing to clean it all. Hubby loves it when I make a frittata, I know he’d enjoy these fritters just as much.
Wait, a food swap?? Now I need to go do some research to see if I can find something like that around here – what a cool idea.
What a fun idea, we haven’t made fritters in a long time. These are perfect for breakfast and I could make them ahead of time and even freeze them I am guessing.
I like being alone as well. The quiet is amazing. I’m a total introvert. Sometimes I’ll talk to people–the food swap sounds fabulous, but I’m a terrible cook, so what I would swap would be a bowl of Kraft mac and cheese, which wouldn’t exactly be fair.
These fritters look tasty! I really should eat breakfast more often!
It’s always nice to meet friends who stop by or those who would like to catch up. I also enjoy the time alone at home. I think it’s one of the best ways to just relax and appreciate every good thing in life. This recipe sounds like the perfect way to start your day! It’s also not going to make you feel guilty!
These look very similar to the muffin quiche I make for the week. I think I’ll give your recipe a try just for something different.
Yum! I made the fritters, and they were great! (How could anything be bad with some extra hot sauce on it?)
I have never made a fritter. Can you believe that? I will have to try your recipe, maybe even for Easter. I like that it has ham and spinach in it, too!
Looks amazing! You are a great cook, I’m ok but hints never seem to come out good when I try a brand new recipe. Hope they tasted as amazing as the look. Great post ?
Your fritters look delicious! I was just wondering if they would be good to keep in the freezer and reheat at a later time? My husband is always foraging for a late night snack and I think this would be better than cookies or chips. I read that you have lots of alone time. I wish I had that luxury too. I find myself when I am surrounded by silence.
I trust your breakfast thoughts more than anyone. After all, you introduced me to the lovely greek yogurt pancakes, and clearly, my life has never been the same. I may make some homemade salsa this weekend to pair with these pillowy fritters. Can’t wait!
I have got to try these eggstra special fritters! They are gluten free and look delicious! I think they would be great for meal prep and you could make fresh daily or a big batch and heat up daily. Thanks for the idea!
I love veggie fritters but haven’t made them in a long time. This post is totally reminding me to make them again. Maybe this weekend Ill try your version.
Oh, the pictures makes my teeth wanna plunge on the fritters. Kids love having eggs for breakfast and making it eggstra special fritters would be good idea ?
A no-fail fritter recipe? How did you know? I’m making these this weekend!
I didn’t know that there’s coconut flour available, I would love to have that in my kitchen. This fritters definitely looks delicious, I love that there’s spinach in it.
Sounds like you’ve been quite busy but in a good way. It’s always nice to have people come by especially when you haven’t seen them in a long time. This breakfast recipe is quick and easy, just how I like them!
I would love to wake up on a Sunday morning with these fritters for breakfast! I am actually going to host my first dinner party on Easter Monday, where the main “star” will be the bbq. I am nervous, even if there won’t be that many people, and secretly I wish it will be the same as your spaghetti night! 🙂
I really love Fritters but I have never made them before. I wonder if my kids would like them? Now I’m kind of excited to get cooking these fritters and see if these can become a family favorite.
Thanks for the beautiful descriptions and for reminding me of some of the things I truly love about having people over. I really need to go make some invites!
This is so deli. My favorite is breakfast meal too. I love eggs and pancakes. and the fritters looks pancakes too 🙂 I haven’t try apple cider in my eggs before. But I’m thrilled to try this one 🙂
Oh we love breakfast too! We often have big breakfasts with our friends, its a very social affair! Next time I am totally making these!!!
The fritter recipe really does look marvelous. Breakfast is such an important meal. It truly is crazy all the things you can do with good eggs, and how many healthy meals you can make with them. Weird that for a time people were criticizing eggs and saying they were no good. As for the rest of the post, it sounds like you have had some pretty great times, even if an awful lot of it has been on your own. I think that’s good time too. And reminiscing with neighbors also sounds lovely. There is some way you describe your days to me that makes me feel quite at home. And I can imagine those spaghetti and meatball parties would be amazing. Hope your week is amazing as you are.
Since yesterday full day, I was somewhat unhappy both personally and professionally, even the things were not going the right way. But this post just cheered me up, the images of Egg fritters were so tempting, that for few minutes, my mind was trying to smell them and had forgotten the last day.. I’m sure that I need to make this on weekends.
Ali, the only thought I can manage, on the grayest morning of the sleepiest Friday of the most dreary month, is: your writing is wonderful. Thanks for this post and for writing so winningly about being with friends.
I love the feel of deep bliss that fills me whenever we have friends over and we’ve just dinner. My husband and I sometimes host a pancake breakfast, open invite to neighbors and friends. After all the pancakes have been eaten, there’s this calm happiness that just fills those empty plates back up.
This fritter recipe sounds amazing and I love that it’s gluten-free. xx
Beautiful post! It makes me miss my friends. Maybe it’s time for guests…and some fritters!
This recipe look and sound amazing. We love to make scrambled eggs with cheddar, ham and spring onion, so I bet we would love this recipe as well.
I’ve been making fritters (and for friends, too—what is it with eggs and friends?), but with more than double the meat and extra veggies. Super light and luscious.
And the fritters I made a couple days ago? Date and bacon! Before you pop them in the oven, you get to brush the tops with bacon grease and sprinkle with demerara—wheee! xx
This is a beautiful piece of writing, Ali. I know just what you mean about friends who come to visit.
