Egg-sactly for Dinner!

May 25, 2022

Yesterday, our friend George dropped off a dozen eggs straight from his chicken coop. He has different varieties of chickens and consequently, the eggs are an array of gorgeous colors of greens to blues and soft browns. They’re almost too pretty to eat…almost! They arrived Just in time for dinner.

Scrambled eggs were the first dish my kids learned to cook. Fortunately, they share my belief that eggs are more than a protein you eat for breakfast. They listened to their mother (thats me!) when I said if you learn how to make a couple of nice dishes with eggs, you’ll never go hungry or break the bank. Now, they’re accomplished in making everything from easy frittatas to recipes like Spicy Sriracha Baked Avocado Eggs. In fact, they’re more adventurous than I am in adding eggs to other dishes such as on top of burgers or on a pizza! They love to take pics of their creations and post on social media. I’m just thrilled they’re enjoying learning to cook, and that cooking can be a creative outlet. Bonus is they’re learning that what they eat and how they prepare it has a direct effect upon how much they like it and on how they feel. It all started with scrambled eggs!

As athletes, my kids are aware that they need to eat foods that give them fuel. I can’t always be sure they aren’t eating junk when they get the chance, but I am sure our meals are balanced, including plenty of protein. Protein is especially critical for kids so that every part of their body works properly. Plus, it’s important for the building and repairing of muscles. Unlike sugary foods, protein provides lasting energy, a key component to running hard all the way through a soccer game!

In a time when the cost of food and other resources are skyrocketing, it’s nice to know that eggs are still a great bargain. If you want to save on your groceries, include at least one egg-based dinner per week. Eggs pack a nutritional punch for the money. The nutritional value of one large egg is impressive with 7 grams of protein plus 13 essential vitamins and minerals, all for only 70 calories. And the yolk is important too, since it contains the majority of those nutrients.

FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) reports that an average of two percent of the population under age five develops an egg allergy. However, most children outgrow their egg allergy by late childhood. If you do have someone with an egg allergy in your household please indicate it in your DinnerTime profile.

I have eggs on my DinnerTime Grocery List every week. They are a staple and I put them in my DinnerTime Pantry as a “Frequent Purchase” so they show up on the list for each shopping trip. If George is kind enough to deliver more of his eggs to us (yes please!) then I will add them to our Dinnertime Pantry Manager and indicate “use soon.” I always want to have eggs on hand for when the kids want to take over the kitchen!

8 Tips and Tricks to enjoy your eggs:

Always check the carton at the store to make sure there aren’t any broken eggs.
The Sell by date is informative but may not be what you want to look at to determine freshness of eggs. Look at the last three digits in the string of characters below the sell by date to see the Julian date. This indicates when the eggs were actually packed. This number ranges from 1 to 365 (1 representing January first). For example May 26 is 146. Click here for a tool to help determine the date.
Use last week’s extra eggs to make hard-boiled eggs. Hard-boiled older eggs are easier to peel.
Always have hard-boiled eggs on hand. They are the perfect snack to hold off the “hungries” throughout the week. Here’s a great recipe to make with hard-boiled eggs that my kids love: Scotch Eggs.
Hard-boiling eggs is easier than you realize. Add eggs to a pot of cold water, bring to a brisk boil, cover and remove from heat. Leave them for 10-20 minutes. After they are done, cool and peel.
Fresher eggs make the best cakes.
Room-temperature eggs are best for baking and for beating egg whites to a peak.
For added fluffiness, add a little bit of milk to your bowl as you scramble eggs. Don’t over whisk, you just want to blend and add some air.
Serving poached eggs is impressive and not difficult. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add a splash of vinegar, crack an egg into a small bowl or cup for easier handling and then slide the egg into the water. It’s done when the whole white is solid but the yolk is not.
Deviled eggs are always a hit at a party. Easy to prepare and economical. My son makes deviled eggs for his friends and they think he is a genius! (So do I.)