If eggs could sue, they might have a solid offensive case against character assassination. For nearly 40 years they have been debated, slandered and deemed unhealthy. Scientific studies continue to disprove the doom and gloom surrounding eggs; yet, the medical world chooses not to reverse the egg defamation. Imagine that! Many people, therefore, still refuse to eat eggs or do so on an extremely limited basis. Vegans are not being considered in this discussion. Paranoia surrounding the consumption of eggs stems from previous medical advice that eggs are “a major cause of high cholesterol levels — the bad kind, low-density lipoprotein, known as LDL — and increased risk of heart disease” per Nutrition and Weight Loss Expert , Katherine Tallmadge. In other words, if you eat egg yolks, then you subject yourself to elevated blood cholesterol and you raise the chance that you will incur artery and heart disease. The University of Connecticut’s Department of Nutritional Sciences has disproved this theory through research studies. Their conclusion is that “dietary recommendations aimed at restricting egg consumption should not be generalized to include all individuals. We need to acknowledge that diverse healthy populations experience no risk in developing coronary heart disease by increasing their intake of cholesterol but, in contrast, they may have multiple beneficial effects by the inclusion of eggs in their regular diet.” Eggs contain health-promoting properties earning them the right to be labeled a super food . In Dr. John Berardi’s healthy egg article, he asserts that “Egg yolks are one of the most nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich and vitamin-laden foods on the planet! Egg yolks contain 90 percent of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, pantothenic acid and B12 of the egg. In addition the yolk contains all of the fat-soluble components, such as vitamins A, D and E, not to mention the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Egg yolks are also a rich source of some other nutrients such as choline, lutein and zeaxanthin.” Based on prevalent research, Katherine Tallmadge’s recommendation in her “Eggs Don’t Deserve Their Bad Reputation” article, “if you eat a healthful diet, go ahead and eat an egg a day. On the other hand, if your cholesterol is high and if you eat the typical American diet — high in saturated fat, devoid of fruits, vegetables and fiber — maybe you shouldn’t be eating an egg a day.” So unless you fall in the high risk group, go head and indulge – enjoy the healthy rewards of eating eggs. In fact, get creative with your recipes! Let me help you get started. No special skills or equipment is required. DISCLAIMER: This article does not purport to give medical advice; but rather, simply to share findings as it relates to egg consumption and the safety thereof. Consult a physician relative to your egg consumption, and abide by his advice. Since breakfast is deemed the most important meal of the day, why not show some egg ingenuity by beginning there first. All 10 creative ways to prepare eggs support cooking them completely in order to get the full nutrient suite.
1. Eggy Oatmeal
Savory oatmeal and cooked eggs…what a power-packed, nutritious blend! Hearty, creamy oatmeal with extra protein from an egg makes a satisfying, succulent breakfast. Adding an egg and topping it with fresh fruit makes the oatmeal even more tasty. This stress-free, innovative Eggy Oatmeal furnishes a whole new reason to eat your breakfast in the mornings. It is not sugar-laden, and is chock-full with variability and nourishment. What a nifty creation!
2. Bagels and Eggs Potluck Bake
Potluck for breakfast? Well yeah…We ARE being creative here. There’s nothing better than a delicious, creative and versatile recipe. So now you can eat your eggs and your bagels, too! In a study from Louisiana State University , participants who ate eggs for breakfast instead of bagels, lost more weight and reported having more energy. Go ahead and try this Bagels and Eggs Potluck Bake. It’s actually called the “Bodacious Bagel Breakfast Bake.” And for obvious reasons. This fabulous recipe is a breakfast bake, a brunch entrée as well as a potluck casserole to share at your next family reunion or other social function. Make up a batch for those mornings when you’re on the go, or as a convenient weekend breakfast meal. This recipe is a little less health conscious. Consider eating only a half portion with a nice low calorie salad, bowl of fresh fruit or other low fat dish.
