Saturday, March 10, 2007

Quick Eggs


Saturday, March 10, 2007
My breakfast is usually a piece of toast, a glass of juice, and some yogurt. Sometimes I have oatmeal. Every now and then, though, I really like an egg. But...no stove, no egg. One day I started to wonder if I could cook an egg in the microwave. I got out my copy of The Microwave Gourmet, and found a recipe for baked eggs that I adapted. They're so fast that if I start the egg and the toast at the same time, the egg always wins. The important thing about cooking an egg in the microwave is to prick the yolk a couple of times with the tip of a knife. Otherwise, they explode. This is not just a theoretical possibility, as I learned the day I forgot that step.

SHIRRED EGGS
1/2 t. butter
1 egg
Salt and pepper
1 T. cream or half and half
1/2 t. dried tarragon (optional)

1. Melt butter in custard cup in microwave.
2. Break egg into cup.
3. Puncture egg yolk twice with tip of sharp knife.
4. Add cream and tarragon, if desired.
5. Cover loosely with paper towel
6. Microwave on high for 45-60 seconds, depending on preferred doneness of yolk.

There are lots of ways to vary this recipe, depending on what you might have on hand. Even in my virtually refrigerator-less state, I still had some salsa and cheddar cheese, which makes a very satisfactory Saturday breakfast.


SHIRRED EGG WITH SALSA AND CHEESE
3 T. salsa, divided
1 egg
Salt and pepper
1 ounce cheese (Cheddar, Monterey jack, and feta work well)

1. Heat 2 T. salsa in custard cup.
2. Break egg on top of warm salsa.
3. Pierce yolk twice with tip of sharp knife.
4. Season with salt and pepper
5. Cover with cheese and remaining salsa.
6. Microwave on high for 45-60 seconds.

--Adapted from The Microwave Gourmet by Barbara Kafka

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yum! We don't have a microwave anymore, but I can adapt this for the oven. We had eggs this morning too!

Marie said...

Ash,
That's funny--a recipe for the oven adapted for use in the microwave adapted back for use in the oven. Life is so complicated.

DEMEGrad said...

Its great seeing your kitchen come together. I will be putting in oak floors come june to match some flooring I already have in the sun room which is immediately adjacent to the kitchen. I like your choices though, don't worry that others don't know what wood they are. Anyway, I remember my mom used to make chocolate steam pudding in the microwave, and it was one of my favorite desserts. It could be nostalgia making me think it was really good though. I haven't had it since I was a kid. It turns out more cakey or maybe like a quick bread, but its the closest thing to bread I can think of without an oven.

Marie said...

DEMEgrad,
Thanks for the tip about microwaved chocoalte steam pudding. There's a recipe for it in The Microwave Gourmet, and, if it works, it would be a great little dessert to know about.
By the way, your bread looks terrific!

Chubbypanda said...

Cool! A friend of mine worked on that book before she became a stock broker. =)

Marie said...

Chubbypanda,
She's probably richer now, but is she happier?

Chubbypanda said...

You know, I really can't say. She enjoyed working on the book, though.

Anonymous said...

Supeb!!

Again, desparet to *not* have to wash the pan that i used last nite
to make a burger
- will prob use for same today,

Water: waste not, want not.

(tips towel for one hoopy frood!)
-- share and enjoy,
Frank.

Steven H. Roemerman Sr said...

You are my hero. These eggs are fabulous