Fun with Eggs

The Incredible Edible Egg

Three of the biggest objections to a primal way of eating are:

1. It’s too expensive
2. It will take too long to cook at home, and
3. The limited food selection will get boring

May I suggest an elegant solution to all three of these problems rolled into one; the incredible edible egg (if I may borrow a phrase from the American Egg Board)!

Eggs are Cheap – and Healthy

Eggs are pretty cheap.  Here where I live in New Hampshire, I can buy a five-dozen box of eggs from Walmart for less than $14 (so less than three dollars a dozen).  Even when egg prices were higher, eggs were still more affordable than most other sources of animal protein (and even than many kinds of sugary processed crap). 

 Think about it – even if eggs were five dollars a dozen and you ate six at once (like I do – but many of you probably have less than that, which would make things even cheaper), that’s still just $2.50 for a meal with 38 grams of high-quality animal protein, 30 grams of healthy fats, 430 calories, and a hefty dose of all the B-vitamins (including folate, generally difficult to get from animal sources), as well as choline, zinc, phosphorous, iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin D, some calcium, some copper, and some potassium.

Did I mention that eggs were healthy?  Yes, even cheap mass-produced eggs – of course, more expensive, organic, free-range eggs are better, but if you all you can afford is those five-dozen crates of eggs from Walmart, that is still a far healthier breakfast than the most expensive, organic, “natural” sugary, grain-based cereal that you can find in any store. 

Eggs are Versatile

Ok, so eggs are healthy and eggs are cheap – but they are also very versatile.  Here’s where the magic comes in!  There are so many ways to prepare eggs, that you can play around with different cooking methods so that your menu stays fresh and exciting.  And some of these methods are also very quick and easy.

Easy Ways to Cooks Eggs

• Hardboiled Eggs: Hardboiled eggs are probably the easiest way to make eggs – all you need are eggs and water.  Put them in a pot with cold water and bring to a boil – as soon as the water boils, turn the heat down to low and simmer for ten minutes.  Immediately take them out and pour cold water in the pot so they don’t overcook.  

The beauty of hardboiled eggs is their convenience – you can just grab them, peel them, and eat them.  Since they last in their shells for a whole week in the refrigerator, you can boil a big batch on Sunday night, and now you have ready-to-grab breakfasts for the whole week!  How easy is that?

As an extra tip, if you have an Instant Pot, you can hardboil eggs beautifully in it (five minutes of high pressure, then let them sit for five minutes, then depressurize and get them in cold water right away to stop the cooking).  If you use the Instant Pot, the shells will never stick, making for easy peeling.

Although they can be bland, there are many ways of perking up hardboiled eggs – salt and pepper, of course, but also other spices like paprika or turmeric.  Roll them in olive oil, put mayonnaise on them, slice them and melt cheese on them, or top with salsa.  Mash with mayonnaise for an egg salad.  You can also use chopped hardboiled eggs as an add-on to meats and salads. 

• Microwave Egg-puffs.  Also super easy and quick, tasty, – and a lot of fun!  Beat two eggs in a bowl, and add a splash of water or cream if you want (but it is not essential).  Pour into a greased ramekin or mug, and microwave for a minute (adjusting cooking time for your microwave) – it will puff up dramatically while it is cooking!  

Prep time takes only a minute or two, and cook time is literally a minute (and you get the entertainment of watching the egg puff in the microwave).  And, like hardboiled eggs, these are very versatile – you can just add salt and pepper and top with butter or cheese, but you can also make a sweet version by adding a bit of vanilla, stevia, or even blueberries.  You can add onions or scallions and a bit of cream cheese to make savory egg-puffs.  (I got the egg puff idea from my mom – thanks mom!)

Cooking Eggs in a Pan 

 This is probably what most of you think of when you think of cooking eggs.  There are many ways of cooking eggs in a pan, but I usually either fry them or scramble them – these are both straightforward methods that are fairly quick and hard to mess up. Avoid Teflon and other “nonstick” surfaces, as these contain potentially toxic chemicals.  Use stainless steel or (even better) caste iron.  To avoid sticking, be sure to use enough oil, and let the oil get hot in the pan before you add the eggs.  Flip the eggs with a metal spatula.  

• Frying Eggs.  This is super easy.  Heat a pan on medium heat, then add olive oil, avocado oil, butter, coconut oil, or lard or bacon fat.  Once the oil is hot (but not burning), crack in the eggs and add salt and pepper (or other seasonings).  Once the whites begin to get stiff on the edges, add a lid until a film begins to form over the yolk, then flip the eggs and cook for another minute or so.  If you let it cook a little longer after you flip them, the yolks will be solid; if not, they will be runny.  If you want “sunny side up” style eggs with a runny yolk, don’t flip them – take them off the heat and eat as soon as the film begins to form over the yolk.

• Scrambling eggs.  Beat the eggs in a separate bowl – you can add a tsp of water or cream to make the eggs fluffier, if desired.  Heat up a pan on medium heat and add some butter or oil; once the oil is hot, add the eggs and add salt and pepper.  As soon as the edge of the eggs begins firm up, flip the eggs over and break them up with the spatula.  Continue flipping and breaking until the eggs are mostly firm (they will continue to cook a little after you take them off the heat, so leave them a little runny).  

Salt and pepper are all you need to make great-tasting eggs, but there is also all sorts of stuff you can add to make fried or scrambled eggs even tastier; eggs with ham or bacon is a classic, but any kind of meat (sausage, ground beef, steak) works great.  Add cheese or salsa on top, add onions, or other vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, or kale.  Some classic flavor combinations include:

• Ham, broccoli, and cheese
• Spinach and cheese
• Avocado, ground beef, and salsa
• Mushrooms and onions (maybe with steak or ground beef)
• For a different twist, if you can eat berries, try flavoring your scrambled eggs with salt, cinnamon, and a bit of stevia and topping with blueberries.

As always, let your imagination be your guide – this is just to get you started.  Feel free to experiment, and expect more egg posts from time to time.  If you have any favorite ways of cooking eggs, be sure to share them in the comments below!