The Magnificent Egg

Easter is rapidly approaching and in deference to spring fertility rituals  of yore, I want to advocate for The Egg. Here are a few things you can do with eggs, but first, some information. 

Chicken eggs are full of incredible nutrients. (Duck and quail eggs are even bigger powerhouses of nutrition, but we are going to celebrate the chicken egg today.) They contain 11% protein, vitamins B1, B12, D, and A. They are full of potassium and iron. Eggs are a whole food that strengthens the immune system, promotes brain swiftness, and stabilizes the nervous system. It should also be mentioned that eggs contain HDL - the good cholesterol, and they can actually help you lower your LDL - the bad cholesterol. I could go on and on, but you can research the benefits of eggs as well.

And now a note about egg whites: 

It is generally advisable to eat whole foods. The moment you separate out one element, you don't have a whole food any more - as widely seen in white flour, white sugar and processed-to-death food-like products. Eat the whole egg - just do it! The yolk is where all the goodies are. Egg whites alone leach vitamin C out of your body and have hardly any nutritional value. But a whole egg or two make for a great meal. Of course, if you are making meringues, those rules don't apply - ha!

And now a note about organic, free-range, naturally fed chicken eggs: 

I don't want to get too soap boxy, but do you know how laying chickens in mass producing chicken farms are kept? It is incredibly inhumane. The chickens "live" under hideous conditions. Moreover, they are fed hormone laced foods, chicken meal (ground up chicken leftovers like beaks, claws, bones, eyeballs). This all translates into the egg you eat. "Grain-fed" is not as wholesome as it sounds. Chickens are not grain eaters. So being fed grains (instead of former fellow chickens) messes them up and translates into their eggs. If you buy the really cheap, mass produced eggs you are supporting this animal abusing, federally subsidized industry. Plus, you are eating eggs that are less than desirable as far as nutritional value and additives go.

Get your eggs at a local farmer's market or from a health food store that carries eggs from happy chickens. Are you going to pay more? You betcha. But think about it - if you pay $3 for 6 eggs, it will cost you a buck to make a 2-egg omelet. One dollar for a meal. Big whoop. Think about how much money we pay for meat (not a dollar, for sure), junk, soda, etc. etc.

Eggs from chickens that get to run around and peck have shells in all colors - which reflects their diverse diet. The shells are thick and sturdy. The yolks are really yellow - with no additives. Eggs in mass production are yellow because the birds have been fed stuff to make them yellow.

Chickens are really cool birds. Who knew? A few friends of mine keep chickens who become very attached to their humans. They will hop on your lap to be petted and have well defined personalities. It is not awesome to treat these darlings who give us their precious eggs with cruelty and lack of respect. Okay - I'm done now.

Eggs are - of course - delicious morning, noon, and evening. Cooked, poached, fried, scrambled - whatever you choose, they are versatile. I am not an egg-cooking genius. When I boil eggs, most often they crack and make a mess in the water. But I am good at making frittatas, and I'll share this wonderful one-pan meal concept here.

Here we go!

For 1 person, use 2 eggs. For 2 people, 4 eggs. For 3 people, 5 eggs. For 4 people, 6 eggs. Depending on how many other goodies you add, those egg quantities will e sufficient. You really don't want leftover eggs. They are like leftover French fries - not good.

Crack your eggs on a flat surface. That way the crack (!) is even and it's easy to pull the two halves of shell apart. Crack two eggs into a bowl and add about 3 tablespoons of milk, 1/2 & 1/2, or cream and whip the eggs until there are no more strings. This will ensure even cooking and good texture.

Vegetarian Frittata

Start heating your pan over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, butter and a little olive oil, coconut oil, bacon fat - in other words, your fat of choice. When the fat is hot - but not smoking - add one or two chopped green onions (white and green parts) and salt - a few pinches, according to taste. This will be your salt for the dish. You can add about 1/2 cup of diced zucchini, or summer squash, or red and/or green bell pepper, olives, jalapenos, grape tomatoes. Let your imagination go wild! Add some freshly ground black pepper, too.

Cook your vegetables until they have a little color but are still firm. They are going to continue to cook in the oven. If you want to use herbs, such as parsley, dill, basil, etc. chop and add to your beaten eggs.

Turn off the heat under the pan and slowly pour your eggs evenly over the saute, so that every part of the pan is covered in egg. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan, grated cheddar, crumbled feta, crumbled goat cheese or any combination of any cheese you like. Pop your pan in a in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. If you are only cooking a 2-egg frittata, you can put the pan under the broiler for a few minutes.

