The Perfect Soft, Medium or Hard Boiled Egg

I was asked to post a blog on the perfect boiled egg.

Of course boiling eggs are easy, but getting it soft, medium or hard boiled takes a timer and getting the egg to peel into a smooth oval shape without pieces missing has a few secrets. ;0) So, here are my tricks or secrets that I have figured out through trial and error over my years of cooking.

*Note the best way to get your desired eggs exact, is to experiment with a timer yourself. Take one hour out of a day to play with eggs. It will be just you, your sauce pan, water, vinegar, a timer, and your choice of egg (size, brand, fresh, organic, free-range, or regular grocery store variety). I decided to take a morning and play; I used three timers set one minute apart (using one timer twice). I took the cooked egg out of the pan and  put it under cold running water while peeling it within one minute of the next one being done (that way the cooking stopped and I didn't have a cold egg, which putting it on ice would give you). I cooked each fresh brown cage free organic large egg 2, 3, 4, and 5 minutes on my gas top stove.

A closer view shows the two minute egg on top is runny, and progressively gets more solid up to 5 minutes (the bottom sliced egg).

~And again, 1 minute apart spacing, this time I took the large eggs out at 1, 2, and 3 minutes:

Close up of one minute, two minute and three minutes from start of boil (turn off heat let sit one minute, or two, or three).

Large eggs with their times on timers above them.

I'll begin with a chart for cooking times. (I usually use large or extra large eggs). Try the different times below, so you can hear yourself say, "Ah, now that is just right;" be like Goldilocks! Every morning at breakfast, you will wonder why you waited so long to "use that one hour it took" to learn what you like, getting the perfect eggs for you and your family.

Egg Size      Cooked to Order    Boiling time

Medium                      Soft yolk                                .75 minutes
Medium                      Medium yolk                          2.5 minutes
Medium                      Hard yolk, but not green            8 minutes

Large                          Soft yolk                                  1 minutes
Large                          Medium yolk                        3-4 minutes
Large                          Hard yolk                                 9 minutes

Extra Large                Soft yolk                                   2 minutes
Extra Large                Medium yolk                         4-5 minutes
Extra Large                Hard                                       10 minutes

1. I used a larger pan than necessary for the purpose of pictures for this blog; a smaller saucepan would be fine too. Pour cold water into pan with raw eggs. Note: You do want to allow the eggs to move around a bit, because if they are too crowded, you will have flat sides due to the stationary egg cooking in a settled position.

2. I add vinegar to the pan, it helps the peel to come off easier. Baking soda added to the water works too, just don't let it soak in water to long, as it can make the egg white "meally."

3. Bring to a full boil. Place lid on pan (optional, I didn't in my experiments), turn off heat. Note: If you use a lid, it will take a second more of your time to lift lid... since I only had one minute to peel each egg, I didn't use a lid. To be frank, I usually don't use a lid because 1, 2, 3 minutes until done is fast enough! A lid will hold in the heat and could speed up your cooking times.

Lol,, ever try to take a pic of boiling water? Camera lens steams up & the eggs & water move.

My friend wanted to see the difference btwn simmer & boil.

4. I set the timer for the desired time once the boiling begins. When it rings. I pour off the hot water, roll eggs around in pan to slightly crack them.

5. Refill with cold water to stop the cooking process. The water will loosen the shell off the soaking eggs while you get set to peel them. I place one bowl out next to the sink for the shells (I compost, or you can let them go down the garbage disposal) and another bowl placed on the other side of the sink for the freshly peeled eggs.

6. Peel from wider end. I pore running cold water over the egg while I peel it; the running water will get under the membrane skin making it much easier to peel off with the hard shell. (This is my secret to smooth deviled eggs).

water will push it's way under the egg membrane shell, separating it from the egg for easy removal. ;0)

See film in upper right hand corner & along the top of the egg? You want to work on peeling this, not focusing on the hard part of the shell because it will take the hard with it, making it so easy to remove.

~Picture of the film on my black granite counter top that is separated from shell on a free-range brown egg. It's easier to view on fresh eggs, because their shells and film are thicker due to the better diet of the mother hen.

