Hard Boiled

Hard cooked eggs are as easy as boiling water. Just make sure to start with cold water so you can ease them up to a boil slowly.

• Place a single layer of eggs in a pot and add enough cold water to cover the eggs by at least an inch.
• Turn heat up to high just long enough to bring eggs to a full boil, then turn it down to low, cover and slowly simmer for 10 minutes. If they are left to bounce around they will begin to crack.
• After 10 minutes remove from heat, take off the lid, put the whole pot in the sink and turn the cold water on them for about a minute.
• Shut the water off and cover the eggs with ice cubes to accelerate the process.
• When eggs are cooled off you can crack on all sides and peel under cold running water to help ease the shells off or store in the fridge as is.
• Don’t peel them unless you are using them right away. Peeled eggs can gather bacteria sitting in the fridge. Hard boiled eggs should be eaten within a week.

Soft Boiled Eggs  

• Place a single layer of eggs in a small to medium pot and cover with at least an inch of cold water. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer for 4 minutes.
• Place eggs in cold or ice water briefly to stop the cooking process and then peel just the top (the larger end) until the opening is big enough to fit a small spoon.
• Add a little salt and pepper and serve with toast for dipping.

Scrambled Eggs

(Serves 1)

1 T. butter

2 eggs

2 T. water

Salt and pepper to taste

The object here is to whip a little air into the eggs before you place them in a hot buttered pan.

• Whip eggs in a small bowl with a whisk or fork.
• Add a little water, or milk if you prefer, some people use cream but I think water makes fluffier eggs.
• Heat a small frying pan over medium heat for about a minute and then add butter. Lift pan and swish around the butter so it is evenly distributed across the pan (this will help prevent sticking).
• Re-whip eggs briefly before adding to the hot buttered pan.
• Stir eggs in pan with a wooden spoon or spatula pushing the cooked eggs from the rim of the pan to the middle until all the eggs are cooked.
• Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Fried Eggs

(Serves 1) 

1 T. butter

2 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

• Heat a small pan over medium heat for about a minute.
• Add butter and spread across pan until it foams.
• Crack eggs and open over the butter. Be careful not to drop any egg shells in the pan.
• Cook until white is cooked through.
• Season with salt and pepper and serve with toast.

Poached Eggs

(Serves 1) 

2 eggs

½ Tablespoon white or rice wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Poached eggs are sort of a cross between soft boiled and fried only without the butter.

Basic Omelet

(Serves 1) 

1 T. butter

2 eggs

2 T. water

Salt and pepper

• Heat a small skillet over medium heat.
• Drop in butter and heat until it foams. 
• Break eggs into a bowl and add water.
• With a whisk whip eggs and water until foamy.
• Pour into hot skillet. Let it set for minute and then with a rubber spatula move the sides off the pan in order to make room for uncooked eggs. Repeat this all the way around the skillet until the eggs can no longer move.
• This is the time to add any fillings you want to use like cheese or cooked mushrooms, herbs, veggies, ham, bacon, etc.
• Fold the omelet in half or thirds. Flip over if you can to make sure the other side is cooked.
• Slide out of pan and on to a plate.
• Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Frittata

(Serves 3-to-4)

This is a great way to use leftovers. You can stir in some cooked veggies, cheese, bacon, sausage, fresh tomato, herbs or even canned items like artichokes and olives. If using raw ingredients like onions, or mushrooms sauté first in a little butter and add to the rest of the mix.

2 tablespoons butter

6 eggs whisked

½ cup grated or shredded cheese

1 cup of filling ingredients

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

• Place a 10 inch skillet on the stove to warm up for a minute or so.
• Add butter and swish it around to coat entire surface. (If using a larger skillet add a little more butter and increase eggs to 8)
• Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and pour into hot skillet.
• Cook on top of stove over medium heat until the bottom is set and the top is starting to set.
• Put skillet into the oven and keep checking every five minutes. It is ready when you shake the pan and nothing moves.
• You can turn on the broiler at the end to finish cooking the top but watch it carefully because it will burn quickly if left unattended.

Quiche

(4-to-8 slices)

This is another very flexible recipe. You can make it with whatever you want, bacon, sausage, mushrooms, onions, any cooked leftovers you have like zucchini or broccoli topped with a cup of shredded cheese.  The key here is to have enough room for the eggs to puff up. Some people pack in the filling and forget that quiche is supposed to be about eggs. So don’t overfill your quiche. Line the bottom with a thin layer of filling. Top with cheese and leave plenty of room for the egg custard mixture on top.

