Soft-boiled Eggs Made Easy

I’ve always loved eggs – scrambled, omelets, fried – any version will do. I especially love a runny egg (or slutty egg as some people I know refer to it lol). Anyone else love sopping up the yolk of a sunny side up eggs? Yum!

Unfortunately, frying an egg in butter is not the best option for someone trying to eat healthier so I try to limit how often I do that. In my effort to eat healthier, I’ve thought about other ways I could enjoy eggs without the need for butter. There’s poaching, which is delicious, but not great for a weekday option. Hard-boiled is an easy choice, but fully cooked yolks are not my favorite unless they are in the form of deviled eggs. Then I’m all for them!

So when I saw an Instagram post by Justin Chapple, who works for Food & Wine magazine (one of my favorite reads, btw) about how to make the perfect soft-boiled egg, I just knew I needed to try it.

His post reminded me of how my German step-grandparents used to eat soft-boiled eggs and how I thought that was so European and cool. I had even purchased egg holders years ago to try making them myself, but I never got them quite right. The yolk was never jammy (another word to describe a soft yolk) enough. Thanks to Justin, I now know the secret. I must give credit where credit is due.

So, to make the perfect jammy, soft-boiled egg, follow the instructions below. In full transparency, I let mine go about 30 seconds longer than I should have so these aren’t even totally perfect, but I’ll know better next time. I also tried a trick for getting the shells off easier that I’d never done before and it certainly seemed to make a huge difference.

Instructions

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add your eggs carefully and cook them for 7 minutes exactly. Set a timer so you can get them out right at the 7-minute mark.

While the eggs cook, get a bowl and add some ice and water. Once the eggs are done, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the hot water and immediately add them to the ice water.

At this point, you can do a couple of things. You can set them in an egg holder, cut off the top of the egg and use a spoon to scoop out the egg and eat it with a little salt sprinkled on top.

Or you can let them cool a bit, then crack them on the counter and remove the shell while keeping them wet in the cold water. The shells should come off fairly easily using this method. Once you remove the shell, you can cut them in half and enjoy with a bit of salt (again) or add something to bump up the flavor a bit like I did. Mine were served with a Mediterranean chili past called harissa. I'm pretty sure you can find harissa at most grocery stores.

If you try it out, let me know how it goes. I'd love to hear if your experience was successful, too!

Easy and Delicious Breakfast Sandwich

Growing up, I was always told breakfast was the most important meal of the day. For my brothers and I, breakfast was often a big bowl of sugary cereal and/or pop tarts. Don’t get me wrong, I loved that stuff as a kid, but realize now that was the worst type of breakfast we could have eaten. It definitely made me sleepy mid-morning. Luckily, my mom came up with a great idea to give us something healthier and just as easy for us to grab before school. It was especially helpful when I was in high school and rushing out the door for school.

She started making her own version of McDonald’s Egg McMuffin. She would put a cooked egg, ham, and a Kraft cheese square between an English muffin, wrap it up and store it in the refrigerator for us to pop in the microwave. It was delicious!

Fast forward a few years (like 30 plus ha) and I have become less of a breakfast person during the week. I just don’t like to eat that early. You could almost say I’m a natural intermittent faster. I think it’s partly because I’m not much of a morning person and I need to wake up a bit before eating and partly due to the fact that I’m always timing my morning routine down to the last minute to get to work on time. Anyway, as I was recently thinking about what I could pack for breakfast to enjoy once I was at the office, I remembered those healthy and easy breakfast sandwiches and was inspired to make my own version. As a single person these also made life easier because I could make just the amount I wanted for the week. I choose to make three sandwiches, but you could also make more and freeze them for later. Mine did take a little bit longer to prepare than my mom's, but it was totally worth it. Here’s what I put on mine.

Ingredients for three sandwiches:

• 3 Eggs

• 3 English Muffins (I used Thomas’ Light Multi Grain 100 calorie)

• ¼ cup of Sargento Mild Cheddar Shredded Cheese

6 slices of Garrett Valley Farms Sugar Free Uncured on (paleo approved)

• ½ T. Unsalted Butter

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook turkey bacon in a skillet to your preferred doneness. Set aside and let it cool. While that’s cooking, heat another skillet to low/medium, and spray the skillet with nonstick cooking spray to coat the bottom and add half a tablespoon of butter for a bit of flavor. This cuts some of the calories and fat if that is a focus for you. Crack each egg into the skillet and add salt and pepper to taste. You can break the yolk now or when you flip the egg to cook on the other side.

