June – Eggs with Punch

Liz @ spades, spatulas, and spoons

8 years ago

This simple and quick method of frying an egg elevates it to an entirely different plane, suitable for lunch or dinner. Why just delegate them to breakfast? It punches up the flavor profile and turns a simple egg into a special event.

Did you know that eggs are considered the perfect food? Want to know why? I am going to give you a snapshot, skip to the recipe if you don’t want a nutrition lesson.

Eggs contain high quality protein with the perfect mix of amino acids. Eggs contain all 21 amino acids that the body requires, including the 9 essential ones that we cannot make ourselves. As a food eggs are given a biological score of 100, which is perfect.
One egg contains (remember that all these nutrients with the exception of protein are contained in the yolk):
- 9% of the RDA of B12
- 15% of the RDA of B2
- 6% of the RDA of Vitamin A
- 7% of the RDA of B5
- 22% of the RDA of Selenium
- They also contain small amounts of almost every vitamin and mineral required by the human body, that includes calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, manganese, Vitamin E, and Folate.
- A large egg contains 77 calories, with 6 grams of top quality protein, 5 grams of fat and trace amounts of carbohydrates.
- One large egg contains 212 mg of cholesterol and it has given eggs a bad rap. However, eggs have not been implicated in raising your bad cholesterol. The liver produces cholesterol every day. Studies have shown that if you eat cholesterol, your liver produces less. Eggs may actually improve your cholesterol profile because they tend to raise HDL (the “good” cholesterol) and change the LDL (the “bad” cholesterol) to a subgroup with is not associated with an increased chance of heart disease.
- Eggs contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect your eyes. Those antioxidants significantly reduce the risk of Macular Degeneration and Cataracts, which are among the leading causes of vision impairment and blindness in the elderly.
Eggs for breakfast can help you lose body fat. They have a high satiety index, which is the measure of how satisfied and full you feel after eating them. Studies show that those individuals who eat eggs compared to comparable calories from a bagel, lost 65% more weight.
Remember that not all eggs are the same. If you can afford them, it is preferable to buy pastured eggs or those that are Omega-3 enriched. Hens that are raised in small cages in factories are fed a grain-based diet which alters the final nutrient composition of the eggs. Besides the humane reasons, buy the best quality eggs you can find (or raise your own chickens). You as well as the chickens will be healthier.

Ok, enough with the lecture.

Really, punch up the flavor profile of your eggs with this simple technique.

Ingredients for 1 serving:

2 large organic, pasture raised eggs
1-2 teaspoons of sweet butter or olive oil
1/4-1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika or calabrian chilis (to taste) – or zatar or curry powder or…
Calabrian Chilis
2 tablespoons of half and half
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Method:

Melt the butter or warm the olive oil in a small non-stick pan over medium high heat.
Add your flavor choice and mix until the aroma begins to make you crazy.
Add the half and half and briefly stir to mix everything together.
Flavored Eggs
Break 2 eggs into the pan, salt the tops of the eggs, cover and turn the heat down to medium.
Cook for about 2-3 minutes, checking frequently. You want the yolk to be covered by a thin film of white while still staying runny.
Perfectly Cooked Eggs
Serve with a grind of pepper if desired.
Perfectly Fried Eggs