7. The following are images for you to pick your "Cooked to Order" desired doneness:

As soft as they come, 1.75 minutes on an Extra Large egg:

You can also find adorable egg servers to serve them in their shell. Purchase shell cutters or carefully use a knife to cut off the top. --(Found these two pretty images on The Food Network, one of my fav sites & shows):

 So Cute! Don't ya want to just dig in?

 Soft-Medium, yolk runny with yolk sides a bit solid (Extra-Large egg 3 minutes) :

Medium Egg, (Large egg for 4 minutes).

Medium Well Egg, (Extra-Large egg for 7 minutes) the shell half on lower front right; my fella ate the other half before I could grab my camera, lol. ;0)
Hard Egg, (10 minutes for Extra Large egg) on left side. They're sliced with a simple fork.

17 minutes. Green Eggs mean over-cooked; not "Green eggs and Ham."

Four hard boiled Tips:

--The egg whites on hard boiled eggs will become rubbery if you over-cook them. ;-) Green eggs are the sulfur in the whites (which cook faster than yolk in a quick heat or hot water method) reaction to the iron in the yolk. Keep the temperature of the white and yolk the same during the cooking process by beginning with cold water and eggs in the pan. A slow raise to boil; then do not "overcook" them. 

--Notice fluffy texture & pretty yellow color of the yolk; not green, due to over-cooking. ;0)

--Older eggs are much easier to peel than fresh ones, but I've done these steps with eggs from my friends' hens & did fine.

--On a normal day I do not do the "pin into an end" trick, but it does work to let the air out, as well as it ensures that the egg will not have a flat side. I'd do it, if a famous chef came to my house to eat, though, lol. ;-) Note: a large enough pan that allows eggs to roll around during cooking will eliminate a flat spot too. 

Now Enjoy your Breakfasts...

Egg Summer Vegetables w Licorice Mint & Pecorino

For today's Breakfast, I had a friend over; using leftovers from our dinner (and garden) the night before, we made an omelet, well kinda, lol... I'm calling the meal: Eggs and Summer Vegetables. --She requested the recipe; I find doing a blog so much easier than writting it all down w a pen and finding the time to get it to each other... not to mention, we bloggers love to share. ;-)

Ingredients are per person. I.E.: (multiply it by how many people served):
4 large eggs
1/4 C fresh spinach leaves
1 chopped miniature sweet pepper
1 Tbl sliced red onion
6 fat grilled asparagus, roughly chopped into one inch pieces.
1 slice of lunch meat ham, slivered.
1 piece thick bacon, cut into 1/2 inch chunks.
Wht pepper, black pepper and salt.
*2 large Licorice mint leaves sliced or Tarragon will work too.
Pecorino cheese shaved with a potato peeler or a grater.

Directions:
1. Soft boil two eggs in salted water (wht done, yolk soft or semi-soft). (I poured off the boiling water, banged them in the saucepan to crack their shells and filled the pan with cold water, --letting sit while I did the rest of the meal prep. Then the peels slid right off once I came back to them! Slice eggs after peeled and place on plate first.
2. In a skillet saute meat, onion, and Sweet pepper (in that order, partially cook meat first, giving you the needed oil for the rest of the stir-fry).
3. Add spinach leaves and then asparagus to warm them. Lay stir-fry mixture over sliced eggs.
4. Fry two eggs over easy (wht's done, yolks runny), or poach would be better (hindsight, I'd rather have done that instead). Salt and pepper eggs to taste w both peppers and salt while cooking, before turning them. Note: If poached, wait until you spoon them out of the water to season them. The rich yolk will be your sauce as it flows between your vegetables; it is more rich than most creams (think of Eggs Benedict). Which is why I made toast to go with the meal, to get every drop of yolk! ;0)
5. Shave the cheese over your meal.
6. Arrange sliced Licorice Mint over your dish to finish!

*A note on Licorice Mint, also known as: Agastache rugosa (Korean Mint, Blue Licorice, Purple Giant Hyssop, Huo xiang, Indian Mint, Patchouli Herb, Wrinkled Giant Hyssop; syn. Lophanthus rugosus Fisch. & Mey). It is a medicinal and ornamental plant in the Lamiaceae family. It is called huò xiāng in Chinese and it is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. --I like to grow and cook with all sorts of herbs that are great for health and flavor! Tarragon also has that desired licorice taste and could subsitute just fine.

