I’ll admit something I’ve been trying to keep a secret for a long time: I love food. I don’t mean just eating food, but I love grocery shopping. I spend most of my free time browsing food blogs written by middle-aged, stay-at-home moms in the Midwest. I actually make weekly menus like a housewife. So, with this background, I welcome you to my first food article of what I hope to be many more.
An egg floats its way down to a hot skillet. (CU Independent/Nate Bruzdzinski)
This week, I’m focusing on eggs. I love eggs. They’re one of the cheapest proteins you can buy, and rumor has it, you can cook eggs over one hundred different ways. This week, I tackled a different egg recipe each night, from the most basic breakfast to a couple of really pretentious dishes. Here are my top three:
Supposedly, scrambled eggs are the easiest thing to make ever. I disagree completely. I have had too many rubbery egg dishes to truly believe that the scrambled egg is a fool-proof dish.
Here’s a hint: add milk to the raw beaten eggs, the higher fat percentage the better. A lot of people have already heard of this trick, but for those who haven’t, it turns rubber into fluff instantly.
If you’re bored with plain scrambled, make it a Scromlet (scrambled omelet…get it?) and add ground sausage, bacon bits, cheese, bell peppers, onions, hash browns or whatever you want to your eggs.
Emeril’s Shirred Eggs (Intermediate)
I had never heard of shirred eggs before this week, and frankly, I’m surprised, because this is possibly the most disgustingly delicious egg dish I have ever had.
It’s creamy, buttery, yolky goodness smeared on slice after slice of toast. I changed this recipe a bit to fit my needs—mainly, what I had on hand in my fridge and how I like to eat. I excluded the ham, instead opting for a slice of turkey. I also used herbed goat cheese instead of Swiss; check out Haystack Goat Cheese—it’s locally sourced from Denver and it is reasonably priced. This dish is awesome for a snack, lunch or dinner, and it looks super fancy, despite being its simplicity. Just make sure you have a lot of toast for dipping.
Cheese Soufflé for One (Advanced)
Yeah—I’m one of those people. I have no shame in making a ridiculously complicated meal to eat by myself. If you’re also one of those people, this soufflé is for you. It’s rich, fluffy and surprisingly cheap. This is another really impressive meal to make—you know it’s true what they say, the way to a guy (or girl’s!) heart is through his or her stomach. The soufflé takes roughly an hour to an hour and a half to make, though, so save it for a night when you just really, really don’t want to do your homework.
All in all, I’m happy to say I spent only $20 on groceries this week. So don’t be afraid to break a few eggs outside of breakfast hours—after all, who doesn’t love a good brinner?
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sarah Elsea at Sarah.elsea@colorado.edu.