Before and after cooking

The eggs will cook, the cheese will melt. You will pull a picture of deliciousness out of the oven! After loosening the edges with a flat spatula, Flip the frittata in half and slide onto a plate. If you are making a larger frittata, loosen edges and slide the whole thing onto a warmed plate and cut in wedges to serve.

You can accompany your frittata with salsa, guacamole, hot sauce, sour cream with herbs, salt and pepper, and so forth.

Frittata with Meat

Bacon, Chicken sausge, ham... anything will do. If you are using bacon, cut it into bits and place in a cold frying pan. Heat slowly and stir to separate the bits. Keep frying the bacon until all the fat is rendered. That will be your fat (and most of the salt) for your whole frittata. 2 pieces per person should do. The more bacon you use, the more grease you'll have. You might have to remove some.

Remove the bacon and saute your vegetables in the grease. Add eggs, sprinkle bacon and cheese on top and bake or broil.

If you using sausage - and there are amazing sausages out there: chicken/basil, chicken/sun dried tomatoes/feta etc. - I recommend using some olive oil to fry your cubed sausage pieces. Cook until brown and scrumptious, then proceed as described above in the bacon part.

For an amazing dinner, add a fresh salad. A frittata is nutrient rich and very delectable. Your combination of vegetables is unlimited.

Try this and let me know how it goes! Get in touch with questions, too. 

Deliciously, 

Alicia

Breakfast Sausage

I don't know about you, but when I hear breakfast sausage, I think of the tube of scary meat in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, full of nitrates and things we can't pronounce, made from poor little pigs and all of their parts. Yack.

The challenge is, how do I make a flavorful breakfast sausage that I can eat without feeling awful about it? The trick is turkey and lots of natural flavor.

 It really helps that I have my own herb garden. There are quite a few herbs I don't have yet, but the ones I do have are awesome and I love them a lot. One of the main herbs in breakfast sausage is sage. Two of the key spices are fennel seed and black pepper. Everything else you can sort of wing.

 I will share here what I put together, and it turned out really well - if I do say so myself.

You will need about a pound of ground turkey. I recommend using not just breast, since you want the flavor from the dark meat as well. If and when possible, always get happy, natural meats - it's really worth it. Pay a little more - eat a little less. It balances out, and the animals and your body will thank you.

So, a pound of ground turkey
2 generous tablespoons of chopped fresh sage (which you can get at the grocery store if you don't grow your own)
1 generous tablespoon of chopped thyme or lemon thyme (this is an amazing herb - you'll love it!)
1 level tablespoon of fennel seed
2 tsp of freshly ground black pepper. Don't use that pre-ground powder stuff.
2 tsp of kosher salt
1 tsp of 5-spice (I'll talk about that in a  minute) (this is optional, but it will add a lot of depth)
1 clove of finely minced garlic - or if you have it - 1/2 tsp of very good granulated garlic
2 tablespoons of good olive oil

Mix this well with your hands - and mind your poultry hygiene. Cover and refrigerate over night. This is key and will allow all the spices and herbs to blossom and really flavor the meat. The olive oil will give you a moist patty - turkey tends to be dry.

Chinese 5-spice powder is the most excellent go-to spice to have in your arsenal of flavorings. It adds tons of depth to many dishes. In this case, you'll get a good layer of UMAMI - that deep mmm that some foods have. You can't put your finger (or tongue) on it, but it is gooood.

The day has dawned and you want breakfast!

Haul out your sausage and with wet hands make some small patties - as many as you need. If you have sausage meat left over, put it in a plastic bag, squish it flat and throw it in the freezer. Next time you want some you can break off as much as you'll need, thaw it in the fridge, form patties and proceed to fry and eat.

In a (preferably cast iron) skillet, heat some olive oil till it's making ripples but not smoking. Put in your patties - they should hiss a lot upon hitting the pan. Fry fairly quickly - about 2-3 minutes on one side (and don't fuss with them while they're browning), then flip and do another minute or so on the other side. Let them rest while you make your eggs - assuming you'll have eggs with the sausage. In fact, you can make your eggs in the very pan you fried the sausages, and you'll have that deliciousness flavoring your eggs a little, too.

Your sausages should be done all the way through, but still moist - so don't overcook them or you'll end up with hockey pucks. And who wants to eat that?

So now you have some good protein, herbs and spices that nurture different areas of the body, olive oil that provides you with monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and you're good to go! Enjoy and let me know how these turn out for you.

Deliciously,

Alicia