b'food mattersFridge CleanoutVegetable Egg SkilletThe throw-together meal for when your brain is fried. BY JESSICA FOXE duce, herbs, and spices. very year, without fail, falls busy schedules come as a rude awak-ening in our house. When school starts, stuff gets real, and fast.Iveusedmushrooms, After long, busy days, Im greeted with hungry Tuscan Tigers whochickpeas,whitebeans, have the audacity to ask Mommy, whats for dinner? Its almostkale, Swiss chard, sweet as though my answer has the potential to appease them! (Newspotatoes, spinach, broc-flash: it doesnt!) In our house, there is usually a dinner plan incoli,greenbeans,snap place for the week, since meal planning is what I do for a living.peas,younameit.Six But, on the occasional weeknight when the day slips away so quickly I dont havecups of veggies is what the faintest clue what Im going to make for dinner, I make an egg skillet.I use, and I tend toward Its both a pantry dinner and an everything but the kitchen sink meal thatthe ones that are easiest uses up whatever I have, and doesnt require a trip to the store. That lingeringandfastesttocutup. produce from my CSA, a can of tomatoes, some eggswhatever Ive gottrans- We even have fun with form into a one-pan meal that the kids will actually eat. Everyone needs a tried- crunchytoppingslike and-true, no-recipe recipe (thanks, Sam Sifton of The New York Times for coin- seedsandnuts,cheese, ing that term) to cook when there are no other obvious options, and this is mine.and herb garnishes as we These days, I find it freeing to improvise in the kitchen. Its surely somethingsit and eat it at the table. many rarely have the privilege of attempting. After all, it requires a certain typeTheremaybenothing of brain power, a commonly depleted resource at the end of a busy day. Whenmoresatisfyingthan feeding kids, especially, we cant risk creating a dish on a whim that might notthrowing dinner togeth-be well-received. We need to have the general feeling that SOMEONE will eater for your hungry family, and them actually liking it. Well, maybe if it happens it, and might even enjoy it. So, years ago, when I made shakshuka for the kidsto be fun to make, too. the very first time, and everyone dug right in, I stamped it in my brain that eggsJessica Fox owns and operates a custom meal-planning service called Cook up a Plan simmered in a sauce of some kind is worth repeating.(cookupaplan.com). She also walks dogs for Marigold Lifeworks, assists Lets Get With every iteration of this dish, I experiment by swapping in different pro- Olivias, and lives in Maplewood with her husband, two boys, and dog.VEGETABLE EGG SKILLETIngredients 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling2 teaspoons ground cumin, paprika, or chile powder 1 medium zucchini, chopped3 medium tomatoes, chopped (or a 14-oz. can of diced or crushed1 medium or 2 small eggplants, chopped tomatoes) 4 to 5 scallions (or 1 small onion), choppedfresh basil, thyme, or oregano 1 medium bell pepper, chopped6 to 8 eggs kosher salt cup of crumbled cheese like feta, cotija, or ricotta salata freshly ground black peppercrusty bread for serving 2 garlic cloves, chopped36/ matters magazine / fall 2023'