On Eggs...

The egg is the most maligned, ill-spoken-of food item ever. Eggs are a fantastic source of protein, "good" cholesterol, vitamins A, D, E, B6 and B12, calcium, sodium, potassium, iron and zinc (and that's not all, go look it up with the USDA).

First off, let's look at cost. If you go to Winco (or a similar discount foody store for those of you who don't live in the northwest), you can get 60 eggs for a little less than $8.00. That breaks down to approximately 12 cents per egg!

It is also important to remember that eggs aren't just for breakfast.  Sure, they are most commonly seen as a yellow and white blob on the breakfast plate, but they can be even more versatile when used for lunch or dinner.  Add an egg to your favorite meatloaf or burger recipe.  Using eggs in this way will allow you to reduce the amount of ground meat used by approximately one quarter. It also helps keep the meat together once it's cooked and acts as a levener (makes the meat "fluffy").  Just be sure to scramble the egg well before adding it to the meat.  And whoever said that "real" men don't eat quiche deserves to have their head stuffed into the oven.  Quiche is delicious, nutritious, easy to make and can be served for any meal (see recipe below).

Most importantly, eggs are ridiculously easy to prepare.  I know that most people have only ever seen eggs served in one of three forms.  Scrambled, fried and boiled.  For those of you out there that need a quick Cooking Eggs 101, please see our blog titled "Everything Under the Sunny-Side Up".

Recipes

"Garbage" Eggs:

1-2 large eggs for each person served
Schmutz (Definition: EVERYTHING in your fridge!  I'm serious here...that half of a burger and fries you didn't finish last night, deli slices, any kind of cheese (including cream cheese), left over veggies, hot sauce, mushrooms, onion, left over chinese food, etc.)

Chop the schmutz into small bite-sized pieces.  Saute over medium-high heat until thoroughly heated through.  Scramble eggs well (yolk and white should be mixed to the point of homogenous consistancy).  Add a TINY amount of milk, cream, or water to the eggs (no more teaspoon per person).  Mix well and pour over hot schmutz.  Stir and cook until eggs are done.

Easy Quiche:

Enough "Garbage" Eggs mix to feed 3-4 people (uncooked)
Whole Milk or Half and Half or Heavy Cream
Pre-baked pie crust (frozen crust at the store is cheap and comes with it's own pie tin)

Bake pie crust per package instructions.  Add 1 part milk, half and half, or heavy cream to 3 parts eggs and add schmutz to make "Garbage" Eggs mix.  Pour mix into cooked pie shell while still hot.  Bake in 375 degree oven for approximately 1 hour or until center is firm.

Cooked Shredded Wheat (This is an old family favorite.  Thanks Grandpa!)

1 large egg
1 "brick" regular Shredded Wheat (not sure what the conversion is for spoon sized so experiment with approximately 1/3 cup crushed)

Scramble the egg until it has reached a homogenous consistancy.  Crush the Shredded Wheat and stir it into the scrambled egg until it is thoroughly coated.  Let sit until the Shredded Wheat has absorbed enough egg to become soft.  Form into a patty and fry in a pan like a pancake (flip once and cook until lightly browned).  Serve with ketchup.

Cheap Eats

If you want a great plate of eggs served just about any way you could ask for them, try Bumblekiss on NE 46th and Fremont.  At under $5 for their 2 egg breakfast (2 eggs any style, homestyle potatoes and toast) you just can't beat it.  They also have monster breakfast burritos for $5 available to go.  These guys are open for breakfast and lunch and will serve you eggs as long as they are open.  Oh, and if you want to make the chef's day, go in on Friday, Saturday or Sunday and ask for your eggs basted!

Everything Under the Sunny-Side-Up

There are many ways to just cook eggs. Here are a few:

Boiled

For a simple snack that is amazingly good for you, try a hard boiled egg. Its more filling, and more nutritious, than the majority of "power" bars on the market. Hard boiling eggs is a simple job. Place the eggs you want to boil in a pan and cover with water. Add a dash of salt to the water. Put the pan on the stove and turn on high. Yes, put the eggs in the water before you start to boil them. This eliminates the problem of the eggs cracking, which tends to happen if you drop a cold egg into boiling water. For hard boiled, cook for 12 minutes after the water starts to boil. For soft-boiled, cook for six minutes. For three minute eggs...I will leave that one as an exercise for the reader.

But, other than this, how to cook eggs can sometimes be a mystifying task. Scrambled? Over medium? Basted? Poached?

Scrambled

We will start with scrambled. This starts easy enough: crack eggs into a bowl and mix well. If you are short on eggs, or just want them a bit fluffier, add a bit of milk or, if lactose intolerant, water. These liquids will boil while the eggs are cooking and add volume, so you can stretch two eggs to look like three. Add eggs (and salt or pepper if desired) to heated butter in a teflon pan and cook until slightly glossy, but mostly solid. Take the pan off the heat and finish the eggs. They will be done when they are of uniform consistancy and matte, not glossy, to the eye.

