But many people feel like they are incapable of making them well.

The truth is, eggs are actually quite simple, they just need a little bit of attention.

So today I want to break down for you the different ways to cook an egg so that you can add these to your rotation for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners and then next time I will talk about different ways to use eggs in baking (i.e., beating an egg in all its stages).

Here’s the pie chart illustrating the preferred methods of cooking eggs based on the estimated popularity:

• Boiled Eggs: 30%
• Scrambled Eggs: 25%
• Fried Eggs: 20%
• Poached Eggs: 10%
• Omelets: 10%
• Other: 5%

Hard-Boiled Eggs:

When to eat them

Hard-boiled eggs are a lunchbox and breakfast-on-the-go staple for our family. I also use them for egg salad, deviled eggs, and sliced up on a salad.

How to cook them

Put the number of eggs you would like to hard-boil in a pot of cold water.

Bring the pot of water to a boil. When it reaches boiling, take the lid off a set a timer for 10 minutes.

When the timer goes off, pour the hot water down your kitchen sink and run the eggs under cold water for a few moments to cool them down.

To peel them, knock them on their larger end, where there is likely an air bubble so that you can break through easily and get the shell off without losing too much of the white.

Soft-Boiled Eggs:

When to eat them

We love these for breakfast. I grew up with eggs cups where you would just take off the small top, sprinkle in some salt and pepper, and dip toast fingers into the yolk, before eating the white.

My husband grew up scooping them out into a bowl. Both ways are delicious!

How to cook them

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Using a slotted spoon, gently place the eggs into the boiling water.

Set a timer for 5 minutes.

When the timer goes off, pour the hot water down your kitchen sink and run the eggs under cold water. Gently crack the eggs around the small top, open the top, and serve in your favorite way.

Scrambled Eggs:

When to eat them

Breakfast is the obvious answer here, but my kids love scrambled egg sandwiches and we also will have scrambled eggs loaded with vegetables and cheese for quick weeknight dinners.

How to cook them

Here is the no frills, super easy method we use in our house that constantly blows people away.

No dirty bowls or splashes of milk required! Melt some butter, about 1 Tablespoon for 1-2 eggs, more as you go up in number of eggs, in a frying pan over a medium-high heat..

Crack your eggs directly into the pan. Salt and pepper to taste.

Just as the egg white starts to solidify a tiny bit, use a spoon or spatula to break up the yolk and mix up the egg. Scramble to your level of dry-ness.

Fried Eggs:

When we eat them

Breakfast and dinner, unless we’re eating lunch at home and then they are a solid option then, too.

For breakfast we’ll have them with toast, with eggs, or in a sandwich.

For dinner we’ll have them on top of grains, mixed into pastas, or with toast.

How to cook them

Melt some butter, about 1 Tablespoon for 1-2 eggs, more as you go up in number of eggs, in a frying pan over a medium-high heat.

Crack your eggs into the pan and salt and pepper to taste.

Watch the eggs pretty closely as you get used to frying eggs and your stove.

If the edges start to get too crispy before the center is cooked, turn the heat down to medium and cover the pan with a lid for a minute or so.

When the white is solid but the yolk is still liquid-y, slide a thin spatula underneath the egg to gently lift it out of the pan to put it on your plate.

Omelet:

When to eat them

Breakfast, lunch (leftovers), or dinner!

How to cook them

The first thing you need to know about making an omelet is that any fillings that you are going to put in that would need to be cooked, need to be cooked before you start making your omelet.

So any onion or vegetables that you wanted sautéed, sauté them first, or better yet, use leftovers! I love leftover roasted vegetables in an omelet (or frittata! See below).

Grated cheese or sliced up cooked/deli meat are also good additions. So once you have your fillings prepared and ready to go, crack two eggs into a bowl and beat well, until it is completely blended, no clear whites left. Salt and pepper the beaten eggs.

Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter in an 8-inch frying pan over a medium-high heat. Swirl the butter around so that the whole bottom of the pan in coated. If you need to add a little more butter, go ahead and do that.

Once the butter has stopped sizzling, pour your eggs in.

Gently use a spatula to move the eggs around a little bit (it will look sort of like waves), so that they are evenly distributed across the pan.

Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the edges look crisp but the middle is still kind of wet, but not flowing liquid. Place your fillings in the middle and fold over either in half to make a half-circle or in thirds.

Gently slide the omelet off onto a plate. Don’t worry if the middle isn’t completely solid, it will still keep cooking off the heat.

