Majida Rashid
If an egg is broken by outside force, life ends. If an egg is broken by an inside force then life begins. Great things happen from the inside.
– Anonymous
Whenever I think of eggs, I’m transported to the train stations of Gaborone and Francistown of Botswana, and Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. The arrival of any early morning train invariably created a scene where the morning mist intermingled with the steam of the engine and shrouded the vendors standing behind their carts and at a distance. What always peeked out of the haze were the tops of white and brown eggs placed on a raised stand on top of the cart.
Of course, the powerhouse of nutrients is just the right food to provide sustenance to weary travelers. An egg contains protein, folate, iron, choline, selenium potassium, magnesium, calcium, choline, Vitamins A, B complex, D, E, and K.
For decades eggs were considered bad because they contained cholesterol. While eggs have cholesterol, the majority of the fat is unsaturated. An egg yolk is higher in nutrients and has more cholesterol and calories than the egg white.
The majority of the eggs sold in American supermarkets have light yellow yolk. Though I’ve seen dark orange yolks in farm-raised eggs that have not reached the market. The deeper color indicates the presence of higher amounts of omega 3.
Whether domesticated or not, this amazingly versatile food has been consumed by humans since time immemorial. Evidence of egg consumption dates back to the Neolithic age.
It’s worth spending money on cage-free, free-range or organic eggs. Besides being unhealthy, the eggs of a chicken that has been fed hormones emit an extremely unpleasant odor. A domesticated chicken lays more than three hundred eggs in her lifetime. The buoyancy of an egg indicates the quality of an egg. There is also a correlation between the size of an egg and the age of the hen at the time of laying an egg. The older the hen, the bigger the egg. Fresh eggs will sink to the bottom when placed in a water-filled container. The white of a fresh egg will be denser than that of an older egg.
Eggs can be boiled, fried, poached, whipped up and transformed into meringues or an omelet. Not many other ingredients can boast this quality. It will take only three minutes to bring an egg to a soft boil and about six minutes to get a hard boil egg. An omelet is just the right thing for any occasion. I’m sharing this recipe again because this omelet is such a befitting tribute to an egg.
Omelet
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1/8 cup Philadelphia cheese
Salt to taste
1/2 cup fresh sliced mushrooms, sauteed in butter, the day before
2-3 finely chopped spring onions
1/2 - 1 tablespoons each of finely chopped green, red and yellow bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped firm red tomatoes, seeds removed
1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves
1/2 teaspoon red crushed peppers
2 tablespoons cold milk
1-2 oz. butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Chop the herbs and vegetables a day before and refrigerate.
Keep the eggs and Philadelphia cheese at room temperature for several hours or overnight.
Separate the whites from the yolks. Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat until frothy.
Mix together the yolks and the Philadelphia cheese and fold into the whites.
Add the crushed pepper and milk and mix well.
Gently mix in the herbs and vegetables.
Melt the butter and oil in a frying pan over low heat.
Pour the egg mixture in the warm oil.
Lower the heat and gently fold the eggs from the sides to the center.
Move the eggs to one side after they gel in the middle.
Tilt the pan to the side where the eggs have been collected and lightly run the spatula in the middle.
Add the cheddar cheese and the mushrooms — which can be heated before adding to the omelet. Cook until the part that is in contact with the frying pan is browned.
Place a dish big enough to cover the frying pan. Invert the pan onto the plate. Serve immediately with toasted croissants.
Voila!
2 Servings.
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Foodie Majida Rashid lives in Texas. Food and cooking are her passion. Her philosophical writing can be read at apakistaniwomansjourney.wordpress.com. @Frontiers_Of_Flavor
