1 Egg 8 Ways
With Easter around the corner, many people have egg-decorating on their minds. But honestly, I have eggs on my mind year-round. To me, they are nutritious, delicious and extremely versatile. And, for those of you who are not up on the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans, they are back in favor. Avoiding them because you have high cholesterol? So old-school. Tossing out yolks because you're afraid of fat? Gone with the Blackberry.
[Read: Eggs: Is It Time To Get Back Together With This Once-Feared Food?]
Besides, there are so many different ways to enjoy an egg you probably haven't even thought of. I, for one, love a baked potato topped with black bean hummus (or dip), low-fat sour cream and a single fried egg. Add a bunch of Brussels sprouts -- or your favorite veggie -- to the plate and you have a quick, easy, healthy meal. I figured I wasn't alone in my love of eggs, so I decided to ask my nutritionist pals for some input. Here are their creative ideas:
1. Make it a pizza topping.
"I love to crack one egg per person onto my homemade pizza before I bake it. The egg cooks to runny-yolk perfection as the cheese melts and the rust browns. It's not only delicious; it also makes pizza more of a complete meal by adding high-quality protein. One slice along with a crisp green salad is perfectly satisfying."
-- Ellie Krieger, registered dietitian nutritionist, award-winning cookbook author and host of "Ellie's Real Good Food" on public television
[Read: How to Build a Healthier Pizza.]
2. Throw it in grain and veggie bowls.
"I top grain and veggie bowls with one or two poached eggs (depending on how hungry I am), soy sauce and sriracha. They are so simple to make because I throw grains (such as jasmine rice or red quinoa) in the rice cooker and veggies (like butternut squash and asparagus) in the oven to roast. You can use whatever you have lying around, so it's also a terrific way to save odds and ends and veggies on the brink of spoiling."
-- Caroline Kaufman, a New York City-based registered dietitian nutritionist and blogger at CarolineKaufman.com
3. Give leftovers new life.
"Since I try not to waste a morsel of food, I love giving leftovers -- which I like to call 'vintage cuisine' -- new life.' One of my favorite easy ways to do that is to simply add a fried egg. You can top off leftover steamed or veggie fried rice, leafy salad, sautéed vegetables and even pizza."
-- Jackie Newgent, registered dietitian nutritionist, chef and author of "The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook"
"My go-to egg dish has to be my Sunday night clean-out-the-fridge frittata, as it serves a few purposes. I can use up any sad-looking vegetables left over from the week and meal prep for the week to come. I've been known to enjoy this frittata for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even a quick snack. If I don't have a frittata on hand, I love scrambling some pastured eggs and then finishing them with a drizzle of really tasty olive oil and a pinch of za'atar (a Middle Eastern spice blend of thyme, sumac and sesame), some red pepper flakes, fresh tomatoes and avocado. Swoon."
-- Katie Cavuto, registered dietitian nutritionist, chef and blogger at "Nourish. Breathe. Thrive." and U.S. News
[Read: 6 Ways to Cut Your Food Waste.]
4. Frame it.
"'Eggs in the frame' is one of my kids' favorite recipes and something my grandma made for me growing up. Here's how you make it: Take a slice of whole-wheat bread and, with a small glass like a juice glass or a round cookie cutter, cut a hole in the bread. Then, place the slice of bread in a skillet and add a cracked egg into the hole in the bread. Once the egg starts to cook through, flip it and cook it on the other side until the egg is cooked. Then, take the circle piece of bread and, in the skillet, lightly toast it on each side. Enjoy!"
-- Molly Morgan, registered dietitian nutritionist and author of "Skinny-Size It"
5. Bake egg 'muffins.'
"For perfectly-done hard-boiled eggs that peel like a dream, skip the water and hard cook your eggs in the oven instead. Simply place individual eggs into dry muffin cups and bake them for 27 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, transfer the cooked eggs to a large bowl of ice water for 10 minutes to stop the cooking process and keep yolks from turning green. You can store them in the refrigerator for up to one week."
-- Holley Grainger, registered dietitian nutritionist, nutrition and culinary communications consultant and blogger at HolleyGrainger.com
"I love eggs in just about any form, but one of my favorite ways to enjoy them is combined with lots of colorful, healthy ingredients and poured into a mini-muffin tin and baked in the oven. Let your creative juices flow and try pairing eggs with avocado, tomato, mushrooms, spinach and your favorite cheese. Bake extra and freeze them for a quick mid-week breakfast treat. "
-- Bonnie Taub-Dix, registered dietitian nutritionist, owner of BetterThanDietitng.com and author of "Read It Before You Eat It"
6. Toss it with noodles.
"So many people are familiar with scrambled eggs in fried rice, but I love scrambled eggs in rice noodles with veggies and topped with kimchee. It not only turns what would be an unsatisfying starchy dish into a protein-packed filling noodle bowl, but also pairs well with the bite of the sticky noodles and crunch of the kimchee. Yum!"
-- Regan Jones, registered dietitian nutritionist and founding editor of HealthyAperture.com
7. Create a seven-minute wonder.
"Bring a pot of water to boil, gently lower in an egg on a spoon and set a timer for exactly seven minutes. Once it goes off, rinse the egg under cold water to stop the cooking. Take off the shell and enjoy a perfectly-cooked egg with a lightly runny yolk! This trick tastes awesome on a sprouted whole-grain English muffin with mashed avocado, spinach, sea salt and cayenne. You can also make extra eggs and store them in the fridge for up to seven days. They're great chopped on salads, too."
-- Dawn Jackson Blatner, registered dietitian nutritionist and author of the upcoming book, "Superfood Swap"
8. Make a tried-and-true omelet.
"My favorite way to eat eggs is by mixing one whole egg with three egg whites to create an omelet. I cook in thin cubes of smoked salmon, sauteed onions, tomato and capers and eat it on a Trader Joe's high-fiber wrap."
-- Tali Pines, registered dietitian nutritionist and CEO and founder of Tali Pines Nutrition
Keri Gans, MS, RDN, CDN, is a registered dietitian/nutritionist, media personality, spokesperson, and author of The Small Change Diet. Gans's expert nutrition advice has been featured in Glamour, Fitness, Health, Self and Shape, and on national television and radio, including The Dr. Oz Show, Good Morning America, ABC News, Primetime, and Sirius/XM Dr. Radio.