Serves 1-2 people, increase number of eggs and size of pan as necessary. And, if it all falls apart, then just scramble it up and serve as loaded scrambled eggs!

Or if this is too scary, use my waffle omelet recipe until you are comfortable/forever!

Frittata:

When to eat them

Anytime! They are amazing hot or room temperature.

How to cook them

Pre-heat the oven to 400. Pull out a 10-12” oven-safe skillet.

Prepare whatever mix-ins you are going to include, some of our favorites are onion/shallot, bell peppers, asparagus, roasted vegetables, chopped up leftover meat, grated or crumbled cheese. You want about 3 cups total of filling.

If the fillings need to be cooked, like raw vegetables, melt some butter in the skillet and sauté them until they are ready. While the filling is cooking, crack six eggs into a bowl and beat well. Salt and pepper the filling to taste.

Add any other fresh or fried herbs or seasonings you like to filling (oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, chili powder, garam masala, and za’atar are some of our favorite options).

When the filling that needs cooking is cooked, add any others you were going to add in and then spread it all out evenly. Sprinkle the cheese over (if using) and then pour the eggs on top.

Cook on the stove for a minute until just beginning to set and then put into the oven for 8-10 minutes. To check if it is done, use a sharp knife to cut a tiny hole in the middle.

If egg runs it, put it back in for a minute. If not, then it is done and pull it out.

Let it sit for 5 minutes and then serve!

My favorite way to eat eggs is Spicy Shakshuka.

<p>The post Cooking 101: How to Cook with Eggs, Part 1 first appeared on The Balanced Kitchen.</p>

At this time of year I always think back on that picture as I struggle to come up with more and more ways to use up the zucchinis which seem to breed like rabbits in my refrigerator drawer. I start to throw zucchinis into everything—bread, pancakes, pasta sauces, I even roast them into chips. Luckily, this works for just the other reason that my godmother doesn’t like them: they are bland. Zucchinis will soak up whatever flavors you put next to them, they are a sponge. And so, instead of seeing the blandness as a bad thing, I am trying to see it as an opportunity for experimentation.

This Zucchini & Eggplant Pie is the outcome of just that sort of experimentation. My friend Darci shared her favorite zucchini and corn pie recipe with me. I didn’t have corn, but did have a ton of baby eggplants, so I decided to play. I used the basic technique she shared with me, simplifying it to one pan instead of two, and decided to add spices and flavors that would compliment the eggplant—Middle Eastern spices and feta cheese.

The outcome was awesome! My 9-year-old exclaimed, “I can’t believe how good this is!” and my 7-year-old, who was incredibly skeptical since he is not a fan of zucchini, ended up eating almost his whole serving, even after filling up on bread. This dish is very simple to pull together and makes a nice summer dinner. It would also be great for a brunch or served cold for lunch. So if you are drowning in zucchini like I am, give this one a try.

And now I’m off to make zucchini bread…

<p>The post Zucchini & Eggplant Pie first appeared on The Balanced Kitchen.</p>

The other challenge we came across was feeding ourselves because, sadly, the food offerings for families were not that much better. To be fair, I did see signs of the hospital working to get better at it, but for the most part the offerings were pretty grim.

There’s a whole tirade here that I could go on about how I can’t understand how we expect people to heal in the hospital if we are not offering them good, nourishing foods, but, as you know, one of my goals on this blog is to offer up reasonable, manageable solutions that can help right now. So I wanted to share with you some of the work-arounds we came up with that helped all of us to get the nourishment we needed to take on the stress of what we were facing. These lessons would come in handy if, God forbid, you were to find yourself hanging out in a hospital, but they are also applicable to traveling, hanging out in a shopping mall, or just generally when you find yourself somewhere without the healthiest options.

First of all, and important note on being kind to yourself. These are the times when we just need to be at peace with the fact that the offerings aren’t ideal and that it is outside of our control. That being said, while the donut, hamburger, and fries, may sound awesomely comforting—and maybe you need that kind of comfort for one meal— in the interest of feeling your best and clearest that you can, seeking out the best options possible is worth it. So how did I do that?

When possible, bring from home. When my son wasn’t eating any of the hospital food, I called for reinforcements in the form of friends who cook and within two hours he was sipping homemade broth with a contented smile on his face. Similarly, my husband (who was the one going back and forth from home to the hospital to care for our younger son) put together meals from what we had at home and my in-laws brought a homemade dinner in one night as well.

