The incredible, edible egg is a mainstay on The Silver Cloud Diet. Eat two eggs for breakfast every day, then, perhaps eat an egg for a protein laden snack, or choose egg preparations for your lunch or supper.
Why choose eggs? With only 75 calories, a big jolt of protein and necessary micronutrients, the egg is an almost perfect food. Why wouldn’t it be? The egg is the mainspring of life itself and feeds life at its most basic level. In our not so distant past, there was much talk about the cholesterol in eggs and an entire movement away from eggs on the plate.
Cholesterol in the eggs and other foods in the diet do not equal cholesterol in the body, and in the second place, the entire argument towards uber-low cholesterol is one of the many marketing ploys by big pharma to get you to swallow more pills, and not at all supported by scientific studies which prove, yet again, that cholesterol levels shouldn’t be too low.
Eat your eggs. They’re good for you.
We recommend organic eggs and would remind you that even the most expensive egg in the case is still a bargain and cheap at any price.
We love eggs here at the Silver Cloud Diet. In our book, we give you a baker’s dozen ways to prepare eggs. Here are a few of our faves.
Perfect Omelets
Get yourself a nice, new 8 to 12-inch omelet pan (a very clean nonstick pan will also suffice, but do not use Teflon). Which size pan you use depends upon your particular view of the omelet. If you’re of the “You can’t be too rich or too thin” school, choose the larger pan.
If you prefer your omelet fluffy and a little thicker, choose the smaller. Purists will tell you the omelet should have NO browning but should simply be golden yellow. Personally, I like a little color on my omelet, not only for the look of it, but because the browning also complicates the flavor.
Next, prepare the filling. If you’re grating cheese, use a microplane and grate it right onto the dinner plate you will ultimately use. Then, preheat the skillet over medium low heat.
Whisk 2 eggs with salt and pepper and a teaspoon of water. Melt a knob of butter in the skillet, swirling to cover every inch. Pour the eggs into the skillet. Let them set without touching for a minute, then begin lifting the skillet on one side and then the other so the runny part in the middle can move to the side.
Pick up an edge and see if it is beginning to color up. Add grated cheese to half of it, use your spatula to fold it over itself to turn it in half and remove to the plate. Now what could be simpler? All of this is done in under 5 minutes.
Deviled Eggs
6 large eggs
½ teaspoon white wine vinegar*
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced shallot
2 teaspoons capers, finely minced
Salt and pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives or dill
To hard-cook eggs, bring pan of water to simmer. Gently lay eggs in the water, return to simmer and cook for 8 minutes. Drain and cool eggs in ice water just until cool enough to handle. Peel eggs and chill again in ice water until cooled. (This keeps yolks perfectly yellow, and the shell slips off easily when the eggs are slight warm.) Slice eggs in half lengthwise and remove yolks. Mash yolks with vinegar, sour cream, mayonnaise, shallot, capers, salt and pepper to taste, cayenne pepper, and chives or dill. Add a dollop to each cooked egg white.
*remember to avoid vinegar if you have a yeast problem.
Egg Salad
1/2 dozen large eggs, hard cooked and peeled
½ cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon pickle relish
1 teaspoon minced onion
Salt and pepper to taste
Chop eggs into a bowl. Mix with mayo, curry, pickle relish, onion and salt and pepper to taste. Place in a bowl and cover. Refrigerate up to a week.
