Another Family Recipe- Peppers and Eggs

Even though many of my foodie tendencies stem from my mom's encouragement and example, I have quite a few foodie loves that come straight from my dad. The dish I am sharing today for the Family Recipes: Memories of Food, Family and Fun blog event that is being hosted by Laura of The Spiced Life and HoneyB of The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honey Bunch (HoneyB is hosting this month so be sure to visit her site to check out the round up!) comes straight from my dad. Now I should be clear that my mom always prepares this dish for my dad, but it is forever linked to my dad and his side of the family. According to my dad, this is a traditional dish that he grew up eating with the Italian side of his family. I have never really found anyone else who eats this dish, so I have no clue if it is something unique to my dad's family alone, regardless it is delicious. I think I am the only kid in my family who adores this meal, so my dad and I usually chow down on it together.
Peppers and Eggs are the perfect way to use up a bountiful bell pepper crop in the summer. In fact, I very rarely eat this dish during the winter months. It is a warm weather food to me despite the fact it requires turning on the stove - normally a no-no for me in the summer. The most important part of this dish is the pepper strips. My dad prefers mostly green peppers, but I like throwing some red or yellow bell peppers in for color and additional sweetness. You cook the heck out of the peppers. I realize this goes against your foodie instincts (mine too!) but it brings out a subtle sweetness and the most delicious flavor. The peppers end up with the texture of roasted peppers, but they are sweeter and softer without the hassle of removing the skins. You also need good olive oil, lots of eggs and some crusty bread to sop up all the tasty juices. This is one of my most favorite meals ... in fact I love it so much that I didn't take the time to take a picture of the finished product the first time around, so you are seeing pictures of my leftovers. This is one of the few egg dishes that I love left over. The eggs absorb the sweet pepper-infused oil and take on an entirely new flavor profile.



Peppers and Eggs
serves 2-3

3-4 large bell peppers, cut into strips
4 whole eggs
4 egg whites (I sub some egg whites to try to make it healthier)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Over medium low heat, add the olive oil and peppers to a sautee pan. Cover and cook until the peppers and very soft and look like worms (that is according to my mom). Stir the peppers occasionally. This make take about 15-20 minutes. Drain off some of the olive oil - to taste/to save calories. Beat the eggs and pour over the peppers, cook until the eggs are scrambled and cooked through. Serve with lots of crusty bread and plenty of salt and pepper.