Using leftovers never got easier! ;0) Sooo EasY!

One week at a Time: Diet wrote out for you for one week, Eat Low Fat, the right fats, and healthy, Lose Weight without Starving.

(Disclamer: Picture found through fotosearch).

One week at a Time to get healthy and lose weight. Here is a week's menu that you can follow to begin a healthier lifestyle and lose any unwanted extra pounds.
Note: Any lettuce is fine except iceberg; when purchasing wholegrain items, look for highest fiber content & use fresh whole produce whenever possible. The key is you can eat smaller portion sizes, but do not skip a meal or snack… frequent eating speeds up the metabolism & keeps hunger/cheating at bay. Grn Tea, water, & favorite diet soda (soda in moderation) to drink during the day. Free food is eat as much grn leafy veggies (IE: like spinach or mustard grns) as you want… just do not add butter or calorie laden salad dressing. Can sub fruits for a different fruit. Just know that a banana is a filling fruit that has more calories than most fruit, but in moderation a good idea. And much less calories than “bad choices” would bring. Crustless Quiche: Chopped: 2 Cs eggplant, 1 C zucchini, 1 C red bell pepper, 1 C yellow onion, & 2 cloves garlic minced sautéed in 2 tsp EVOO (Olive Oil). Fold in Artichoke hearts from water packed jar. Add 1 egg, 1 C egg whts, 1 C skim milk, ½ tsp blk pepper, dried thyme, dried oregano, ½ C fresh basil, & ¾ C part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese. Spray pam in pan, cook 25 min’s. Sit/rest for 10 min’s. Po Boy: Vegetable Salad: combine halved 1 C cucumbers, grape tomatoes, ¼ C shredded carrots, ¼ C minced fresh parsley, diced ¼ C red onion & ¼ tsp blk pepper, garlic powder, ½ tsp EVOO, 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar. Bake or grill 2 3oz fav fish (grouper, cod, halibut, catfish, tilapia) 6-8 mins on ea side for grill, 12 mins total for baking (fish no longer translucent; don’t over cook). Goat Cheese Spread: 1 0z goat cheese, 3 Tbsp nonfat Greek-style yogurt, 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, 2 Tbsp fresh minced parsley, 3 Tbsp shredded carrots, 2 Tbsp diced cucumbers, ½ tsp blk pepper. Smear Goat Cheese Spread on one whole-grain baguette slice (long deli hotdog/ sub style bun), Place fish on other slice, Top fillet w 2 red onion slices, 2 tomato slices, lettuce leafs. Serve w Veg Salad.
Monday:
Breakfast: 1 serving Crustless Quiche; (save leftovers for later this wk). 1 whole grapefruit. Snack 1: 1 orange cranberry Bar (look for highest fiber/protein content & low fat). Lunch: 3oz tuna (water packed) mixed w 1 oz light swiss cheese, 2 Tbsp ea diced carrots, celery & red onion n 1 whole-wheat pita w Boston lettuce, 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar & 1 Tbsp nonfat Greek-style yogurt; 1 apple. Snack 2: 3 stalks celery w 2 Tbsp unsalted almond butter (like peanut butter, but better fat). Dinner : 1 ½ C’s cooked whole-wheat spaghetti w ½ C low-sodium tomato sauce, ¼ C fresh basil leaves, 10 halved grape tomatoes & ¼ C shredded part-skim mozzarella. 1 C chopped Boston lettuce w 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar & 1 tsp Olive Oil (EVOO).
Tuesday:
