Eggs
An egg is simple, inexpensive and in relation to its size – quite impressive, because in that little shell there is a whole lot of nutrients. Not to mention how versatile eggs are. You can fry, poach and scramble eggs, make omelettes with them and use them in many different dishes. And eggs aren’t only for breakfast. They are ideal for a quick, light meal and without eggs, some baked goods just wouldn’t be the same or wouldn’t be possible. Think of light and fluffy meringues or almost any cake recipe.

Health benefits
Eggs are a complete protein and therefore a perfect substitute for meat. They are also a good source of many healthy nutrients like vitamins A, B, E and D and contains very little saturated fats. Eggs unhealthy? Definitely not! What can be more unhealthy is what you cook the eggs in or what you eat with them and not the fat content of eggs themselves.

The possibilities of flavours and combinations with eggs are endless. Nearly any fresh herb works well with eggs. Even the simplest of scrambled eggs gets a lift with a handful of fresh herbs. Veggies like tomatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, beans and peppers are also delicious with eggs. Even avocado, biltong and a variety of cheeses are perfect with eggs. The secret with cooking eggs is to know that they cook at 60 °C, this means they must be prepared at a medium heat to prevent them from splitting or overcooking and becoming rubbery. The role of eggs can vary according to the dish they are used in. Eggs can bind or thicken a sauce, help make a crumble cling onto the ingredient, trap air into a dish, glaze something or act as a stabiliser in a baked dish.

Next time you feel like inviting people over for a brunch, try this different way to serve eggs. The preparation can all be done ahead of time and the eggs can be baked just before you want to serve them. Simple yet delicious!

Recipe

Baked egg cups

Recipe from Make five/Maak vyf
Serves 6

Ingredients

10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil

250 g streaky bacon

1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced

125 g mushrooms, sliced

10 ml (2 tsp) dried mixed herbs

lemon juice, salt and pepper

6 marinated sun-dried tomatoes, sliced (see tip)

6 eggs

30 ml (2 tbsp) chopped fresh chives

handful fresh rocket leaves to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Grease six large ramekins or 125 ml containers with a little of the oil. Line each ramekin with a few rashers of bacon and pack onto a baking tray. (A muffin pan can also be used.)
2. Meanwhile, heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan and sauté onion and mushrooms with the herbs until soft. Season to taste.
3. Divide the mixture between the ramekins and sprinkle sun-dried tomatoes on top. Crack an egg into each ramekin. Gently cover each bowl with ramekin.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the eggs are cooked to your preference. Sprinkle chives over and serve with rocket and toast.

Tips

1. A sachet of marinated sundried tomatoes is convenient, but it’s not difficult to marinate sundried tomatoes at home. Soak dried tomatoes in a little warm Rooibos tea until soft and marinate in a mixture of two-thirds olive oil to one-third balsamic vinegar, a bit of honey and a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
2. For more delicious egg recipes click here and here.

Image: Neville Lockhart.