In the cafeteria, look for color and compromise. Whenever I went down to the cafeteria I tried to look for options that were good enough, which often meant having one thing that was less than ideal, supplemented by extra fruit or vegetables. A bagel and cream cheese and some cut up pineapple. Pretzels, hummus, and a bowl of soup. To help me in my quest for healthier options, I tried to find options that had color (and by that I mean natural color not red #5), so fruit, vegetables, or foods made with fruits and vegetables, such as soup, veggie burgers, and veggie pizza. For my son, once he was allowed solid foods we tried a couple of different meals and he either wouldn’t touch them or would take a bite and then refuse to have more, but he was always willing to have fruit. So we let him focus on fruits and vegetables: apples, watermelon (from home), and green salad, and just trusted that once we got him home the carbs and protein would follow, and we were right! Within an hour of being home from the hospital he had eaten TWO homemade scones!

What it comes down to is that, for me, this experience was a lesson in letting go. In accepting that I can’t control it all and then doing the best I can with what I’ve got. And if, God forbid, I ever find myself having to spend lots of time in the hospital again, I will be sure make due with what I’ve got, ask for help, and bring food from home whenever possible.

<p>The post Lessons Learned from Hospital Food first appeared on The Balanced Kitchen.</p>

My older son was playing at the nearby playground while I was picking out our food and I called him over in the hopes that he would help me pick out one last vegetable. He came trotting over, I told him what I had already picked out and asked him to pick out one more vegetable. He walked around the table, looking at everything that was there, and then reached for the fennel. As we walked back to the car he asked if he could munch on a stalk of fennel as we drove home, which of course I happily agreed to, and in that moment I realized that the magic of the farm share had actually been working the whole time. You see, not only did he enjoy fennel (which I did not know even existed when I was his age!) to the point that he couldn’t even wait to get home to eat it, but all those years of weekly treks to the farm share had gotten him to a point where he was able to recognize everything on the table and make an informed decision that was truly exciting to him!

So in honor of his appreciation of fennel I wanted to share with you a favorite grilled salad that helped me to learn to enjoy this vegetable that I was not crazy about when I first tried it. For those of you who aren’t familiar with fennel, when it is raw it has quite a strong anise (black licorice) flavor to it, but if you roast or grill it the flavor changes completely and it become subtle and sweet. This salad can be made on the grill outside or on a grill pan on your stove and it is a great summer salad to serve with grilled meats or veggie burgers. It is light, refreshing, and wonderfully crunchy.

<p>The post Grilled Fennel and Red Onion Salad first appeared on The Balanced Kitchen.</p>

If taking a step outside of your comfort zone sometimes involves cooking, then I’ve got some great recipes for you in this Recipe Roundup! The first two recipes in the Roundup came about because one of my clients gave me some homemade goat milk paneer (Indian cheese) and since Saag Paneer is one of my all-time favorite dishes, I jumped at the chance to make it for the first time, so an Indian dinner was in the cards. The waffle recipe is a game changer if you are a fan of waffles that are crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. And the Southwestern Spinach and Black Bean Dip is likely to become a go-to in our house. Are you ready to step out of your bubble and try a new recipe?

Saag Paneer: Spinach with Indian Cheese after poking around online for a while I settled on this recipe because it seemed to be the most manageable. Instead of using frozen spinach I used spinach from my farm share, I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil, and I skipped the chili pepper in the hopes that my boys would be more open to eating it. Other than those modifications, I followed the recipe closely and the outcome was AMAZING. I could have eaten it for a week straight. My boys still weren’t convinced, but did eat the little bit that they each had on their plate, and my husband loved it almost as much as I did.

Make again? Absolutely and soon!!

Potato Curry with Peas and Carrots I made this to accompany the Saag Paneer because I was confident that my boys would enjoy it, and I was right. I found the directions on this recipe to be a little vague for my taste, but I have made enough curries that I could figure it out. It did take longer than I had anticipated, but the flavors were fantastic and it was relatively simple to make.

Make again? Yes. But I’ll probably type up my own directions to follow. Maybe I’ll post that recipe sometime soon…

Best Homemade Waffle Recipe I stumbled upon this recipe last weekend as I was trying to find a waffle recipe that only required one egg. The secret ingredient in this recipe is cornstarch and I have to say that I am a convert! I made this recipe using spelt flour instead of all purpose flour, to add some whole grain heft, and they were still light and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. All four of us LOVED these waffles. Two quick notes: 1) the batter is much runnier than any other waffle batter I have ever made and seemed to require more batter per waffle, so be prepared and 2) I will never make a single batch of this recipe again. Even for my family of four, this recipe was barely enough for breakfast and I guarantee you will want leftovers for the freezer.

