Sardinian Hard-Cooked Eggs √
Makes 16 hard-cooked egg halves.
Note: From "The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper," by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift (Clarkson Potter, $35).
• 8 hard-cooked eggs (see sidebar at left)
• Olive oil
• 1/4 c. white wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tbsp. freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 c. fresh bread crumbs
Directions
Peel eggs under cold running water to remove any small pieces of shell. Cut hard-cooked eggs in half lengthwise. Over medium heat, film a large nonstick skillet lightly with olive oil, then add vinegar. Heat until vinegar is bubbling. Sprinkle pan with salt and pepper and add eggs, cut side down. Cook eggs, turning them gently a few times, until vinegar has evaporated and they are golden. Transfer eggs to a platter, arranging them yolk-side up.
Add garlic, parsley and bread crumbs to the skillet and sauté until bread crumbs are golden, taking care not to burn the garlic. Scrape crumb mixture over eggs and serve.
Nutrition information per egg half:
Calories63Fat4 gSodium56 mg Carbohydrates3 gSaturated fat1 gCalcium20 mg
Protein4 gCholesterol93 mgDietary fiber0 g
Diabetic exchanges per serving: ½ medium-fat meat, ½ fat.
Grilled Vegetable Egg Foo Young √
Serves 4.
Note: From "L.A.'s Original Farmers Market Cookbook," by JoAnn Cianciulli (Chronicle Books, $22.95).
• 2 c. finely shredded cabbage
• 1 c. bean sprouts
• 1 green onion, white and green parts, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1/2 small zucchini, shredded
• 1/4 c. flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Canola oil for brushing
• 1 1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Pat cabbage, bean sprouts, onion, carrot and zucchini with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Spread vegetables on a baking pan to air-dry for about 1 hour (for patties to hold together, it is important that vegetables are completely dry).
Place vegetables in a large bowl, sprinkle with flour and toss with your hands to combine and coat evenly. Season eggs with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Fold eggs into vegetables. The mixture should look thick and feel sticky, almost like dough, and definitely have more vegetables than eggs.
Place a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat and brush with oil. Set a 4-inch ring mold in pan and pack it tightly with vegetable mixture. Remove ring and make a second patty (if you don't have a mold, press mixture into free-form patties). Remove ring again and season tops of patties with salt and pepper. Cook until patties are set and undersides are crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes. Flip with a spatula, season again, and cook the second side until browned, about 3 minutes longer. Repeat to make 2 more patties, adding more oil as needed. Set aside and keep warm (egg foo young can be made up to 2 hours ahead and kept in a warm oven).
In a pot over medium heat, combine broth, soy sauce, cornstarch and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, until gravy thickens, about 3 minutes. Place an egg foo young patty on each of 4 plates. Spoon gravy over patties and serve immediately.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories140Fat6 gSodium516 mg Carbohydrates15 gSaturated fat1 gCalcium49 mg
Protein8 gCholesterol140 mgDietary fiber2 g
Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 vegetable, ½ bread/starch, 1 medium-fat meat.
Herbed Skillet SoufflÉ √
Serves 3 to 4.
Note: "This is like a hybrid of a soufflé and a frittata, but much easier to prepare than either," writes Jerry Traunfeld in "The Herbal Kitchen" (William Morrow, $34.95). "Add whatever combination of herbs you like, but for a good balance remember to take into consideration the strength of the particular leaves. For example, you can add big handfuls of sorrel, chervil, basil or parsley to the mix because they are mild, but don't use more than a tablespoon of more assertive herbs like marjoram or tarragon. Chives and dill fall in between."
• 3 tbsp. fine dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 c. whole or low-fat milk
• 8 eggs, separated
• 1/2 to 3/4 c. chopped mixture of soft-leaved herbs, such as basil, chervil, parsley, sorrel, chives, dill, marjoram or tarragon
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 c. shredded Gruyère cheese, divided
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, stir bread crumbs into milk and let them soak until they become pasty, 10 to 15 minutes. Whisk in egg yolks, herbs, salt and pepper. Stir in 1/2 cup of cheese.
Just before you're ready to cook, beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, until they form very soft (not stiff) peaks (when you scoop up some on a rubber spatula, they should hold their shape in mounds, but the peak at the top of the spatula should flop over instead of standing straight up; any stiffer and they won't incorporate as easily). Scoop whites into yolk mixture and quickly fold them in.
Heat a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add butter when pan is hot enough for it to sizzle but not brown, and swirl until it melts. Pour batter into pan and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Immediately put skillet in middle rack of oven and bake until soufflé is puffed and deeply browned, about 15 to 17 minutes. Serve immediately, spooned from the skillet, or at room temperature, cut into wedges.
Nutrition information per each of 4 servings:
Calories330Fat24 gSodium575 mg Carbohydrates7 gSaturated fat11 gCalcium310 mg
Protein20 gCholesterol414 mgDietary fiber0 g
Diabetic exchanges per serving: ½ bread/starch, 3 medium-fat meat, 2 fat.
Bacon and Egg Salad Sandwiches √
Makes 4 sandwiches.
Note: "I've spent a good portion of my life searching for the perfect egg salad sandwich," writes Gale Gand in "Gale Gand's Brunch" (Clarkson Potter, $27.50). "I finally found one in New York City, at a deli on 7th Avenue, somewhere in the low 40s. Since then I've thought about ways I could make egg salad more of a breakfast food, so I could have it for every meal if I wanted."
• 8 hard-cooked eggs (see box at left)
• 4 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
• 3/4 c. mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 slices white bread, crusts removed
Directions
Peel eggs under cold running water to remove any small pieces of shell. Rough chop eggs and put them in a medium bowl. Sprinkle in bacon, add mayonnaise and mustard, and stir with a fork. Taste, and season with salt and pepper.
Spread egg salad on each of 4 slices of bread, top each sandwich with another slice of bread, and cut corner to corner to make triangles. Serve immediately.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories616Fat49 gSodium1,110 mg Carbohydrates24 gSaturated fat10 gCalcium123 mg
Protein20 gCholesterol400 mgDietary fiber1 g
Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 ½ bread/starch, 2 medium-fat meat, 8 fat.
