EGGS TO START THE DAY

 

                                            Eggs to start the day

 

          Call it “perverse coincidence’, but the recent dramatic spike in egg prices just coincided with dieticians, supported by honest medical science, lifting the bane from eggs for being unhealthy due to cholesterol concerns.  Eggs are now declared the perfect source of protein, not only for building muscle but also as an easily digestible nutrient rich food. 

          Packed in the egg’s 72 calories, are high levels of choline, Vitamin D, Vitamins B2 and B12, the antioxidant selenium and Omega-3 fats, in addition of high protein. These are all important for muscle health and slowing muscle loss in older adults. A couple of eggs to start the day are likely to give your day with a boost for muscle health and nutrition.

          Any restaurant serving breakfast is likely to have fried, scrambled or even boiled eggs on the menu. The home cook can easily come up with some interesting variations on those such as dressing up the eggs with fresh salsa: chopped cherry tomatoes, diced green or yellow pepper and green or red onions mixed with a splash of flavored rice vinegar and a dash of Tabasco. 

           In the Southern part of the USA, grits are an important part of breakfast and pair well with eggs. For cooks who find mornings a slow start, grits provide an easy, quick and tasty base for presentation of eggs, though some modifications are required to overcome the bland taste of grits.

                                  Jalapeno-jack-cheese grits with egg

          This make 2 servings. Heat 2 cups of water with ½ tsp. salt to boiling and whisk in ½ cup quick cooking grits. Continue whisking on low heat for a minute and disperse any small lumps. Continue cooking for 6 additional minutes with occasional stirring. Stir in 1/3 cup shredded jalapeno-jack cheese (or sharp cheddar), stir until it melts and ladle in shallow bowls.

In the meantime, melt 1 tbsp. butter in a small pan and break 2 eggs into the melted butter. Return pan to medium heat and cook until the whites are set. Lightly sprinkle with some pepper, slide an egg on each bowl of cheese grits and serve hot.

Baked eggs in the morning can come in different forms without looking like a plain cooked egg. Popovers are delightful but sometimes tricky. Dutch baby has a similar set of ingredients and is cooked in a single heavy ovenproof pan.

                                       Dutch baby primavera

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Have handy 3 oz. freshly grated sharp cheddar, 1 tbsp. grated Parmesan, 1 thinly sliced green onion, 2 tbsp. chopped dill and some baby spinach leaves. In a small bowl mix ½ cup flour with ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Beat 4 eggs with 1/3 cup milk and 2 tbsp. melted butter and combine with the flour to make a smooth batter. Preheat a heavy oven safe pan in the oven for 3 minutes, remove carefully, swirl 1 tbsp. butter in pan, pour in ½ of the batter, scatter with shredded sharp cheddar, Parmesan, sliced green onion, chopped fresh dill and a pinch of small spinach leaves. Pour the rest of the batter on top and bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot, cut in wedges.

Eggs do not need to be boring as I showed in a previous column of Shakshuka or Eggs in Purgatory. We will discuss more substantial meals featuring eggs, such as frittatas, omelets, soufflés, crustless quiches and tostadas in future columns             

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

MIDSUMMER

 

                                                Midsummer

           The magic of Midsummer solstice came last week together with a two-day heat wave that left most of us gasping.  It was difficult to imagine those cool dusk filled evenings portrayed in Swedish movies as young and old gather around bonfires to celebrate Midsummer or St. John’s night. The saint’s name came with Christianity to a previously pagan celebration of the arrival and fruitfulness of summer, celebrated with song, dancing, beer, cheese, herring and other savory and sweet special dishes.

          It was time to think of dinners with grilled meat, take advantage of early summer fruit and incorporate them in our meals from breakfast to desert time. Pancakes are simple and easy any day and a good pancake mix that requires only a measure of mix plus water becomes so much more, when you incorporate an egg in the batter and stir in bite size peaches before cooking. 

                                       Peach pancakes

Measure out 1 cup pancake mix and lightly beat with 1 large egg and water as per package directions, decreasing the water by 2 tblsp. per 1 cup mix. Pit a peach (no need to peel), distribute the dice evenly in the batter and fry 3-to-4-inch pancakes. Serve with or without strawberries and maple syrup or jam.  Peach pancakes might only be beaten by fresh Maine blueberries, but for that we will have to wait until late July.

                                    Steak with rice-kimchi fritters

Grill or fry in a very hot cast-iron pan, a salted and peppered 1 inch ribeye steak for 3-4 minutes on a side. Baste with Korean barbeques sauce and cook for an additional 30 seconds to a minute on side, remove to a platter and pour any remaining sauce on top. Allow to rest for 10 minutes and slice on diagonal.

For fritters: beat 1 large egg with 2 tbsp. flour, 1 tsp. baking powder and ½ tsp. salt. Stir in 1 ½ -2 cups cooked rice (preferably day-old leftover). Drain 1 cup kimchi, chop the leaves and stir into the rice mix. Allow to sit for 10 minutes for the flavors to blend and then fry fritters in 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter for 4 minutes to the side. Serve with dipping sauce: ¼ cup soy sauce plus 1 tbsp. white vinegar.

Serve steak with fritters, some greens and enjoy the blending of the flavors.

Each spring and early summer we savor a favorite rhubarb-cherry pie. This recipe has an interesting history since it was inspired by a Maine Public Television program that was not a cooking show. This show featured a series of garden design discussions between a woman Maine gardener and one of the curators of the Kew British Royal Gardens. Somewhere between white and night fragrant gardens the lady from Maine mentioned that she had just baked a rhubarb-cherry pie, since rhubarb was plentiful in her garden. It sounded intriguing and with a bit of second guessing I came up with my own recipe. Rhubarb need a bit of taming in a pie and many cooks accomplish this with strawberries. Unfortunately, my husband is allergic to strawberries, so discovering a combination with dried cherries saved the day.

                                                   Rhubarb-cherry pie

Wash rhubarb and cut stalks in ¾ inch lengths to make 3 and ½ cups. Roll out a ready-made pie crust for the supermarket deli case and fit in a 9-inch pie plate. Toss 1 ½ cups sugar with 3 tbsp. cornstarch and spread 1/3 over the bottom of the pastry. In a large bowl toss the rhubarb, ½ cup dried cherries with the remaining sugar mix and spread evenly in the pan. Grate 1 tsp. lemon zest over the surface and dot with 1 tblsp. butter. Cover the pie with the second crust, crimp the sides and cut some vents on top. Lightly baste the top with cream and sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake in a 450-degree preheated oven for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for another 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.          

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)