Once eggs are cooked, set aside to cool. When eggs are cooled, begin building your

sandwiches. Slice the English muffin open and layer one side of each muffin with one egg. Top the egg with 1/3 of the cheese and top with two slices of turkey bacon. Add the top slice of the English muffin and you are ready to wrap.

I wrapped each one in plastic wrap first and then foil. If you make more than just what you want for the week, you can add each to a large freezer bag and freeze them for later.

To re-heat, pop them in the microwave or, if you like them toasted, you can put them in a toaster oven or toast them in a pan on the stove before eating.

There are so many ways you could enjoy this type of breakfast sandwich. Switch up the kind of meat you use (i.e. Canadian bacon, pork or beef bacon, sausage, etc.) if you want or eliminate it altogether. It’s a recipe that you can make to please your own tastebuds. For me this is a great way to enjoy a delicious, healthy, and filling breakfast while saving time and a little money.

I hope you enjoy this version and are inspired to try it or create your own!

Side note: This is pan looks like it would be perfect for creating those perfectly round eggs without having to fry them in butter.

https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Perfect-Non-Stick-Bakeware-Cavities/dp/B005NWTQ3W/ref=sr_1_15?crid=2ORKT9GCK8X09&dchild=1&keywords=24-cup+wilton+perfect+results+non-stick+mini+muffin+%26+cupcake+pan&qid=1631462342&sr=8-15

Let’s Talk Tuna!

When I was growing up, the only tuna I remember eating was in a can. I had it in the form of tuna salad andwich or served on lettuce. And I ate it in tuna noodle casserole or as a tuna melt. That was the limit of my knowledge. Eventually I would be introduced to one of my favorite salads – the Tuna Niçoise Salad. I had no idea how delicious tuna could be until I had it cooked rare and served on top of this salad.

Tuna, in my opinion, is a very versatile fish. It’s a great, self-stable, budget-friendly protein when you opt for the pre-cooked version. I prefer the packets, which are more convenient for a meal on the go. My favorite lately is the Bumble Bee brand in water. It’s wild-caught and 16 grams of protein. I get the plain version and doctor it up myself. I like to mix it with a variety of vegetables such as tomato, cucumber, bell peppers, and artichoke, among others to make a tuna bowl or a type of salad. I will add olives, feta, and oregano to make it Mediterranean-style or fresh basil for an Italian version. It’s a very quick, easy way to prepare a tasty, healthy lunch when you don’t have much time.

I also love fresh tuna though. Whenever I find it on sale, I buy it. Tuna is great as the main protein in a meal and it’s even better to use any leftovers on salads like the Niçoise and I usually end up with enough to use it in more than one meal. I like it with a heavy bit of black pepper all over it or covered in toasted sesame seeds. I sear it on the stove for about 3 minutes on each side and cook it to rare.

If I know I want to make my own version of a Niçoise Salad that week, I’ll just lightly salt and pepper it before searing. Below is a version I like to make. It is simple to make and is one delicious meal!

Tuna Niçoise Salad

4 oz of fresh tuna

1 cup of lettuce (any lettuce of your choice. I prefer red leaf lettuce)

Grape tomatoes

Green beans cooked until just tender

Fingerling potatoes (or any small ones you like)

Niçoise olives

White onion thinly sliced (you could also use green onions) and capers for garnish

Dressing

¼ of a medium shallot small dice

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

1 T of white wine vinegar

1 T of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Put the potatoes in a pan with water, bring to a boil and cook until they are fork tender.

While the potatoes cook, make the dressing. Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine, or if you have a small jar with a lid, put it all in there, seal and shake to combine. Set aside.

Prepare veggies – slice cucumber and radish, cut the tomatoes in half, and chop lettuce. Once potatoes are cooked, drain and put them in a bowl. Drizzle a little of the dressing on them while they are still warm.

Then, use the same pan to boil the green beans until just tender. Immediately submerge the green beans in cold water to stop the cooking once they are done.

While the green beans are cooking, season the 4 oz. of tuna with salt and pepper and sear on medium high heat to preferred doneness. How long to cook it will depend on the thickness and desired temperature. If you want it rare and it’s a thicker cut, you’ll probably only need to cook it for 3 minutes on each side. I cut thinner steaks from a thicker cut of tuna to make it go farther for the week.

You can begin to assemble the salad ingredients while the beans and tuna cook. Place lettuce down first and add some of the vegetables on the outside of the dish. Once tuna is finished cooking, place it in the center on top of the salad with vegetables and olives surrounding. Top with dressing and garnish with sliced scallion.

Enjoy!

Alternative option – add thinly sliced radish, chopped cucumber and hard boil an egg.