1 frozen pie shell (do not thaw)

1 cup or less of your filling of choice

1 cup or less shredded cheese like cheddar, gruyere or emmental

4 eggs beaten

1 cup heavy cream, light cream or milk

¼ cup grated parmesan

½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

• Line a frozen pie shell with a thin layer of cooked filling (i.e cooked bacon, sausage, spinach).
• Cover with shredded cheese.
• Beat eggs with heavy cream, parmesan, salt and pepper Pour over cheese just up to where the crust is crimped.
• Pop in the oven for about 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and starts to puff up a bit. 
• Let it rest for at least five minutes before attempting to cut and serve.

Oatmeal

(Serves 2)

Oatmeal should be creamy and you can achieve that by stirring it a lot and substituting some of the water for milk or cream. I also add a little butter at the end.

1 cup water with a pinch of salt added

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 cup milk or cream (heated)

1 T. butter

• Bring water and salt to boil in a saucepan.
• When boiling, stir in oatmeal until water is absorbed.
• Slowly add warm milk about ¼ cup at a time.
• Stir until it is absorbed into the oats and then add more milk.
• Repeat until all the milk or cream is absorbed.   
• Stir in butter until melted and turn off heat.
• Serve immediately with toppings such as honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, raisins, nuts, cinnamon, and more hot milk.

Grits

(Serves 1-to-2)

Grits, the American cousin to Italy’s polenta, are traditionally served with breakfast in the south. You can buy instant grits but quick cooking grits taste better and don’t take much longer to cook.

2 cups cold water

¼ t. salt

1 T. butter

½ cup of quick grits (not instant)

Salt and pepper to taste

*Optional additions, more butter, warm milk, hot syrup, ¼ cup of shredded cheese

• Bring water, salt and butter to a full boil.
• Slowly stir in grits with a whisk or wooden spoon.
• When all grits are incorporated reduce heat to low.
• Continue stirring until all the water is absorbed and grits are creamy (about 5 minutes).
• Turn off heat and carefully taste to see if it needs more salt, pepper or add optional ingredients.

Cinnamon Toast

(Serves 1) 

If you can toast bread you can make cinnamon toast. If your toaster is vertical you will have to do this in the oven. Broil one side of the bread, then spread butter, sugar and cinnamon on the uncooked side and broil that side.

If you have a horizontal toaster oven, spread some butter or margarine on bread. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top. Toast until golden brown and bubbly. Quantities of ingredients are discretionary.

French Toast

(Serves 2)

French toast is simply bread dipped in egg and milk or cream and cooked in butter or oil. Any bread works although we like to use Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl.

1 egg 

½ cup milk, cream or ½ and ½

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon sugar 

½ teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon cinnamon (if not using cinnamon bread)

4 slices of bread

Hot maple syrup or confectioners sugar

*Optional fruit or pecans

• In a wide bowl, whisk together egg, milk or cream, salt, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon (if using) and set aside. 
• Heat a skillet to medium high heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. You may need to add more butter as you go.
• Dunk bread in egg mixture to coat both sides and place on skillet.
• Cook until golden brown on the bottom and flip over to brown the other side. Repeat with remaining slices. 
• Top with hot syrup or powdered sugar. You can also toss some berries, sliced bananas or pecans on top.

Pancakes

There are plenty of pancake mixes and some of them are pretty good but making them yourself is cheaper and tastier.  Making pancakes requires restraint so that you do not to over mix them and patience so that you wait until they are covered with bubbles to flip them. 

(Serves 2)

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup milk

2 Tablespoons butter

Hot maple syrup

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. 

• Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Whip egg and milk together in a separate bowl and slowly stir into dry ingredients. Stir only until combined.   
• Melt butter in skillet until foamy.  Spread it around the pan until it is covered.  
• Pour in pancake batter about 1/4 cup at a time to make medium sized pancakes. 
• When bubbles appear all over the top of the pancake it is time to flip it over using a spatula. 
• You want a nice golden brown color on both sides. 
• Put the cooked pancakes in a warm oven (200 degree) to stay warm while you finish cooking the rest. 
• Top with warm maple syrup. 

If you want to get creative add some fruit or nuts or even chocolate chips to the batter or on top afterwards. 

Smoothies

1 cup fresh or frozen fruit

1 cup ice

1 cup yogurt, milk or juice

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend until smooth

(Add some protein powder for extra nutrition or make it decadent with peanut butter or chocolate)

Here's how to make a Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie!