When I was growing up, my brother and I used to love it when our parents would make Breakfast for Dinner (or BFD as we liked to call it). Back then, it usually involved waffles and lots of maple syrup, but as I grew older, I moved on to eggs. With their good-quality protein as well as Riboflavin (B2), Vitamin A and iron, eggs are not only nutritious, but filling as well. (I choose the Omega-3 eggs for an added nutritional boost.) Since you can buy a half dozen at most stores and they stay fresh for about three weeks when properly refrigerated, eggs make a perfect solution for a meal for one.
One of my favorite egg-based meals is roasted asparagus topped with an egg cooked over easy. To make it, just roast about 10 spears of fresh asparagus in the oven at 450°F with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Once they’re done, top them with an egg cooked over-easy (or however you like it). Cooking the egg over-easy means the yolk is still runny, so when you cut into it over the asparagus, it makes an almost faux-hollandaise sauce. The options for egg-based dinners are endless, but here are a few simple ideas to get you started:
A slice of thick, whole-grain toast topped with some spinach, a little goat cheese, a slice of tomato and an egg cooked to your liking (over easy for me please!).
An omelet with goodies you have on hand, or, alternatively, pick up a few pre-cut veggies and shredded cheese from the salad bar to throw into your omelet.
Simple scrambled eggs and a salad of field greens dressed simply with lemon, salt and pepper, and perhaps some freshly shaved Parmigiano Reggiano, if you have it on hand.
Fried egg sandwich with a simple salad on the side (definitely an indulgence!).
While eggs have gotten a bad rap because of their cholesterol content, some experts now say that dietary cholesterol has little effect on blood cholesterol levels. Even the American Heart Association says you can eat about one egg a day if your total daily cholesterol is under 300 mg. So, I say, bring on the eggs for dinner! A great solution for a quick, nutritious meal for one. How do you like your dinner eggs? I’d love to hear your fresh ideas.
