A few months ago we were at our friend's house making dinner and we ended the night with some wine and a brain teaser game, Battle of the Sexes.
One question my husband got on the playing card was ‘Are brown eggs
better for you than white eggs?’ His answer was yes. What do you think
the answer is? Well the truth is they are not better for you - that
statement is false. I think this is a big misconception amongst people.
In fact what makes the eggs looks different is simply the type of
chicken that laid the egg. The Kitchen Daily Huffington Post just did an article a few weeks ago on this exact topic.
If you are interested in eating a better egg, you will need to think about similar things that we did when we talked about beef - the environment the chickens are raised in and their diet. Unfortunately, just like with other proteins, the labels can be misleading, so be cautious of terms like 'cage free' and 'natural'. The goal is the chicken that produced the eggs was raised in a pasture/green space, not in a cage and fed a vegetarian diet with no antibiotics and hormones. There are a few worth reading articles I found as I learned about this topic; you might find them helpful:
Pastured Eggs
Egg Carton Labels
Cage Free vs. Battery Cage
Better Bonus Tips:
If you are interested in eating a better egg, you will need to think about similar things that we did when we talked about beef - the environment the chickens are raised in and their diet. Unfortunately, just like with other proteins, the labels can be misleading, so be cautious of terms like 'cage free' and 'natural'. The goal is the chicken that produced the eggs was raised in a pasture/green space, not in a cage and fed a vegetarian diet with no antibiotics and hormones. There are a few worth reading articles I found as I learned about this topic; you might find them helpful:
Pastured Eggs
Egg Carton Labels
Cage Free vs. Battery Cage
Better Bonus Tips:
- Do your research
- Ask questions
- Utilize farmers markets and local farms, when possible
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Eggs are great because they can be served for breakfast, lunch, dinner or anything in between and are quick to make. Today’s recipe is a Sausage and Egg Frittata. I think of a frittata as a baked omelet - similar to a quiche except it is started on the stovetop and then finished off in the oven. I have talked a lot about learning the technique instead of just the recipe - this is another perfect example. You can really substitute whatever you want in this recipe and make it your own. Try adding whatever veggies, grains, protein, cheese you have around the house.
Eggs are great because they can be served for breakfast, lunch, dinner or anything in between and are quick to make. Today’s recipe is a Sausage and Egg Frittata. I think of a frittata as a baked omelet - similar to a quiche except it is started on the stovetop and then finished off in the oven. I have talked a lot about learning the technique instead of just the recipe - this is another perfect example. You can really substitute whatever you want in this recipe and make it your own. Try adding whatever veggies, grains, protein, cheese you have around the house.
Sausage and Egg Frittata
Inspired by Food Network’s Potato and Zucchini Frittata
Servings: 4
Servings: 4
Eggs, 6
Ground sausage, ½ lb
Bell Pepper, ½ chopped
Zucchini, 1 shredded
Green Onion, 1 bunch, chopped
Cilantro, 2 T
Cheese, any variety, 1 c
Garlic Powder, 1 tsp
Brown sausage over medium heat in an oven safe pan. Add pepper, zucchini and green onion after sausage has been cooking for 4-5 minutes. Continue to cook until veggies are tender, another 3-4 minutes
Crack 4 eggs and 2 egg whites into a bowl and mix with a fork. Add garlic powder, chopped cilantro and ½ c of shredded cheese.
Make sure sausage and veggie mixture is spread out evenly in pan and pour egg mixture over sausage and veggies.
Continue to cook over medium heat until eggs start to form. Occasionally tilt the pan and use your spatula to loosen up the edges, so that the uncooked egg can flow underneath. After about 3-4 minutes, sprinkle with another ½ c of shredded cheese. At this point, the eggs will not look completely cooked. Stick the pan in the oven and broil for 5-7 minutes, until the top is browned and the eggs are puffy.
Once brown and puffy, remove from the oven.
Slice and serve directly from pan or place on serving platter.
Better Bonus Tip: Serve with a simple fruit salad consisting of your favorite chopped fruit, a drizzle of yogurt sauce (plain or vanilla yogurt mixed with honey or agave nectar) and topped with nuts or browned crispy coconut.
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More Egg Better Bonus Tips:
Hope everyone has a great Easter!
~Ashley
Ground sausage, ½ lb
Bell Pepper, ½ chopped
Zucchini, 1 shredded
Green Onion, 1 bunch, chopped
Cilantro, 2 T
Cheese, any variety, 1 c
Garlic Powder, 1 tsp
Preheat oven to broil high. Chop bell pepper and white and light green parts of the green onion. Grate zucchini. Set all aside.
Brown sausage over medium heat in an oven safe pan. Add pepper, zucchini and green onion after sausage has been cooking for 4-5 minutes. Continue to cook until veggies are tender, another 3-4 minutes
Crack 4 eggs and 2 egg whites into a bowl and mix with a fork. Add garlic powder, chopped cilantro and ½ c of shredded cheese.
Make sure sausage and veggie mixture is spread out evenly in pan and pour egg mixture over sausage and veggies.
Continue to cook over medium heat until eggs start to form. Occasionally tilt the pan and use your spatula to loosen up the edges, so that the uncooked egg can flow underneath. After about 3-4 minutes, sprinkle with another ½ c of shredded cheese. At this point, the eggs will not look completely cooked. Stick the pan in the oven and broil for 5-7 minutes, until the top is browned and the eggs are puffy.
Once brown and puffy, remove from the oven.
Slice and serve directly from pan or place on serving platter.
Better Bonus Tip: Serve with a simple fruit salad consisting of your favorite chopped fruit, a drizzle of yogurt sauce (plain or vanilla yogurt mixed with honey or agave nectar) and topped with nuts or browned crispy coconut.
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More Egg Better Bonus Tips:
- I started following a blog that my friend told me about 100 Days of Real Food and a post awhile back was what she called Random Food & Cooking Tips. One of the tips she shared was ‘If an egg is spoiled, it will float in a bowl of water rather than sink.’ I have tried this and haven’t been able to get one to float, which I guess is a good thing because it means I have good eggs. I am unsure if it truly works, but still wanted to share.
- When preparing a recipe that includes eggs, crack each egg into a separate bowl and then add individually to the main bowl with the other ingredients. This way, if you get a bad egg, you won’t have cracked it directly into the main bowl and end up having to waste everything because the other ingredients are ruined.
- Just like with the shells of the egg, you might find different colors in the yolk. The color of the yolk is dependent on the diet the chicken consumes. The more color in the diet, the darker the yolk.
Hope everyone has a great Easter!
~Ashley
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