Fried

When frying eggs (over-anything, sunny side up, basted), always start the same way: about a tablespoon of butter per egg in a teflon pan over medium high or high heat. You can use steel, but it is extremely difficult to avoid having the eggs stick to the pan no matter how much butter you use. Heat the butter til it is bubbling, but not brown. For all except sunny side up (see below for these), crack the eggs directly into the butter. Cook the eggs until you can jiggle the pan and the egg whites stay together; you don't want the uncooked white oozing off the cooked part into the pan. Then, flip them over by whatever means you choose. For over easy (yolk liquid, white semi-solid), count 15 seconds then flip them back over. For over medium (yolk liquid, white fully solid), count to 25. For over hard (solid all the way through, yolk broken), break the yokes with your finger or a spoon before you flip the eggs, then flip and cook until completely solid. For over well (solid all the way through, yolk intact), its much the same thing, but don't break the yolks. If you want sunny side up, start with the pan at a slightly lower temperature than normal. Seperate the eggs first. Fully mix the whites and pour into the pan. When they start to turn white, place the yolks on top of the whites. They are done when the whites are completely cooked. If its taking a little too long, or if you are worried about browning the bottom of the eggs, use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to scrape the tops of the eggs and drag the runny stuff onto the hot pan surface.

Poached

For poached eggs, fill a fairly deep saucepan with water. Add a dash of salt and a couple TBs of white or white wine vinegar (this is the most important part!). Bring the water to a rolling boil, then gently crack your eggs into the water. Make sure you are holding the eggs right above the surface of the water when you do it. Ideally, as you drop the eggs, the whites will wrap around the yolks, creating a tear drop shape. Let boil for about a minute, then remove from water with a slotted spoon and gently poke with your finger. They should be firm to the touch, but the yolks should still be liquid.

Other

I also like basted eggs, which is like having them half-fried and half-poached. For basted eggs, start like you would for over easy. The difference comes when its time to flip them: don't! Instead, splash a couple teaspoons of water into the pan and cover it. The eggs are done when the whites are fully cooked.

For a heart-stopping good time, try Scotch eggs. Take one hard boiled egg. Remove the shell, then wrap the egg with a strip of par-cooked (Mostly done, but still floppy. Most easily done in an oven on a broiler pan.) bacon and secure it with a toothpick. If you'd like, you can then dip the egg in youyr favorite batter (pancake, beer batter, etc.) then deep fry the whole concoction. Your taste buds will love you, your heart and stomach may not.

If thats not quite your forte, try Shirred eggs. Take a couple of oven safe ramekins or small bowls. Drop an egg or two into them, then add a tablespoon of your favorite tomato based sauce (marinera, salsa, etc.). Bake until the whites are solid and eat. Easy and delicious.

Note: Undercooked or improperly stored eggs have the possibility to cause food poisoning. It has never happened to me, but I think I should mention that, because it can happen. Once, or maybe twice, in a blue moon.

Ketchup???

So...you've got this bottle of ketchup. It's been there in the door of your fridge for I don't know how long. Here's something amazing you can do with it to make an excellent sauce. At the end, I will give you a few substitutions/additions that will make it even more versatile.

Recipe

2 Tbsp, each, of the following:
Ketchup
Butter
Lime juice (or 1 whole lime, squeezed)
Grated ginger (Fresh or jarred; the dried stuff is way overpriced and doesn't carry the same kick)

Combine all ingredients over medium low heat. Stir until combined. If using whole lime, make sure to squeeze the lime well before you cut it in half. This pulps the lime in the rind, getting more of the juice out with less effort.

I think this sauce is best over white meat, be it pork, chicken or fish (talapia, halibut, rockfish, etc). Also fantastic over cooked greens (broccoli, brussel sprouts (see upcoming blog for how not to hate these)). Also great over fried potatoes (home-, French-, etc).

If the amount seems small, don't worry. It packs quite a punch. I have fed four people on the amount used above.

For fresh greens, use vegetable oil (olive is best, in my opinion) instead of butter. Combine all ingredients in a whizzer (food processor, according to my loving spouse) and whiz the shit out of it (pulse well until combined). A few sprigs of fresh mint (or 1 tsp dried) is also a great addition, especially if you are using pork.

Cheap Eats

If you like this recipe, be sure to try out the Belgian Potato cart at SE 12th and Hawthorne. Its only a couple bucks for a huge cone of fries. While they don't have this particular sauce, their custom ketchup recipes are awesome. I recommend the truffle/rosemary ketchup.

Eating Cheap in Portland

Hi, and welcome to ECP! This blog is devoted to filling your belly, while still protecting your finances. We are going to be offering a variety of things here (Hopefully! If we can get it together!). Each of our blogs will center around either an ingredient, a recipe, a process, or a review of eats away from your home, all with the intention of minimizing the impact on your pocket book.

I am half of a married couple that has been managing to feed a 3 person household (us, and our best friend) on less than $200 a month. We have been (and still are) in the process of teaching ourselves how to eat better, and healthier, for cheaper.

So stay tuned...the best part is yet to come!