What to do with….Eggs

How do like your eggs in the morning?

Fried, scrambled, baked or poached, Brits on average eat 3 eggs per week and the average person will consume a whopping 7,300 over his or her lifetime.

Ah, the incredible, edible egg. (who remembers that ad??)

There are around 29 million of these in the UK, we consume more than 10 billion of what comes out of these each year, one in five adults cannot boil one and the longest throw of a fresh one – without breaking – is 98.51 metres or 323 feet! Also, a medium one only has 80 calories and are a great source of protein!

Eggs can be used in a variety of different ways, they are an important part of cooking and baking, they can bind ingredients together, they have a thickening ability as seen in custards, used to leaven baked high-rises such as soufflés, and they emulsify mayonnaise and Hollandaise sauce plus are used in glazing breads and cookies – making eggs an ‘anytime of day’ food.

Don’t have the faintest idea how to cook an egg?  Here’s some of the basics…

Hard-boiled

Place eggs in a pot and cover with water.  Cover and bring to a boil. After the water is boiling, boil eggs for 5-6 minutes. When 5-6 minutes are up, remove the pan from the heat and pour out the boiling water. Run cold water over the eggs for several minutes, until they are cool to the touch.  Gently tap them on the counter or against the inside of the pan to help crack the shell and peel off.  Refrigerate.

Deviled Eggs

Cut hard-boiled eggs in half length-wise and carefully scoop out the yolk into a bowl.  Smash the yolks with a fork until smooth.  For about 6 eggs, add 1-2 tsps of mayonnaise and 1-2 tsps of Dijon mustard to the yolks and mix thoroughly.  Using a teaspoon, put a spoonful of the yolk mix into each half of the egg white.  Garnish with a sprinkling of dried parsley or paprika.

Soft-boiled

In a saucepan, bring water to the boil and then add eggs in shells. Boil for 3-4 minutes then remove from water and run under cool water for about a minute. Sit the egg in an egg cup and carefully crack the top portion of the shell to remove.  Use a spoon to eat as the yolk will still be quite soft, as it should be.  You can also remove the complete shell and put into a bowl with pieces of bread or toast and enjoy them that way.

Fried

Put 1-2 tsps of butter, margarine or olive oil into a frying pan over medium heat.  Crack the eggs (1-2) into a small bowl then gently pour the eggs into the hot fat.  Gently let the egg cook until the white is no longer transparent.  Use a spatula to flip the egg over and let cook about 20-30 seconds.  Serve.  (Try making your own ‘egg mcmuffin’…place the egg on an English muffin with a slice of Canadian bacon and a slice of cheese.)

Sunny-side Up

Same as fried, but don’t flip the eggs over. Let them cook an extra 30-60 seconds then remove with spatula.  I like to spoon some of the fat in the pan over the eggs while they’re cooking as it helps seal the yolk a bit.

Scrambled

Heat a frying pan and add about a tablespoon of butter or oil to the pan.  Break 2 eggs into a small bowl and add a small amount of milk or water, about a tablespoon worth.  You can even add cream if you want to be really decadent about it! Whisk with a fork or small whisk until the egg is thoroughly mixed with the milk.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired.  Pour the eggs into the pan and stir around until completely cooked.  I sometimes like to serve scrambled eggs with a few sauted mushrooms and grated cheese and strips of crispy bacon in a tortilla wrap.  Makes a great on-the-go breakfast.

So, how DO you like your eggs in the morning, afternoon or evening?

♥♥  Terri  ♥♥

How do you Like your Eggs in the Morning?

I thought I would give you myself a break from all the ‘bad’ food I’ve been making.  Being one who has low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) I have to have breakfast, and a proper one at that.  I admit I sway from having a proper breakfast on occasion and I do pay for it later on in the day.  I can become irritable, get internal shakes, lose concentration, get a headache, break out into a cold sweat…the list goes on and none of it is pleasant.

