EGGS!

I was thinking about eggs this morning. I love breakfast. I have to be careful about cholesterol so I can’t have eggs a lot. Now my husband didn’t think he had breakfast if eggs weren’t involved. My Mother was a big believer in breakfast. We always had some kind of HOT cereal, toast, orange juice or scrambled eggs, 1 piece of bacon, toast and of course orange juice. I can remember the smell of that breakfast as it was cooking. Smelled so good.  I’ve learned a few things about eggs that I wonder if you all know. You probably do but maybe someone doesn't and could use the information.

First, always check for the date on the end of the egg carton before you buy. For instance, I just bought some eggs on the 9th and the date on the eggs say they are up on the 29th.  Lets say today is the 19th, then they would be old enough to hard cook and peel without coming apart and causing a melt down in the kitchen.  If you are going to hard cook eggs [not boil] you need the oldest eggs in your refrigerator.

HARD COOKED EGGS

Place the eggs in a pan so they are in a single file or circle never on top of each other. Cover them completely with cold water and bring to a boil. Take immediately off the heat and cover tightly for exactly 20 minutes. Set your timer. Immediately pour off the hot water and with the cold-water running, crack each egg and peel under the cold water. [You don’t want a small shell in anything] They should peel easily. Fresh eggs don’t peel and I don’t care what you do they won’t peel. Your egg yolks should not have the color green anywhere near the yolk. If they have that then you have over cooked them. It isn't the end of the world tho and they will still taste the same but just sayin, no green.

ANGEL EGGS

I know I have made a room full of these eggs. We always called them this because we didn’t want to give the devil any respect. My daycare kids loved them, of all things. My sister and I have come upon a new recipe for them and I thought I might share it with you. I’m not going to try and put down the measurements, as you will know how stiff or thin you will want the filling to be.

• About 6 Hard Cooked Eggs
• While they are hot put them in the food processor to get them smooth. The eggs will take on the flavors if you make this while they are warm.
• Small amount of Mayonnaise
• Little bit of Mustard
• Onion powder
• Mascarpone Cheese
• Equal amounts of the Mayonnaise and Mascarpone
• Salt and pepper to taste.

We don’t even make the kind we used to make anymore. These are smooth and creamy. As my son-in-law said when he tried one “What could be bad about eggs and cheese”. These are really good, yummy in fact, different.

POACHED EGGS

These eggs are really good for you, as they are not cooked in any fat or grease. Truly I say, they are so good. I always like them on buttered toast. They are quick and simple to make and my husband and son loved them. My sister likes them in a bowl without toast.

You will need a small, approximately 3 cup non-stick saucepan [I got mine at Schnucks]

Add about 2 1/2 C warm water and bring to a boil, then turn down till it just simmers.

Now…lots of folks say to add a tsp of vinegar but I think it makes them taste like it and no to that. If you use fresh eggs they will not splat all over the bottom of the pan, but will hold together.  Slowly drop them [down close to the rim of the pan not up by the ceiling] into the water. Push the toast down now. Watch the eggs and as the white begins to turn white and the yolk begins to be covered white you are close to being done. Get out a paper towel and lay next to the stove. When the toast pops up butter it, put it on a plate and with a slotted spoon that is for a no-stick surface, carefully get under the egg and kind of jiggle. [the egg]If the white is firm but the yolk soft, lift out onto the paper towel. Let it rest there a minute and then carefully flip it over onto the spoon again and then flip onto the toast. They are so beautiful you won’t believe you did it. You may have to practice a few times but you’ll get the knack and few people know how to do this well and you will be one of them.


 

STEAMED EGGS 

These are not my favorite but they are good. My Mother always made these when we didn’t have many eggs in the house. She would fry 3 pieces of Bacon until they were really crisp. This must be done slowly or you will have burned bacon and pan at the same time. Yuck! There would hardly be any bacon fat in the pan with 3 pieces of Bacon so she didn't pour it off. Then she would take the pan off the burner and drop in three eggs. Put the pan back on the burner and slowly cook just until the white was cooked. Then she would add a couple of Tbs of water and cover them for a few minutes, just until the yolk was soft cooked. Easy and these are good.

BASTED EGGS

Now my Mother-in-law was raised in Kentucky, Indiana and Missouri and she always had plenty of bacon and eggs as she was always on some kind of farm. She would always, without fail, fry at least 2 pounds of Bacon. Then she would take her frying pan [always an iron skillet] off the heat and drop about 4 eggs in it. She would baste them with the grease and scoop them out. These were good but they were so greasy. I never made them this way but I have to say they both lived to be 84 and 86. Makes you wonder.

SCRAMBLED EGGS

There are many people that seem to want to add all kinds of things to the eggs that you are beating. I have tried them all. Water, milk, dogs, pony's. [a joke guys]. I've been told it makes them fluffier, lighter whatever. Frankly when you are eating scrambled eggs you really are not noticing this. What you are noticing is if they have been cooked too long and if they have any taste. Now I don't like them unless I have fried some Bacon and drained all the fat out of the pan. Then I  pour the beaten eggs in and cook slowly,scraping the sides until they are almost done. I have been known to over cook them and therefore they resemble rubber. Try not to do that. When you see that they are almost cooked but a little soft quickly get them out of the pan into a bowl or plate. Makes me hungry just thinking about them.  I do sometimes add chopped Ham or crumbled Bacon. Don't have to fry as much Bacon that way. Humm good! 

Well, that's it for the eggs. If you try any of these please let me know.