Another Reason to Love Breakfast: The Muffin McEgg

I love breakfast food.  I love eggs, especially, and I could (and often do) eat them every day of the week.  My love for eggs started my freshman year in college.  I used to schedule my classes as early in the morning as possible so I could get them over with and have all afternoon to study (or walk into town for some shopping.)  That meant I was usually able to make it to the cafeteria in time for breakfast, which always featured piles of perfectly-cooked eggs over easy.  They were so pretty and appetizing, I was never tempted by the sugary pastries.

Between eating sensible meals in the school cafeteria and walking to and from my classes, instead of gaining "the freshman 15," I actually lost a few pounds that year.  Here is a candid shot of me circa 1981, snapped by a photography student who was trying to capture, not just my image, but my phone number:

Did I give it to him?  I'll never tell.  (And stop laughing at my hairstyle.)

But anyway, that's when my love of breakfast began, and to this day I never skip it.  I also never eat anything sugary or carb-y first thing in the morning.  Usually it's just eggs over easy (still my favorite) with a slice of buttered, gluten-free toast or a veggie-stuffed omelet.  Once in a while, though, I whip up a special treat my svelte and beautiful (and breakfast-loving) daughter turned me onto:  We call it a Muffin McEgg.

Retro Fabulous Trio of Deviled Eggs

When I was a kid in the 1960's, no party or family gathering was considered complete without a big plate of halved, cooked egg whites filled in the center with a paste made from mashed egg yolks, jarred mayo and hot dog relish.  I said it then, and I still say it today:    BLECCHH!

Fast forward a few (okay, more than a few) decades, and Deviled Eggs seem to be making a comeback of sorts.  I have seen them on the menu of many a chic, innovative, fine-dining restaurant, but today's Deviled Eggs have nothing in common with the mid-century monstrosities my mama used to make.  (And to that I say glory hallelujah!  Sorry, ma'am, but it's time someone told you.)

Today's deviled eggs come in dozens of delicious varieties, using any number of inventive modern ingredients, but no matter which direction you want to go, It all starts with perfect hard-boiled eggs.


Here's a fun fact:  stuffed eggs have been around forever, but the term "deviled" came into use in the 18th century when eggs were most often stuffed with mustard, pepper and other zesty ingredients.  The resulting spiciness was considered devilishly delicious.  Now you know.

To make one dozen each of my trio of deviled eggs you need 18 large hard-boiled eggs -- cooled, peeled, and sliced in half lengthwise.  Remove the egg yolks and divide them evenly into three small mixing bowls, six whole yolks per bowl.  Mash the egg yolks, and then add in the following ingredients to mix together three different fillings:

Filling #1

• 1/4 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon of citrus vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard,
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried dill weed
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt

Filling #2

• 1 teaspoon of mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce
• 1/4 cup of softened butter
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt

Filling #3

• 1/4 cup of mayonnaise
• 1/2 tablespoon of finely minced green onion
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/2 tablespoon of finely minced fresh parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt

Spoon each of the fillings into a piping bag with a star tip, and pipe evenly into the center of 12 hard boiled egg white halves.  (If you don't want to bother with a piping bag, just spoon it in.  It's all good.)

Before arranging the filled egg halves onto a serving plate, you will want to garnish each flavor to differentiate one from the other (and also to make your dish look pretty.)  I like using a sprinkle of paprika on #1, a tiny spoonful of minced sweet gherkins on #2, and a slice of black or green olive on #3.

And then stand back and watch these things get eaten up like it's 1965.  Some things never go out of style.

Perfect Hard-boiled Eggs

We like hard-boiled eggs.  They are the basis for one of my family's favorite retro recipes:  a Trio of Deviled Eggs.

Sliced, they are one of my favorite ingredients to jazz up a simple dinner salad.  Blended, they can be used to thicken up a runny salad dressing.  Overcooked, they develop an ugly green ring around the yolk...

..and though it is harmless, it is also to be avoided.  So let me tell you how.

Immersion blenders and scrambled eggs

In another post I wrote about making homemade mayonnaise, I talked about my immersion blender and how I use it every day.  Here is a picture of it:

Just kidding.  That picture was taken in the galley of a cruise ship, and it’s used by the chef to cook for hundreds of passengers.  He looks like this:    

Kidding again.  He didn't wear a goofy chef hat, and the kitchen wasn't really on fire either.  But that massive blender really was hanging on the wall like that.  It gave me profound blender envy.

So.....   my own blender is actually a Breville, and it looks like this:

And as I said, I use it every day.   For homemade mayo and salad dressings.  To puree soups.  I even make a healthy version of gravy by pureeing the pan juices from a roast with soft cooked onions to thicken (and flavor) without flour or added fat.

Most often I use it to make scrambled eggs.  I know what you’re thinking… big deal, Granny, who doesn’t know how to make scrambled eggs?   True.  True.  But let me show you how to make GOOD scrambled eggs.

First you need to know how to scramble them.  I put the raw eggs in a bowl with just a little bit of water, maybe ½ a teaspoon per egg.  And I use the immersion blender to mix them til they're just a little frothy.

Then you need to know how to prepare the pan.  Heat your pan on a medium-low setting. (I don’t know an exact temperature; the burner settings on my stove go from Low to 10.  I use 4.)  

Then toss a couple of pats of good butter into the pan to melt.  Salted or unsalted doesn’t matter, but quality does.  Use fresh, real butter.  If you use margarine or cooking spray, you are on your own.  In that case, I don’t know WHAT you are putting in your eggs.

Then you need to know how to cook them.  First sprinkle some salt over the melted butter, and then pour in your eggs.  If you like pepper, now would be the time to crack some in.  Or even a pinch of dill weed or a bit of chive if that’s how you like it.

Now let the eggs set a bit and stir them up from time to time.  You don’t want to let them sit and get browned.  You also don’t want to harass them.  It’s a balance thing.

Finally, you need to know when to quit.  You know that, in order to cook meat correctly, you have to remove it from the heat before it reaches the final desired temperature, because it continues cooking for several minutes.  Just like a burn will keep “cooking” under your skin if you don’t immediately cool it with cold water.  (You did know that, right?)

Eggs are the same way.  You need to take them off of the heat just before they are done.  You want them to be creamy, but not sloppy.  You want them to be cooked, but definitely not dry. 

If you don’t believe me, just try it my way.  I think you will be surprised how good simple, well-prepared scrambled eggs can be.

Enjoy!