B: ½ C oatmeal w 1 (skin on) chopped apple, cinnamon to taste & 1 C low-fat milk. S 1: 2 sliced carrots w 3 Tbsp hummus. Lunch: Sandwich: (I only ate half of my sandwich bc to full) 3 oz sliced lean roast beef, ½ oz goat cheese, 3 strips roasted red bell pepper (or raw), 1 slice tomato, 1 slice red onion, & Boston lettuce on a whole-grain roll; 10 whole-wheat woven wheat crackers; 1 orange. S 2: 1/4C 1% cottage cheese w ½ C fresh chopped pineapple (save the remainder for later in wk). D: 1 serving Crustless Quiche; 2 Cs romaine lettuce w 1 Tbl unsalted sunflower seeds, ½ C ea chopped red bell peppers, whole grape tomatoes & chopped mushrooms w 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar & 1 tsp EVOO; 1 oz slice whole-wheat baguette.
Wed:
B: 1 ¼ C Post shredded Wheat Spoon Size cereal w ¼ C low-fat milk. 1 orange. S 1: 6 oz nonfat Greek style yogurt w 1 oz unsalted raw peanuts or almonds & ½ tsp crystal lite flavor powder (used to make drinks) or an over the counter powder like Stevia Powder. Veggie Burger Salad: 2 Cs Boston lettuce, 1 veggie patty, ½ C cooked blk beans, 4 thin slices chopped avocado, ¼ C corn, ½ C ea chopped grape tomatoes & mushrooms w 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar & 1 tsp EVOO; 1 C strawberries. S 2: 1 serving crustless Quiche. D: 4 oz baked port chop (prepare 8oz & save 4 oz for tomorrow). 1 C sauteed chopped zucchini (prepare whole zucchini & save extra for tomorrow). ¾ C steamed wild &/or brown rice.
Thurs:
B: ½ C oatmeal, ¼ C chopped pineapple, ½ sliced small banana & 5 broken walnuts w 1 C low-fat milk. Mini Yogurt Parfait: (8oz nonfat Greek-style yogurt w ½ sliced banana & ¼ C Shredded Wheat Spoon Size cereal). L: Spinach Salad: 2 Cs spinach leaves, 4 oz sliced baked pork chop leftovers, ½ C sauteed zucchini leftovers, ½ C chopped tomato w 1 ½ Tbl balsamic vinegar & 1 tsp EVOO; 1 C strawberries. S 2: 10 whole wheat woven crackers. D: 1 serving fish Po Boy & Vegetable Salad.
Fri:
B: 1 ½ oz toasted whole wheat baguette (sliced) w 2 Tbsp unsalted almond butter & 10 unsweetened raisins. S 1: 1 apple & 1 oz unsalted sunflower seeds. L: 1 serving Cajun PoBoy & Veggie salad (leftovers). 1 C chopped pineapple. S 2: 3 stalks celery & 1 oz goat cheese. D: 4 oz baked chicken; ¼ C wild rice; Vegetable Medley: 1 C steamed spinach w ¼ tsp minced garlic, ¾ C steamed artichokes & ½ C sautéed mushrooms.
Sat:
B: Open Faced Breakfast Sandwich: 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin topped w 4 scrambled egg whts, 4 steamed asparagus spears, 1 oz melted light Swiss cheese & 1 tsp mustard. S 1: 1 oz whole wheat baguette w 3 tsp hummus. L: Salad: 2 C romaine lettuce, 3 oz lean roast beef, 1 oz goat cheese, ½ C ea chopped red bell pepper, tomato, & cucumber w 2 Tbl balsamic vinegar & 1 tsp EVOO; 1 banana. S 2: 1 ½ C chopped pineapple & 8 unsalted walnuts or almonds. D: 5 oz baked fish w ½ squeezed lemon. 1 C eggplant sautéed in ½ tsp of EVOO. ¾ C quinoa.
Sun:
B: Strawberry Mint Smoothie: Blend 1 C unsweetened light soy milk, ¼ C chocolate protein powder, 1 C frozen strawberries, 10 fresh mint leaves & 4 ice cubes. S !: 1 sliced roasted red bell pepper w 1 oz goat cheese. L: Veggie Burger patty w 1 oz goat cheese, slice of tomato, red onion & Boston lettuce leaf on a whole grain roll. 1 C cooked edamame. 1 apple. S 2: ½ C raspberries, 1 low-fat string cheese & 10 whole wheat woven crackers. D: Mexican Salad: 2C romaine lettuce, 4 oz baked chicken (season w ½ tsp cumin), ¼ C shredded reduced fat jalapeno cheese, ½ C ea low sodium salsa, cooked blk beans, chopped tomatoes & chopped cucumbers, 2 thin slices avocado w 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar & 1 tsp EVOO.