One common food that’s being overlooked as a COVID-19 ‘easy recipe’ candidate is the common Egg. The Fruit of the Hen has never appeared as top-searched ingredient in para-pandemic surveys by Google. No viral Egg recipes have taken the online world by storm. But I say the Egg is a star waiting to be discovered!
Country-Style Scrambled Eggs: With Fried Potatoes, Bacon, Onions,
and Sweet Peppers. A one-pan meal everybody will love!
A nutrition powerhouse
The official nutrition rundown for the Egg reveals that it contains many important substances. One large Egg contains 7 g of protein and is rich in vitamins A, D, B6 and B12. It’s also a good source of Iron, Calcium and Magnesium. Yes, it does contain 5 g of Fat. But only 1.6 g of that is saturated, ‘bad’ Fat. And it clocks in at only 75 Calories.
What about cholesterol?
I hear some of you out there already saying, “Isn’t it bad to eat too many eggs?” “What about cholesterol?” and other commonly-asked questions. The good news is, the most recent scientific studies agree it’s okay to consume Eggs regularly. Sure they contain cholesterol, but more than one research project has determined that dietary cholesterol intake is not directly connected with blood cholesterol levels. In fact, the experts now say one Egg a day is okay for most folks.
A new angle on Eggs
The Canadian Egg Producers association – now officially Egg Farmers of Canada – last summer launched a new promo campaign hyping a new slogan, “Eggs Anytime: It’s Not Weird”. The campaign was intended to be humourous and lighthearted, yet heavy on Egg love.
The official news release explained: “The creative material […] takes a humorous approach and features a number of weird situations juxtaposed with eating eggs outside of breakfast. The comparison challenges traditional thinking around meal occasions and underlines that eggs can be the main feature of dishes anytime during the day, on any day of the week.”
Fittingly, the new media campaign spotlights updated recipes, “… [f]rom a trendy Egg and Mushroom Tartine for lunch to a one-pot Shakshuka dish for dinner,” designed to generate interest among younger folks whose tastes are more cosmopolitan and international than their forbears.
The Egg Farmers of Canada continues to spotlight the recipes page on its website. There’s even one-button access to all the ‘Easy Recipes’ – a great convenience for COVID-19 cooks looking for quick, yet different and fresh menu ideas.
Some of my favourite ideas from among the dozens of ‘easy’ recipes in the Egg Farmers of Canada collection include: the Bombay Breakfast Sandwich, the Greek Burrito Snack Wrap, the ultra-easy, foolproof Muffin Pan Poached Eggs, the Muffin Tin Frittatas, the Microwave Scrambled Eggs, the Baked Egg Bread Bowls, the Croque Madame Sandwich, the Mushroom Fried Rice, the Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice) and the Shrimp Fried Rice.
Old favourites
My top picks among easy Egg recipes include old favourites such as Toad In A Hole (an Egg cooked in a hole in the centre of a piece of Bread – try using a Bagel!), Eggs Benedict (Poached Eggs on Toast with Hollandaise Sauce), Classic Egg Salad (Chopped Hardboiled Eggs, Mayo, chopped Green Onions and a pinch of Dry Mustard), the now-ubiquitous Breakfast/Brunch Bake, fluffy, elegant Egg Clouds, Classic French Toast, and Foolproof Hard Boiled Eggs (one dish with many uses!). Just last week I posted the recipe for a one-pan French Toast Egg Sandwich.
Essential tips for exceptional Eggs
In the past, I’ve posted a set of guidelines for cooking Eggs. Armed with these ‘Chef Secrets’, you’ll never produce rubbery, dry or overcooked Eggs again. And, yes, you can also master perfect, paper-thin delectable French Omelets.
And the you have it…
… The complete rundown on Eggs as a COVID Cooking Fun opportunity. Go ahead and indulge!
~ Maggie J.