Make again? Yes! This is going to be my new go-to waffle recipe!

Southwestern Spinach Black Bean Dip I made this to take as a side dish to a taco night at a friend’s house. Instead of canned corn I used frozen and I added a bunch more spice, but other than that I followed the recipe. It was delicious, filling, and packed with spinach. It also makes a TON! We gorged on it and there was still a lot leftover, which I then mixed with some leftover chicken to make a variation on my baked chimichangas, which were the biggest hit of the week in my house.

Make again? Definitely and definitely will turn the leftovers into baked chimichangas again, too!

<p>The post Recipe Roundup: May and Early June Edition first appeared on The Balanced Kitchen.</p>

I want to be honest with you, a year ago these frittatas would likely not have been a success in my house because both of my boys were very skeptical of radishes, but this year they have discovered the joys of a crunchy, fresh radish, which has made salad-making a lot more fun recently and has made these frittatas an easier sell. So, if you’ve got a kiddo who is giving you a rough time about the seasonal produce that you are so excited about, all I can say is stick with it, keep introducing it in different ways, without pressure, and one day you may turn around to discover a little person crunching on a radish they plucked from the dinner salad as they were setting the table. Miracles do happen!

The main reason I am really loving these mini-frittatas, though, is that they are the perfect make-life-easier cooking project. They are quick and easy to make, freeze well, include another dose of vegetables, and can be used for any meal—serve with toast and you’ve got a quick breakfast, add some breakfast potatoes and you’ve got brunch, serve with a side salad or grain salad and you’ve got lunch or dinner. So, please, while arugula and radishes are at their peak (now!), make a batch or three of these to stash in your freezer for your next crazy morning or what-am-I-going-to-make-for-dinner-tonight?! evening. You will be so glad you did.

<p>The post Arugula and Radish Mini-Frittatas first appeared on The Balanced Kitchen.</p>

So in honor of Memorial Day Weekend and the official start of summer, I thought I would share some of my favorite summer picnic foods:

Flexible Granola Bar

Simple Grain Salad

Savory Zucchini-Corn Muffins

Simple Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Medley Sandwiches

Smoke Salmon Frittata

Roasted Summer Vegetable Dip

*This page contains an affiliate link. If you purchase a product through these links, your cost will be the same but I will receive a small commission to help with operating costs of this blog. I only link to products I personally use, trust, and love. Thanks for your support!

<p>The post My Favorite Summer Picnic Recipes first appeared on The Balanced Kitchen.</p>

Sometimes the best things are simple. Super simple. That was a lesson I was reminded of as I worked to develop a recipe for this Sabra hummus recipe contest organized by The Recipe Redux. You see, I kept trying to come up with some innovative, creative, blow-your-mind-surprising use of hummus. Hummus croquettes and sweet potato toast towers were two of the almost-blogworthy recipes I worked on. Both of them were good, both of them were kind of fun, but as I sat down to write about them I just couldn’t get inspired. And then yesterday it kind of hit me: I was just trying too hard. I was making things more complicated than they really needed to be. So I pushed those two recipes aside, perhaps I’ll come back to them at another time, and decided to keep things simple.

Honestly, when I stop to think about it, making things too complicated has been kind of a theme in my life recently, as well as the hope that I can instead simplify (please tell me I’m not alone in this struggle). This recipe was a wonderful reminder for me that simple is often better. That sometimes we have to let go of our over-inflated expectations for a more balanced reality that will actually make us happier, as is the case with this rockstar, super simple dip.

So in honor of National Hummus Day on May 13^th, I give you my Mediterranean Spinach Dip. A super simple, vegetarian, plant-based protein powerhouse of a snack that takes all of 5 minutes to make. Everyone in my family went nuts for this one and an added bonus is that it is another opportunity to get vegetables into everyone’s diet without cajoling or reminding. It works really well with crackers or chips, but also with crudité. My husband also recommends using it as a spread in a sandwich. Haven’t tried this yet myself, but it sounds amazing! Enjoy!

Print

Mediterranean Spinach Dip

Course Appetizer, Snack

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Jessica Braider

Ingredients

• 3 cups frozen spinach thawed and drained
• 1 cup Sabra Classic Hummus
• ½ cup crumbled feta
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• In a food processor, blender, or with an immersion blender, blend all the ingredients until smooth. Serve with vegetables, tortillas chips, or pita chips.

