Whenever I spent the night at my grandparents’ home, breakfast was always an egg sandwich with a cold glass of milk. My Yiayia Saltas would toast two slices of bread, spread some ketchup on the toast, and then put a fried egg in the middle. As a final touch, she would cut the sandwich into four squares for my tiny hands to handle. It’s the best egg sandwich I’ve ever devoured.
Now that I have graduated to cooking for myself, I like to make STRAPATSADA (also known as kagianas). Strapatsada sounds fancy but it’s a dish you may already have made. It’s merely scrambled eggs with diced tomatoes, olive oil, and any seasonings you prefer. Simple, yes, but my yiayia tells me this was one of my papou’s most beloved dishes. Maybe he loved strapatsada because the ingredients were low cost, or maybe because in the hands of my yiayia, anything turns into a five-star meal.
Strapatsada tastes best with fresh tomatoes, though you can use canned tomatoes if need be. Serve it for breakfast or a light snack with some crusty bread on the side. Or do as I do and make a sandwich out of it—your own egg sandwich, strapatsada style.
- 4 medium tomatoes (or one 15-ounce can diced tomatoes)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 eggs, beaten lightly
- ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- Cut the ends off of each tomato. Grate the tomatoes, until all that’s left is the tomato skin. Reserve the grated tomatoes and discard skins.
- In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onions and the garlic until they become translucent.
- Add the tomatoes and season with chili flakes, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook until the tomato juices have mostly evaporated.
- Pour in the beaten eggs and mix with a wooden spoon to combine. Add more seasoning if desired.
- Cook until the eggs begin to set, careful not to overcook. Remove from heat.
- Top with feta, drizzle with olive oil, and serve immediately.
This is a traditional Greek egg dish that we cook all the time at my house! I like to use a combination of fresh and canned tomatoes when I make it.
Such a good one, Nick! Love that you use a combination of fresh and canned. I really could eat this every day!