These are going to be fab fritters for a super yummy breakfast – Ideal to go with some beans and a slice of farmhouse toast x
How have I never had fritters before? I know this would be something the kids would eat. Anything round that looks like a hamburger is always a hit, lol. I can’t wait to bite into my first fritter.
This recipe of Eggstra Special Fritters looks great! I’m thinking about adding cheese to mine and making some tomato-mustard dip. It’ll make it more “eggstra” special! I’ll make this on Sunday for my family and I’m sure they’ll be eggstra happy!
Oh these look SO good! I bet they would make a lovely breakfast before work on the weekends. I have never really made a fritter. I’m wondering why not!
Being overseas, we’re far away from all our “tried and true” friends. When we’ve had visitors, breakfast has been the best part. It’s nice to get to feed people a meal you wouldn’t normally feed them. And then there’s coffee talk. I’ve never made fritters before, but anything with eggs for breakfast is too good to pass up!
I love the way you mention little stories, you make the recipe so interesting 🙂 These fritters look so so good and delicious. I love fritters and so does my kids, it is something we have to have few times in a month. I usually make them with my traditional recipe from back home, I would love to try your recipe.
These look awesome! In my homecountry we cal them “torrejitas” and we usually tuck in anything and everything, for me they are the best!
I love feeding the people I love at breakfast too. There’s always something about the quiet of the morning and starting their day off right. These fritters sound amazing, especially with a yummy sauce for dipping!
Eggs are such a staple in our house. We buy a box of 5 dozen every week! I will have to try this recipe, it sounds so yummy!?
As always your blog posts make me smile. Always a lovely story. The fritters look really interesting, they certainly look delicious – i’d have to veto the meat but otherwise, yum!
These look seriously delish! I love eggs so I easily get excited about recipes like this. Plus they’re healthy!
I’ve never tried making a fritter, but they look so easy to make!! It’s almost like an updated breakfast casserole, but with a grab and go feel. So yummy!
Ali,
You put such a smile on my face with this post. Oh to be lucky enough to be one of your friends!
I have a house full of guests for the weekend – this will surely grace one of our morning meals. Thanks, Ali!
I have never had a fritter before, even of the egg variety! I think these sound like an amazing option!
I am doing the Weight Watchers program and eggs are one of the “Free” foods so I am always looking for great egg dishes. This one sounds awesome and I’ve got to give it a try soon.
Ali, your writing always steals me away to a better place. It’s like suddenly the sun is shining just a little brighter. There’s nothing I love more than making breakfast for my family, and I’ve yet to do a proper eggs/fritters breakfast. Thanks for the inspiration!
I love how you narrate your time with your friends!!! Ah the fritters look so yummm can’t wait to try!!
This is a must try recipe and I am excited to try it. I guess my son will love it for breakfast. You have explained it in really easy steps. thanks a lot.
Alison, what can I say I too am a fritter lady. Love them especially salt fish fritters. I am actually making a batch for breakfast this Friday a treat to share amongst family and friends. I like that you used coconut flour also, I think I will make them with that too.
I love the little stories you shared and how you mentioned about so many wonderful people impacting your life! It must be an amazing feeling surrounded by so many wonderful people. Also, your food swap reminds me of my college days when we used to swap food between our flatmates and neighbors occasionally. Your fritter looks incredibly delicious and I bet, it must be a great hit among your family and friends!
Thank you for this – my grandmother made her fritters this way, and they were just about the most delectable bites on the planet. What a good way to start the morning.
You’ve reminded me just how much I’ve been missing some of my friends. I guess one of the few bonuses of having friends living far away is that when they visit, you get to host them and cook for them a lot of meals, and it is such a joy.
Oh how wonderful it is to have good friends and people visiting breaking bread. I definitely want to set up a day during the weekend to cook food with guest. Or maybe a taco tuesday. These fritters look amazing. I’d love to serve these with a bit of garlic sauce .
You have quite a few interesting people in your life. It sounds like a cup of tea and a chat with you would be full of wonderful tales.
These fritters look so good. I will definitely give this a try because I’m a breakfast girl (even if it’s all for me:)
Just beautiful writing. And it didn’t hurt that I’m reading it on a day when the sky is blue, and the sun is shining. Yes, it’s still twenty degrees outside, but with a little sun and a fire going, it doesn’t seem to matter.
So with something lovely to read, a damn good cup of coffee, and a little sunshine, I’m convinced that at least for this minute all’s right with my world.
I wish the same to everyone who visits this blog, and, of course, to you, Ali.
This echoes my feelings one of my most favorite things in the whole world – sleepy breakfasts! And, as always, you’ve written about it so beautifully! Good company AND good carbs (usually in pajama pants! be still, my beating heart)? Completely heaven sent. These fritters also sound divine!
These look amazing! I love cooking breakfast for those I love, too. You’ve described the social introvert to a tee.
Oooh I love fritters so much! They remind me of being a kid again 🙂 You’re so right about the people in our lives reminding us of what is important. Hope you’ve had a great Easter!
Oh my goodness now these sound like some fritters I do need to try! What a great way to kick off the day and what a friend you had, the stories she must tell!
I love making fritters! I normally make Courgette ones. This is such a great recipe.. yet again!
Omg this recipe looks so good! I really want to try it. It seems easy and I love that the ingredients are whole 30 compliant!