3. Tomato Avocado Egg Sandwich
If you need a healthy breakfast quick, fast and in a hurry, make yourself a Tomato Avocado Egg Sandwich. Using a Sandwich Maker from Hamilton Beach with this recipe makes preparing this delicious sandwich a cinch! It cooks the egg and toasts the English muffin in just 5 minutes – all at the same time. Add sliced cheese, tomato, and avocado…and whatever else your taste buds desire. Just keep it on the nourishing side. Of course, you can make this sandwich manually by cooking your egg (fry, hard-boil, scramble, steam-cook, bake etc.), toasting your muffin; slicing your veggies and cheese. And you know what else? Studies have specified that people who eat eggs for breakfast tend to lose weight. Now we switch to creative ways of using eggs to prepare lunch menus. Eggs really are adaptable. They can be eaten morning, noon or night…and for a midnight snack, too!
4. Fried Tofu Bánh mì Omelet
The Fried Tofu Bánh mì Omelet is a crispy fresh Italian roll or baguette – fluffy inside, packed with eggs and veggies. It’s a very tasty omelet sandwich made with white bread only for the best results. This Vietnamese, vegetarian cuisine, features sliced, pan-fried tofu and a pickled julienne vegetable blend with savory flavors from salty to sweet to sour to spicy (it’s spiced up with Sriracha – hot Chile sauce). You can prepare vegetarian Vietnamese Banh mi sandwiches with tofu chunks, shredded tofu, wheat gluten or veggie ham (processed bean curd). Options for these flavorful, delicious, satisfying omelets are limitless. Nowadays, however, Bánh mì delicatessens, much influenced by preferred tastes of today, are making omelet sandwiches with more “European” or “Americanized” ingredients like ham & cheese, turkey, hamburger patties, bacon, roast beef & salami . Even so, the traditional Vietnamese Banh mi sandwiches remain at the top of the menus.
5. Cinnamon-Spiced Baked Eggs
Break with tradition and infuse some zing into your lunch with luscious Cinnamon-Spiced Baked Eggs, a Mediterranean-North African spin on eggs. Enjoy a different main course that’s full of bursting flavor, satiating protein and low on carbohydrates. It’s prepared by baking eggs in a slow-simmered tomato-onion sauce with significant measurements of cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Aside from individualized bakeware, Cinnamon-Spiced Baked Eggs can also be cooked in a large shallow baking dish for group provisions. The exotic, refreshing flavors of the sauce make this dish the perfect reason to break for lunch or just to entertain friends. It’s a great crowd pleaser. Round out this midday meal with naan, whole wheat pita or crusty bread for scooping up this egg delicacy.
6. Open Face Sandwiches with Avocado Egg and Smoked Salmon
On hot summer days when you refuse to fire up your oven, Open Face Sandwiches with Avocado Egg and Smoked Salmon can save the day. They have a wonderful composite of savors – fresh salmon, lime, and avocado along with sides of onion, cucumber slices and tomato. Be sure to purchase good smoked salmon or lox. If it’s subpar, nothing can be done to redeem the tastiness. Done right, this egg creation culminates into a gorgeous, messy, appetizing, lip-smacking, delicious open faced sandwich. It makes a healthy lunch or a protein-packed post training snack loaded with good fats. Up to now, most of the artistic means of cooking eggs have been for breakfast, lunch or brunch. Yet, eggs make fabulous light, evening meals as well. Take a look at these examples for a few dinner ideas.
7. Indian Egg Curry
Egg Curry? Really? Yes, for real. Egg Curry is a regular staple in many parts of India, and also, a very popular eggetarian (lacto-ovo-vegetarian) dish. If cooks in Vietnam simmer boiled eggs in caramel sauce, and cooks in China simmer boiled eggs in tea, then why not let eggs simmer in a nice, Indian-spicy, onion-tomato sauce? When these ingredients combine and cook down and thicken, the eggs are nestled together in the pan, and begin to absorb the phenomenal spices – coriander, turmeric, cayenne, cumin, ginger, garlic, onions and chilies. Next the garam masala powder and a squeeze of lime are added to preserve the aroma and flavor of the spices. Indian Egg Curry is best served hot with basmati rice, quinoa (even healthier), or flat bread (chapati or roti, paratha, naan). It can also be served with warm corn or wheat tortillas for an instant flat bread. Simple, nutritious and absolutely delicious!