I get lazy sometimes and just don’t feel like cutting up veggies or preparing other foods to eat; usually because I’m so busy doing other things and I almost feel like I can’t be bothered to eat, but I know I must.  So what happens?  I eat the wrong things.  I might have a couple of crackers with some butter or peanut butter or perhaps a banana.  I might even grab a slice or two of ham from the fridge or eat a handful of nuts.  Now granted, none of this is absolutely terrible, but it’s not really a proper meal, nor do I eat this all at one time.  It’s usually over a period of about 2-3 hours but it’s still not a good meal.  I’m much better when I have a good breakfast consisting of eggs and veggies and grains or a bowl of porridge with fruit and nuts.  Either of these meals will hold me for a good 3-4 hours, although I will have a mid-morning snack.  There are times when I will even have leftovers from the previous night’s dinner.

I just get tired of having eggs most mornings.

This morning I decided to see what I could find in my GI Recipes book.  Even though this has eggs, it sounded different and tasty.  This would suit Phase 2 on South Beach Diet…

~~SCRAMBLED EGGS w/HONEY-ROASTED TOMATOES~~

Serves 1 (easily increased for any number of servings)

2-3 small tomatoes

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp honey

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt & freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs

1-2 slices whole grain bread (wholewheat, granary, rye, etc.) (I used a wholewheat bagel)

Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F.

Halve the tomatoes and arrange in a baking dish, cut side up.  Sprinkle over the cinnamon and drizzle with honey.  Season with salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes.

When the tomatoes are nearly cooked, put the eggs in a bowl, season and beat.  Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan until sizzling.  Reduce the heat, pour in the eggs and cook gently, stirring constantly until thick and creamy.

Toast the bread and place on plate.  Spoon on the eggs and pile tomatoes on top.  Spoon over any juices from the tomatoes, sprinkle with black pepper and serve.

Enjoy!

♥♥ Terri  ♥♥

PRESERVES FOR THE MARKET

A mother complained to her doctor about her daughter’s
strange eating habits.

“All day long she lies in bed and eats yeast and car wax.

What will happen to her, doctor?,” the mother inquired.

“Eventually,” said the doctor, “she will rise and shine!”

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Hope everyone is having a great weekend so far and enjoying all the fireworks.  Unfortunately, Independence Day is an American holiday so this is just a normal weekend here in the UK and hubby has to go to work tomorrow. 😦 

We went shopping yesterday and I decided I needed more supplies for making some other jams or chutneys.  I got some nice vine tomatoes, cherries and also picked up some dry mustard.  This morning we went to the farm shop so I could get some Bramley (cooking) apples and cauliflower.  I think I’ve got enough foodstuff to keep me busy cooking over the next few days.


I’ll probably be making Tomato Chutney, Cherry Jam, Honey Mustard or other flavor, Chili Jelly (with the apples) and Piccalilli with the cauliflower.

Cauli – fresh from the farm

During the May market, my chili jelly sold out…well almost.  I only have one jar left but I sold seven jars.  I usually have samples out for people to try and they all loved the chili jelly, so I’m going to make more.  I like to keep my customers happy!


Last week I made Redcurrant Jelly and it’s a gorgeous ruby red color.  It looks better in person, but you get the idea.

Red Currant Jelly

I haven’t made the jar labels yet but will take care of that this week.  The above picture was obviously taken in the sunlight in our conservatory.  The bottom picture was taken in the kitchen. (note some of my cookbooks in the background; yes, that is only some of them…perhaps that could be a subject for a future post…)

Well hubby is in the kitchen cooking away; venison steaks, runner beans and curried chickpeas…and I’m enjoying a nice cold Guiness….mmmm.


So until next time, bon appetite!


Terri’s Tasty Tip…It is easier to separate an egg when it is cold so take the eggs straight from the refrigerator.  tap the egg once or twice against the rim of a small bowl to crack the shell and drop it into the bowl.  Then with clean hands, carefully slide your fingers under the yolk and let the egg white dribble out through your fingers. Drop the yolk into a separate bowl.