The Egg is Back – And Just in Time
Lentils with an Egg and Escarole
For years, eggs were the scourge of nutritionists. The general sentiment was, eat an egg and you’re begging for an instant heart attack. There went all of those hearty, satisfying breakfasts, replaced by the nutritional wasteland of the giant bagel.
As with most of this scientific, nutrition advice, we’ve now come full circle. Scientists have realized that in moderation, and not accompanied by pounds of bacon and butter, the humble egg isn’t the dietary land mine as once feared. In fact, from a nutrition standpoint, eggs are pretty healthy for us. I’d say it’s just in time considering how they are one of the more economical protein sources we can eat.
You know you’ve hit the big time, foodie-wise, when you make it to the Best of the Year edition of “Bon Appetit”. In January’s issue, the Dish of the Year was declared to be “anything with an egg on top.” The influence of this declaration could be felt in one of my favorite cooking shows, “Top Chef” which just declared a winner last night. Throughout the competition I noticed many dishes that included eggs as a component or garnish, prominently on the plate.
And this is why an egg saved my dinner last night. I had planned on cooking the above pictured lentil recipe with a bit of grilled sausages on the side. But yesterday morning I realized it was Ash Wednesday and those sausages didn’t fall under the Catholic abstinence rules for the day. Not wishing to change my meal plan, and having no time to run to the store for alternative ingredients, it dawned on me that an egg would be the perfect, trendy substitute for the sausages. Joe and I had our fried eggs on top of the lentils, while the girls ate their eggs on the side. They were an excellent accompaniment to this savory meal, and were as quick and easy to prepare as sausages would have been. Hooray for the egg!
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4 Responses to “The Egg is Back – And Just in Time”
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Ah…memories of many lenten nights my mother made omelets for us. She filled them with potatoes, or peppers, or asparagus, or onions! Delicious and so nutritious. I am so glad the food ‘experts’ have found out what my mom knew all along. Eggs are good for you and taste good too!
I can hardly wait for Easter. BTW by your picture that looks like a well cooked over easy egg.
Ahh, a man who knows his eggs!
Yummm, I call that soul food.