8. Artichoke-Scrambled Eggs Benedict
Add variety to your dinner or supper with a magnificent, low carbohydrate, non-traditional Artichoke-Scrambled Eggs Benedict . It’s a delicious modification of the classic recipe. Artichokes, eggs, pancetta (Italian bacon), lemon juice and creamy yogurt are just a few of the main ingredients. Roasted artichoke bottoms replace the English muffins; thus, you can enjoy the Eggs Benedict guilt-free. The Canadian bacon is replaced with crispy pancetta. The high-fat hollandaise sauce is replaced with reduced fat mayonnaise. For a vegetarian preference, you can use roasted mushrooms instead of the pancetta. You may also opt for non-dairy yogurt and cream cheese. This Eggs Benedict is high in essential minerals including potassium, magnesium, selenium and vitamin C. Serve this creative egg-based dish for supper or brunch with roasted potatoes and a tossed green salad, or a nice fresh fruit salad.
9. Spinach and Egg-Drop Pasta Soup
The Spinach and Egg-Drop Pasta Soup presented here is a “Stracciatella” (strah-chi-ah-tay-lah) – a kind of Italian egg drop soup. Contrary to the implication of its uptown name, this is an excellent, quick dinner egg soup. Make it in about 30 minutes from start to finish, using either Parmesan, or Pecorino cheese for a sharper flavor. Spinach and Egg-Drop Pasta Soup is a smart way to consume dark, leafy green vegetables. And you can very easily exchange chopped kale and Swiss chard for the spinach. Follow the recipe directions precisely, relative to carefully adding the egg. Heat the broth enough to get the “rags” to form. This soup is so elaborate looking that it can be dressed up for a special dinner party. It’s also perfect for Sunday brunches! Serve this Spinach and Egg-Drop Pasta Soup with a nice Caesar salad, Garlic bread, with toasted slices of baguette or crusty whole wheat bread. Top it off with fruity sangria on the side.
10. Scotch Egg Pie
Scotch eggs may be a popular Britain snack, but someone got creative and stretched the snack into a whole pie. Hence, the Scotch Egg Pie – have you ever heard of it before? This version is retrieved from the BBC Good Food website. It has become the traditional or standard recipe as there are many, many variations. This Scotch Egg Pie basically consists of a mixture of sausage meat and seasoned bread crumbs and eight medium hard-boiled eggs. The boiled eggs are carefully and gently packed around and over the meat blend; then baked. And it entails a nice pastry crust and topping. The sausage is often substituted with lean ground lamb, lean ground beef or lean ground veal. Lincolnshire sausages (called for in the recipe) are a type of pork sausage popular in the English county of Lincolnshire. They have a robust sage savor. The Scotch Egg Pie is a spinoff of the pork pie picnic classic and transforms into a nice dish frequently served as a simple dinnertime meal. Serve it in chunky wedges with a Caesar or garden salad. Like most egg dishes, it is terrific for breakfast, for brunch, or for lunch as well. It’s good at room temperature or straight from the oven which makes it ideal for potluck or outdoor events, too. Spiced carrots may be used in place of meat to prepare this as a vegetarian dish. Try these incredibly health conscious, creative ways to prepare eggs. They’re quick, easy, sensational, and wholesome. Why, you ask again? Because Eggs are good for you! Here’s why: – Eggs contain vitamins such as Vitamin B, C, D, E, K, and all nine of the essential amino acids. – Peptides present in eggs help reduce high blood pressure. – Eggs are a great source of protein, as one alone contains six grams of protein. – Eggs contain a high level of essential omega-3 fatty acids, good for your heart. – Regular consumption of eggs can reduce LDL and increase HDL (the good cholesterol). – Eggs’ high sulphur content and wide array of vitamins and minerals help promote hair and nail growth. – Eggs protect eyes from damage related to UV and may even help prevent breast cancer. – Eggs are an excellent source of selenium, which has been associated with preventing cancer and in particular, reducing tumors affecting the prostate. – An egg a day may prevent macular degeneration due to the carotenoid content. Few pantry staples are more dynamic and adaptable than the egg. The whites, whipped, add volume and lightness to dishes, and the yolks thicken and enrich. Eggs are as at ease mixed with black truffles on the most extravagant china as they are fried and lacy-edged on a blue plate special with rice and beans. Featured photo credit: eat them for better health, better living – P via bing.com
