eGgs and veG… Breakfast many ways

Humpty on the half-shell, with hard-boiled egg and beets on toast

“What experiments are we doing, today, Vinny?’ asks Will, poking his head into my basket of vegetables.

“So many ways to cook eggs for breakfast,” says Vinny with glee. “Today, we’re going to try three of them.”

Cooking eggs, Way #1 – Humpty scrambled inside its own shell

“Just for the fun of it,” continues Vinny, “We’ll scramble an egg right inside its shell. We’ll call the dish Humpty on the half shell.”

“Who says Humpty was an egg?” asks Isla.

“What else could he be?” Vinny scratches his head. “He fell off a wall and got scrambled.  Once we’re finished, nobody will be able to put our eggs back together again either!”

Put it in a sock. Spin 3 minutes. Or longer!

We drop an egg into the toe of Grammy’s pantyhose. Then we race around the house spinning the egg in front of us.

Eggs are surprisingly strong. To scramble an egg inside its shell without breaking it takes  a lot of effort. Keep spinning. In our photo of the spun egg at the top, hard-boiled then cut in half, see how the yolks have just begun to swirl into the whites? For more drama, we should have spun harder… and longer…

Best way to hard-boil eggs

Tenderly place the eggs in a pot of cool water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and remove from the heat. After 30 minutes, put the eggs in a cold-water bath for 10 minutes longer.

Some people just leave the eggs on a slow boil for 8-10 minutes, instead. But if you have the time, my way keeps the eggs from cracking and turning blue, and the shells come off easily, no sticking.

To serve, slice the eggs in half and pair them with whole-grain toast.

Or scrape the egg from the shell and brighten it with some horseradish and chopped red beets for more flavor and veggie nutrition.

Make up a bunch of hard-boiled eggs for an easy protein breakfast at your finger tips. Eat cold straight from the shell or heat for a few seconds in the micro. Veggies are a bonus.

 

Microwaved eggs on a beet-hummus bed

Cooking eggs, Way #2 – Microwaved

“I don’t have time to cook eggs in the morning,” claims Will and Isla’s mom, as she rushes around organizing lunch boxes, homework, and snowsuits while the clock ticks persistently toward 8:30 am.

“But you have to eat something before you go to work,” says Vinny. “And the kids will do better at school with a little protein inside them. These eggs take no more than 2 minutes to cook.” Vinny grins. “I use the micro!”

Put 1/4 cup beet hummus in the bottom of a small deep bowl. Zap it for 30 seconds on high. Dig a hole in the hummus and crack an egg into it. Break the yolk. Cover the dish with a  plate and set the power at  7 and the timer for 1 minute. Serve this dish as is or top it with Greek yogurt and ground black pepper.

For variation, use salsa or sauerkraut instead of hummus… or any other left-over cooked veggies you have in the fridge, maybe roasted broccoli or cauliflower.

Even quicker,  put some hot water in the bottom of a small bowl, crack your egg into it, break the yolk, cover, and microwave at power level 7 for about 1 minute.

These ideas are easy and full of possibilities for a protein- and vitamin-packed start to your day.

 

Cooking eggs, Way#3 – Pan-poached with spinach and mushrooms

Use a cast iron or nonstick fry pan. Lightly coat the pan with cooking oil. Stir fry three or four sliced mushrooms until they start to brown. Add a half teaspoon of hot sauce and stir. Add a cup or two of washed spinach and cover.

When the leaves wilt, arrange veggies in a circle, with a hole in the centre.  Add a little more oil inside the circle. Crack an egg into the hole and cover the pan. After a few seconds,  add a splash of water to the hot pan and cover again. Once the steam has subsided, add more water if the egg needs more cooking. Let it all evaporate. With a spatula, transfer dressed egg to a pretty plate.

Instead of spinach, try sauteing leeks and mushrooms. Or steam up some broccoli slaw for your egg nest. Top the egg with a spoonful of Greek yogurt or sauerkraut, if you like.

Pan-poached eggs with leeks

Health Benefits of an egg and veg breakfast

These egg dishes are perfect for high-protein/low-carb breakfasts. I’ve been eating eggs done ways 2 and 3 for months. I now boast a healthy BMI. Yay!

Eggs contain cholesterol, but that’s now thought OK. You can safely eat an egg a day. In return you get a large dose of protein and selenium and a goodly amount of riboflavin, vitamin B12 and phosphorus. Egg’s choline helps protect your memory and your eyes.

The veggies provide good carbs and a host of vitamins and minerals.

The yogurt and sauerkraut provide probiotics for better digestion.

Hot sauce gives your metabolism a boost first thing in the morning, a good thing for weight control. These breakfasts kick butt!

Egg microwaved on a bed of roasted veg