Mealtime Magic: Bringing Out the Best in Eggs

Eggs are a popular breakfast food.  It contains the necessary nutrients, especially the yolk, needed to jumpstart the day with full energy. Some of its nutrients are Vitamin A, Omega 3, protein and a lot more. Eggs are underappreciated because of their ubiquitous appearance during breakfast. Nonetheless, eggs can also be used in different meals of the day such as dinner and lunch. Here are some recipes to bring out the best in eggs.

Bacon Egg Cupcake Cups

INGREDIENTS

·       6 eggs

·       6 bacon strips

·       Pancake batter

INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Make a good amount of pancake batter from your favorite brand.

2.     Prepare a muffin pan and grease six spots in it.

3.     At the bottom of each mold, pour pancake batter about ¼ inch thick. Make sure that there is still room for the eggs if the batter will rise up.

4.     Prepare the oven and  preheat it to 350F. For 3 – 4 minutes, bake the muffin pan until the pancake batter rises.

5.     In a pan or microwave, fry the bacon strips. The best would be to settle for half- done.

6.     In the muffin mold, carefully place the bacon strips on the edges.

7.     Gather your eggs and crack one piece in each mold in the center. Make sure to remove as much egg white as possible to avoid delaying the cooking process.

8.     Put the muffin pan in the oven again and start baking at 450F. 8 minutes should do it.

CREAMY PASTA AND EGG SKILLET

INGREDIENTS

·       1 package small shell pasta, about 7 ounces, cooked and drained

·       4 medium eggs

·       2 cups frozen carrot, broccoli and cauliflower blend, defrosted

·       1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves

·       2 cups cottage cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Prepare a non-stick skillet and use cooking spray to grease the inside evenly. Turn it on at medium heat.

2.     Gradually add cottage cheese, marjoram and pasta in the skillet. To coat them evenly, apply a good toss.

3.     Put the vegetable mix into the skillet and toss again.

4.     Stir the mixture sparingly while cooking. Wait for about 5 – 10 minutes for the mixture to sizzle in the heat.

5.     Divide the mixture into 4 parts, about 2 inches in diameter. Use the back of the spoon to easily create indentations.

6.     Get the eggs and crack them on top of each indentation.

7.     Cover the skillet and cook the mixture again at medium heat. About 5 – 7 minutes are needed to set the egg white and harden the yolk.

Creamy Egg Curry

INGREDIENTS

·       4 hard boiled eggs

·       1 tablespoon butter

·       4 med tomatoes or ½ cup of tomato puree

·       1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive

·       ¼ cup fresh cream

·       Salt

·       2 hot green chillies

·       1 teaspoon dried oregano or thyme

·       2 medium-sized spring onions, finely chopped

·       1 teaspoon of pepper

·       1 small red onion, finely chopped

·       ½ teaspoon paprika

·       5-6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

·       1 tablespoon of grated ginger strands

INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Boil the eggs in a frying pan. Prepare the vegetables while boiling.

2.     Remove the pits of the red tomatoes and on one end, create a cross- incision. Prepare a bowl and put the tomatoes together with the green chillies, and add a quarter of water.  Wait until the tomatoes become tender and the pup starts to show.

3.      Use a saucepan or a microwave to cook it. Remove the skin peeling of the tomato and continue cooking until you end up with a smooth puree.  Skip number 2 and 3 steps if you have tomato puree.

4.     Remove the shell of the eggs.  Use a fork or a sharp knife to puncture a hole in the eggs.

5.     Get a wok or a pan and heat a tablespoon of oil in it. Saute the eggs until they reach the color of golden pink. Put them aside.

6.     Using the same wok, sautee butter, onions and  spring onions until they turn pink. Leave a little amount of greens for the garnish.

7.     In the mixture, cook garlic until it turns golden.

8.     Spread the paprika and the puree on the wok and let them settle on the mixture for 3-4 minutes at low heat. Add ½ cup of water if you are using store-bought puree.

9.     Use a sharp knife to cut the eggs. Create halves lengthwise.

10.  Pour the cream in the mixture and include salt and pepper for added flavor.

11.  Lessen the thickness of the mixture by pouring warm water in little quantities.

12.  Carefully put the eggs into the curry and cook it on low heat. 1 minutes should be enough.

13.  Pour the mixture in a serving bowl and garnish with the greens of spring onions.

These recipes are simple enough for home cooks to follow. Be sure to give in to a little creativity in cooking to make sure you make the recipe as uniquely yours as possible.

Linda Rosario is a food blogger from ChefNeeds"The Kitchen that Every Restaurant Needs". Aside from blogging and cooking, Linda works for 24 hours, seven days a week as a Full time mom of two bright and awesome kids.