Yes, yet another one of those dishes that are easy to prepare.Ideal for when unexpected guests pop in, and there visit becomes one of those timeless sort, that stretches into early afternoon or evening.

Now don't get me wrong, it will also be a quick an easy dish, when you fancy that something just a little bit different for a laid back Sunday night, especially if you fancy a night alone.

This is the time to, while making another round of tea and coffee, or as it is a holiday or weekend, you could even open up a bottle of wine, or for something a bit stronger.

You sneak a quick peek into your kitchen cupboards, refrigerator, as well as your fresh vegetable rack, or if you are one of those, that are fortunate enough to have a small herb, and or vegetable garden going.

As long as you have eggs, some onions a bit of bacon or other cold meats, cheese or canned seafood, such as tuna, salmon or shrimps, chives, red or green peppers, mushrooms, some fresh, frozen or even day old bread, then, yes you actually do have enough to make up a very fancy meal.

You are going to need some cast iron skillets, one small skillet for each guest, The square or round ones are fine, however you also get oval ones that are the right size.

Over and above the skillets

• you will need your stove top, and your oven.
• a blender or what is really ideal is the best that old favourite, a Tupperware shaker.
• a grater,
• or chopping board,
• cheese slicer,
• utility knife etc..

Garden Salad

Well that is quick and simple,

chop up some lettuce, onion, tomato, carrots, mushrooms, celery, chivs and any other salady type ingredients you have.

Quick Salad Dressing

Make a simple salad dressing

Method

• The juice of freshly squeezed lemon,
• Add twice volume of the juice with oil, either vegetable or olive,
• Good pinch of freshly ground sea salt,
• Good pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• Small bunch of finely chopped basil, parsley or any other fresh herbs.

1. Add them all together and give it good shake until the mixture is cloudy,
2. Else drop all the ingredients into a blender on high, for the same effect.

Keep dressing seperate, place the salad in a bowl and place it on the table.

Serve with and enjoy some of the wine you had been drinking.

Prepare the toppings and the Frying Skillets

Do any of the:-

• grating, of cheese, onion
• chopping of the bacon, ham, herbs,
• slicing of mushrooms
• sauteing, of onions, mushrooms, ham
• draining of shrimps, salmon, tuna, mussels

so that the toppings are ready to be added.

Set the stove plates on medium, spray the surfaces of the skillets with spray and cook, or grease them well with some vegetable oil, or butter, place the skillets on the stove plates so that the skillets heat through.

If I make up chips for this meal I invariably would cut the potato into slices across the width and about 3 mm thick.

These would then be fried to a crispy medium brown in vegetable oil.

I would use medium sized potatoes, scrub the skins well and fry them skins and all.

Another way of doing the chips

Use new baby potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters across the length, agin deep fried to a golden brown.

Drain well and keep warm until time to serve.

To prepare the Fancied up Bread, that is what my kids called it when they were quite young.

This is a nice way of having some bread with a different taste to it. My favourite way of making this is with the careful use of some fancy butters or margarine.

These are

• Mixed Herb Butter

Take a quarter of a kilo of butter or margarine, add a teaspoonful of mixed herbs, cream the two together and store in a covered container, so that is ready for use.

• Garlic and Parsley Butter

Take a quarter of a kilo of butter or margarine, add a teaspoonful of parsley and a clove of finely chopped garlic, cream the two together and store in a covered container, so that is ready for use.

• Herb and Cheese butter

Take a quarter of a kilo of butter or margarine, add a teaspoonful of mixed herbs and a teaspoon full of fine Parmesan cheese, cream the two together and store in a covered container, so that is ready for use.

As you see all very easy to make and can always be on hand if prepared in advance , they keep in the refrigerator.

If you do not have any on standby quickly cream up a batch for the meal.

Cut the bread into thinner than normal slices, butter evenly on both sides of the bread and toast them until the bread is hot a very light brown. Keep warm on a hot tray or warmer.

The warm bread with the slightly added flavour adds a festivity to the meal. Beside it being a bit different, not realy a toast, just a warm, flavoured bread.

Special Notes

1. I never do this for more than four people at a time as it then gets hairy, and you have to eat in relays.
2. If there are young children I would make a large scrambled egg and topping, serve them before hand, so that adults can enjoy the meal without worrying about youngsters grabbing piping hot skillets.

This is now the time that you have to work quite quickly.

A quick run down of what you need

1. The skillets are now warm and on stove plates set to medium
2. Your fillings/s are all ready by your oven
3. Your oven is switched on and set to grill, so that the upper element is constantly on, the oven rack needs to be set high up in the oven.
4. Your guests are now finished with the salad starte
5. The chips and or fancied bread or on the hot tray.

Now to get started

Have all the eggs ready, you will need 2 per omelette.

Have the following at hand close by

• a jug of fresh water
• a dish of fresh clean water

Lets get going

1. Break two eggs into the shaker
2. Add a pinch of salt
3. Add a half an eggshell full of water to the shaker
4. Seal, making sure the mixer blade is properly in
5. Shake vigerously untill the egg mixture has frothed
6. Pour the shook up egg into the pan, make sure that it all comes out
7. Rinse the shaker in the bowl of water
8. Dry the inside of the shaker
9. Reassemble the shaker
10. Repeat piont one through to nine until all the skillets are filled
11. Remember to work as quickly as possible.

By which time the eggs in the first skillit will have started to cook, you need the eggs to have set about half to three quarters.

Then sprinkle the topping evenly over the surface,of the first skillet, do the toppings for the other skillets

This should have given the toppings a chance to settle in the egg mixture,

Then transfer each skillet to the oven.

Place them carefully so that each of the skillets gets enough of the elements heat.

Cook the egg until mixture doubles its height and is a nice golden brown.

Transfer to the table, place the skillets on bread boards, in frontof each guest.

Enjoy.