Today its Eggs

The egg is a nutrient-dense food, containing high quality protein and a wide range of essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Eggs can make a significant contribution to a healthy diet for the bariatric patient.

I know. I know about the cholesterol scare tactics of the anti-egg groups. But eggs have not been shown to be that excessive a provider of cholesterol and the fact that they are so versatile makes them perfect components in the bariatric diet. If there is concern regarding your LDL and total cholesterol I encourage you to talk to your doctor about adding more eggs to your diet and maybe reducing other dietary components?

Eggs are an excellent source of protein. The egg contains all the essential amino acids needed by the human body. They then complement other foods of lower biological value by providing the amino acids that are in short supply in those foods. The weight of the egg is approximately 12.5% protein and it is found in both the yolk and the albumen. Although protein is more concentrated around the yolk, there is in fact more protein in the albumen. On the scale most commonly used for assessing protein, egg are used as the base reference (with a value of 100) and are the standard against which all other foods are assessed, So now that we know about the nutritional aspects of the egg (commonly the chicken egg), lets find some ways to cook them and incorporate their goodness into the bariatric diet.

I will provide some complex egg dishes here but also remember to just fry a couple up for breakfast when you want. Add a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper, and maybe a splash of Tabasco sauce. Put them on a nice little plate (makes the meal look bigger than it is). Pour yourself a cup of good coffee and go sit out on the patio. (Oh, that’s what I do most mornings, sorry) Use the patio, terrace, or breakfast nook, but give yourself a place to quietly enjoy your nutritional repast.

An easy technique for excellent egg dishes is to bake them. They can be cooked with vegetables, a bit of wine, or some cheese . You can stick the eggs in the oven, make the coffee and pour a bit of juice. When they are ready so are you.

Baked eggs with Spinach

Ingredients
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped .
2 tablespoons unsalted butter.
1/4 pounds spinach, coarse stems discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
4 large eggs.

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cook onion in butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add spinach and cook, covered, stirring 2 or 3 times, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove lid and cook, stirring, until excess liquid is evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes.
Add cream, salt, and pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
Arrange buttered ramekins in a shallow baking pan and divide spinach among them.
Make an indentation in center of each and carefully crack an egg into each indentation.
Bake in middle of oven until whites are just set, about 15 minutes.
Serve eggs in ramekins with bacon and toast.

Baked eggs with wine and Asiago cheese and chicken and apple sausage

Ingredients
4 eggs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons white wine
4 tablespoons of grated Asiago cheese
2 Chicken and apple sausages

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Take two ramekins and place a tablespoon of melted butter in each.
Break two eggs into the ramekin
Pour 2 tablespoons of white wine over the eggs,
Put 2 tablespoons of grated Asiago cheese on top of the eggs.
Put the dish in the oven
Put on the middle rack in the oven and bake until whites are set, about 15 minutes
Served with grilled chicken and apple sausages.

A frittata is quite easy to make and creates a nice dish that can serve several people for brunch. In effect they are crust-less quiches. They have the same creamy custardy egg mixture without all the bother of creating that perfect crust. You do need a good, non-stick, oven proof pan though. I happen to use a 9”Calphalon anodized aluminum frying pan and it has created some great frittatas for brunches we have prepared here in Umbria.

This one was consumed rapidly by at least 20 guests at a recent afternoon party.

Artichoke and mushroom frittata

Ingredients
6 eggs
One small jar of marinated artichoke hearts (drained) and chopped coarsely
One jar of marinated mushrooms, drained and chopped coarsely
3 tablespoons of butter
¼ cup whipping cream
½ cup grated sharp cheese (Pecorino, white chedder, Parmesano Reggiano)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
On top of the stove, heat the butter in the frying pan.
Thoroughly mix the eggs in a bowl with whisk.
Add the cream and mix well.
Saute the artichoke hearts and mushrooms in the melted butter for 1-2 minutes at moderate heat.
Pour in the egg mixture and stir to ensure the eggs are starting to set.
Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the eggs.
Place in the oven for 12-15 minutes until it is puffy and slightly browned on top.
Slice into wedges and serve hot or warm.

The following dish is one we serve a lot during the early part of the summer when we have wild asparagus available. Our chef picks the asparagus during its spring growing period, blanches it and freezes it until it is needed. We serve this with moistened Sardinian flat bread in a type of wrap. It can also stand alone as a semi-poached egg and asparagus dish. Since wild asparagus is generally not available everywhere, commercial asparagus is a fine substitute.

Asparagus and steamed eggs (alone or wrapped)

Ingredients
10-15 stalks of asparagus, sliced into thin julienned strips or chopped into thin slices crosswise
4-6 eggs
2-3 tablespoons of good olive oil
Water
Salt and pepper

Directions
Cook the asparagus in a frying pan or saute pan with a good fitting lid.
Start the asparagus in the frying pan with the olive oil over medium heat.
When the asparagus has wilted, break the eggs into the pan on top of the asparagus and add 2-3 tablespoons of water. Salt judiciously. A lot of cracked pepper is great.
Put the lid on and cook gently covered until the whites are set and the yolks are cooked (4-5 minutes on medium heat).
For the Sardinian bread recipe, the egg yolks are done to a hard state; the eggs and asparagus are sectioned and then rolled up in slightly moistened cracker bread or in warmed commercially available wraps or even flour tortillas. Sort of a healthy burrito.
Alternatively you can just cook the eggs to whatever level of doneness you prefer. This would likely be the method of serving for the bariatric patient. Veggies and eggs!

Cheddar Cheese Egg Casserole

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter, melted
5 large eggs, beaten
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, chiles, flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
Pour into the prepared dish and bake until set, about 35 minutes.
Serve hot

Not all tortillas are made from flour or corn. A tortilla in Spain is more like a frittata and is made with ham, potatoes, and eggs. It is served with a quick and easy Aioli and is a terrific brunch or dinner dish. This dish takes some time but is worth the effort.

Tortilla Espanola with Aioli

Ingredients
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
6 cups thinly sliced brown onions
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (kosher preferable)
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3 baking potatoes, (about 2 pounds), peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds
8 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup julienned good quality ham
Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Aioli
In a blender add
1 egg,
3 cloves of garlic,
Salt and pepper,
Lemon juice from 1 large lemon.
Blend thoroughly and then slowly add olive oil in a thin stream until the aioli forms a thick consistency

Directions
Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and sugar. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden, and well caramelized, about 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean.

Pour an additional 1/4 cup of oil into the skillet and heat over medium heat. Season the potatoes with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Add the potatoes to the hot oil and cook, stirring and gently turning, until tender and slightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the skillet and wipe the skillet clean.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Combine the reserved onions, potatoes, beaten eggs, and ham pieces in a large bowl. Season with the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Add the entire mixture to the hot oil and cook until the bottom is set and the top is still runny, about 12 minutes. As the bottom of the tortilla is cooking, use a rubber spatula to run around the edge of the eggs, lifting slightly to allow the eggs to run to the bottom and cook.

Place a large plate or serving platter on top of the skillet and invert the tortilla onto the plate. Carefully slide the tortilla back into the skillet so that the browned side is facing upward. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes longer. Remove the tortilla from the skillet and serve hot, or cool to room temperature, and serve. To serve, cut tortilla into thin slices and spoon 1 or 2 tablespoons of the Aioli onto the side of the tortilla. Garnish with fresh chopped chives.