Eggcelent News

Eggs have a lot going for them. Their versatility is amazing—they can be scrambled, fried, poached, or even made ahead into grab-and-go mini frittatas (recipe below!). They play well at every meal, from the obvious choices at breakfast, to hardboiled eggs on a lunchtime salad, to a light but satisfying veggie-packed frittata for dinner.

Packed with protein, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats, eggs may be the most perfect food—except for one little problem.

Cholesterol.

Each egg contains about 190 milligrams of cholesterol, whereas the recommended daily intake is only 300 milligrams. However, it turns out the science and reasoning behind that recommendation is flawed. Once, researchers thought that the more cholesterol you eat, the more you’d have in your body. More recently studies, however, find little correlation between dietary and body cholesterol.

Of course, many egg lovers get around the cholesterol problem by tossing the yolks. However, science agrees that in healthy people, eating up to three whole eggs per day is totally safe. So eat the whole egg!

Other than packing all that cholesterol, the yolks contain most of the vitamins, minerals and fats. These fats are the healthy omega-3 kind, and many farmers supplement the hens’ diets with omega-3 oils to produce eggs with even higher levels of these brain-boosting fats. Beyond that, the yolks just taste good and make your meal even more satisfying.

Here are two quick and easy ideas to increase your egg enjoyment:

The Perfect Hardboiled Eggs

Hardboiled eggs are perfect for an afternoon snack, to toss on a green salad, or to mash up with a touch of mayo or avocado for egg salad. However, the challenge of peeling them is enough to discourage people from enjoying these as often as they otherwise might. But perhaps all you need is a change in technique. Rather than boiling the eggs, try steaming them. While eggs closer to their expiration date are said to be easier to peel, this method makes even farm fresh egg peels slide right off.

All you need is an inexpensive steamer basket, a big pot, and some eggs.

Place the steamer basket into a large pot, and fill with enough water to come just to the bottom of the steamer basket. Bring to a boil, then place the eggs carefully into the basket, and pop the lid on. Drop the heat to medium-low and set a timer for 20 minutes. Immediately transfer the eggs to a bowl full of ice water to stop the cooking. Peel immediately and store in an airtight container, or just stick in the fridge. Even after they’ve fully cooled, they’ll still be easy to peel.

Grab-and-Go Mini Frittatas

These can be made ahead for a quick and hearty breakfast. A great use for leftover cooked meats and veggies, this recipe is very customizable and can easily be scaled up or down. Be creative and have fun making up your delicious taste combinations.

For a dozen, you’ll need:

• About 3/4 to 1 ½ cups of cooked and diced veggies, meats and/or cheese of choice
• 12 eggs
• Salt, pepper, herbs, and/or other seasonings to taste
• Coconut oil, butter, bacon or other fat of choice

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Generously grease a dozen muffin cups with the fat. A silicone muffin pan works best.
• Evenly distribute about 1-2 tablesppons of filling ingredients into each muffin tin, keeping it loosely packed.
• Beat eggs with seasonings, and pour over the filling ingredients, filling the muffin cup about 3/4 full.
• Bake in preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes or until the centers are set and firm.
• Allow to cool slightly, then gently run a knife around the edges to pop out of the pan. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container. Will keep refrigerated for several days; simply reheat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.