The Kitchenette: The incredible, edible egg!

Eggs. They don't sound particularly inspiring, culinarily speaking.  However if you think about it, eggs are an essential ingredient in many dishes. Some time ago, we were told that eggs were bad for our cholesterol. This is not true! One egg only has 1.5g of saturated fat, and 5g of good fat. It has now been proven that they do not raise your bad cholesterol (LDL), and if anything may raise your good cholesterol (HDL).

So, now that we've cleared that up, what else is healthy about eggs? Eggs have lutein, which is important for eye health. They are also high in choline, which is important for brain health and brain development in babies and children. Eggs are also a complete protein. If you are a vegetarian, this is a great option for getting your essential amino acids.  

Those are all benefits for your insides, but eggs can also make you look healthier on the outside! Eggs have been found to strengthen nails and make hair grow a bit faster. This is believed to be due to the sulfur and Vitamin B12 in them.  

Eggs are great to keep in your refrigerator for a night when you're lacking dinner inspiration. Throw in any vegetables, cheese, or meat you have lying around and you have countless options for dinner: frittata, omelets, quiche, strata, or just plain scrambled eggs.

What is a frittata, you ask? It's essentially an omelet baked in a pan. The Spanish make it with potatoes and call it a Tortilla. Strata is eggs baked with cheese, bread, and usually spinach.

Baking usually requires eggs. I generally judge cake recipes by looking to see if they require you to whip the egg whites and fold them in. This makes the cake airier and fluffy. Also, flourless cakes get their structure from eggs. The chocolate cloud cake recipe from a few weeks ago was flourless and used whipped egg whites, and it really is like a cloud. Similarly, eggs are the basis for soufflé. Chocolate soufflé is delicious! The recipe below may be a bit complicated and over the top, but it sounded so delicious I couldn't help but share.

So please try and think of the egg as more than just a breakfast food. It's a perfect option for dinner for one, or dinner for many. Just add more eggs!

Happy experimenting!

Dark Chocolate Orange Soufflé  (Bon Appetit)

Ingredients

1/4 cup whipping cream

4 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon Cointreau or other orange liqueur

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

Sugar

3 egg whites, room temperature

Pinch of cream of tartar

2 tablespoons sugar

Powdered sugar

Directions


Cook cream and chocolate in small, heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and beat in yolks 1 at a time. Mix in Cointreau and orange peel. Cook to tepid.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter one 4-cup or two 1 3/4-cup soufflé dishes; dust with sugar. Beat whites and cream of tartar in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Beat in 2 tablespoons sugar. Fold 1/4 of whites into chocolate. Gently fold in remaining whites. Spoon into prepared dishes. (Can be prepared 1 hour ahead. Cover and let stand in draft-free areas at room temperature.)

Bake until soufflé rises but still moves in center when touched, about 20 minutes for individuals and 30 minutes for one large.

Dust tops with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

Spinach and Cheese Strata (smittenkitchen.com)

Ingredients

1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed of all excess liquid

1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

8 cups cubed French or Italian bread in 1-inch cubes (1/2 lb)

6 ounces coarsely grated Gruyère (2 cups)

2 ounces finely grated Parmesan (1 cup)

2 3/4 cups milk

9 large eggs

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Directions

Sauté onion in butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and nutmeg and continue cooking for one minute. Stir in spinach, remove from heat and set aside.

Spread one-third of the bread cubes in a well-buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other ceramic baking dish. Top with one-third of bread cubes, one-third of spinach mixture and one-third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice with remaining bread, spinach and cheese.

Whisk eggs, milk, mustard and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata. Cover with plastic wrap and chill strata for eat least 8 hours or up to a day.

The next day, let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 350°F. Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.