Cleaning out the Pantry- Chinese Tomato and Eggs

So today is my second edition of Cleaning out the Pantry on Nosh and Tell. It will begin with a story....

Several years ago, I was in China on a language immersion program. Language immersion? Talk about gastronomic immersion. Food in China is vastly different from Panda Express. It is lighter, more savory and a lot less oily. I was on a train from Beijing to Shanghai when I was handed, by the stewardess, a heavy white styrofoam container. I supposed it would be dumplings or something of that nature, but I was surprised when I opened the container to find eggs. Eggs? In Chinese food? The dish looked like a typical omelet with tomatoes, sided with a towering mountain of rice. I skeptically took a bite. This was no mere omelet. The eggs were salty and toasty and the tomatoes were sweet. The combination was, to my surprise, delicious. 

So the other day when I was cleaning out my fridge and found some leftover scallions, tomatoes and eggs, I decided I would attempt to replicate these flavors to the best of my ability. 

Chinese Tomato and Eggs

2 eggs 

2 small red tomatoes 

1/4 cup scallions

1 tsp sesame oil

several hefty shakes of soy sauce 

In a pan that's on medium heat, saute the chopped tomatoes and scallions together in some butter or cooking spray. Saute until the scallions are soft and the tomato skins are looking a bit wrinkly. In a bowl, whisk your eggs together and add the sesame oil. Be careful with sesame oil because it's really strong. Remember, you can always add more later if need be. Then pour the egg mixture into the pan with the tomatoes and scallions and scramble. While the eggs are still soft, add the soy sauce. Continue scrambling until the eggs have reached your desired doneness. Serve hot with some thinly sliced, fresh scallions to garnish. 

As you can see, this dish is incredibly simple and is a great substitute for that cheese omelet that is beginning to get a bit monotonous every morning. The scallions add a light oniony crunch and the tomatoes will sweeten up the whole dish. I think sesame oil is always a great addition because it's toasty and adds a wonderful aroma. I hope you enjoy this one! 

Bon eating,

Ariel