<p>The post Mediterranean Spinach Dip first appeared on The Balanced Kitchen.</p>

In honor of Earth Day on April 22, we’re challenging ReDux members to show how they reduce food waste. Whatever you would normally toss, use it up. Share tips for reducing food waste in meal planning, prep or using up scraps.

There are so many reasons, from environmental to financial, why reducing food waste is a great goal and if I am being totally honest, it is an area that is still a work in progress for me. While I almost never let cooked food go to waste, I struggle with what to do with all of my vegetable scraps since I don’t have a yard big enough for a compost bin. Some of them I store in gallon-sized freezer bags to use when I make vegetable or chicken broth, but often times those bags (yes, there is more than one) reach capacity and so then I end up tossing peels, ends, and cores—and feeling guilty about it every time. Not very productive, I know.

So, if you are like me and throwing food away makes you crazy, here are some ways to at least start reducing food waste that have worked for me. And, please, please, please share your tips and tricks in the comments so we all can benefit!

1. Keep ends of bread or stale bread in a freezer bag to be used for breadcrumbs. When you find yourself facing those straggler pieces of bread that you know no one will ever eat, rip them up into small pieces and toss them in the bag. Then, when you have a need or when you have some time when you’ll just be kicking it around the house, pour the bread pieces out on to a cookie sheet and put it in a 200 degree oven. Let them slowly dry out in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, or until all the pieces are super dry, then throw them into your food processor and run it until you have bread crumbs! I do this from time to time and then store them in a sealed jar in my pantry to use as needed.
2. Keep vegetable scraps in freezer bags for making homemade broth. I do this with onion peels, green onion stalks, carrot and celery ends, the stems from greens, mushroom tips, etc. When you want to make the broth, just throw them in a pot, fill with water until just covering the scraps, toss in some bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring it all to a boil, then turn down to low and simmer for as long as possible, at least 2 hours. Strain and save for your recipes. I like to save mine in 4-cup portions since that is the most often needed amount.
3. Throw parmesan rinds into soups. Just fish them out when the soup is ready. This will add a depth of flavor and works especially well with minestrones and pureed vegetable soups.
4. Turn your potato or sweet potato peels into crisps! The skin is where many of the nutrients are stored, so tossing these always makes me sad. But no more! These nutrient-packed snacks are so simple, so good, and can be changed up easily by tossing in a spice of choice (chili powder, garam masala, cinnamon, etc.). Here’s the super simple recipe:

<p>The post Potato Skin Crisps and 4 Easy Ways to Reduce Food Waste first appeared on The Balanced Kitchen.</p>

Slow Cooker Greek Chicken Pita

This has been on my “to try” list for a long time and boy and I glad I finally tried it. It was a huge hit! I tried this on a super busy day. In the morning I threw the chicken and spices into the slow cooker (it took at most 5 minutes) and left for the day.  When we got back in the evening I got the salads together, chopped up some lettuce to add to the mix, and we were sitting down to dinner in less than 20 minutes! Everyone loved it and there was a bunch left over for lunches the next day. My 8-year-old declared it a recipe to be added to the rotation.

Make Again? YES!

Lamb and Spinach Pizza

Another winner in our house! I didn’t have baby spinach on hand, so we missed that component (would definitely add it in the future). I used some yogurt dip I already had in the fridge (basically the same recipe as hers, just with added herbs). I let kids decide whether they wanted feta (one did, one didn’t) and I let them top their own pizzas with the mint and yogurt sauce (both went for mint, one for the yogurt sauce). They were so simple and everyone loved how they got to make them their own way.

Make Again? Most definitely!

One Pot Chicken Lo Mein

I used 3 cups of vegetable stock that I had left over, plus 1 cup of water. Then I added extra soy sauce to boost flavor. I also used regular spaghetti rather than whole wheat, since that’s what I had on hand. A tip: stir it often! It starts to stick on the bottom. I would worry about it sticking more with whole wheat pasta since it takes longer to cook. To make this vegetarian I think you could easy replace the chicken with tofu or seitan. I thought the finished dish was ok, everyone else in the family loved it. Definitely a healthy, easy dinner I will keep in my back pocket.

Make Again? Yup.

What recipes have you tried recently? Do you have recipes you’d like to me to add to try out for next month’s roundup?

<p>The post Recipe Roundup: March Edition first appeared on The Balanced Kitchen.</p>