No Yolking Around: It's National Egg Month

Feeling a little fried? Scrambling for something to cook today?

This month, we’re celebrating an eggcellent source of protein that is sure to please both your family and their taste buds.

Whether you like them brown, white or even green, eggs are a versatile part of a balanced diet.

At about 19 cents apiece and 70 calories (link to National Egg Board thing), eggs are also a fun way to mix things up in the kitchen.

You can poach, fry, scramble or bake with them. You can spice things up and make them deviled or halve them to brighten a salad.

There are plenty of eggs to go around. In 2012, over 100 million sets of a dozen eggs were produced in Texas. That’s a lot of breakfast sandwiches!

Think you don’t eat a lot of eggs? According to the American Egg Board, the average person will eat over 266 eggs per year in 2016.

No wonder there’s an entire month dedicated to eggs!

Need a little help celebrating? Here’s a collection of our favorite recipes involving eggs: http://bit.ly/23CU5yV.

And, if you’re like me, you’ll enjoy these great tips on how to easily peel hard-boiled eggs from the American Egg Board.

Master easy-peel hard-boiled eggs

According to a recent survey conducted by the American Egg Board, difficulty peeling is a top barrier to consumers making more hard-boiled eggs. Fortunately, a new way to hard-boil makes eggs not only easier to peel, but cuts the classic hard-boiling cook time by nearly one-third. Instead of waiting for an entire pot filled with water and eggs to boil, try this new method out:

1. HEAT ½- to 1-inch of water in a large saucepan to boiling over high heat. Carefully place steamer insert into pan over boiling water OR proceed to Step 2 if not using a steamer insert.

2. Carefully ADD eggs using a large spoon or tongs. COVER pan. Continue cooking 12 minutes for large eggs (13 minutes for extra large eggs).

3. DRAIN immediately and serve warm. OR, cool completely under cold running water or in a bowl of ice water, then REFRIGERATE.

Making hard-boiled eggs fast and easy-to-peel is good news for the millions who search for “boiled eggs,” one of the most popular search terms related to “eggs” in Google. It’s also good news for people who love to make deviled eggs, as the easy-peel method helps keep egg whites whole and yolks a creamy golden yellow. Inspired? Watch this video to see how easy deviled eggs can be to make.

A printable sheet with these tips can be found here: http://bitly.com/EasyBoilEggs.

Take your hard-boiled eggs to the next level

Making a dozen hard-boiled eggs on Sunday ensures you have a nutritious, grab-and-go snack whenever you need it. Try out these ideas to keep your hard-boiled egg snacks fresh and fun all week long:

• Go fancy with your salt and pepper. Try truffle salt or spicy chipotle salt for a little heat. • Season hard-boiled eggs with salt-free lemon and pepper seasoning mix or low-salt herb mix. • Make it spicy with a dab of Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce. • Dip your eggs in honey mustard or ranch dressing and add chopped veggies to top it off. Place it on a pretzel stick or breadstick for a grab-and-go snack. • Top your lunch salad with hard-boiled eggs. • Add it to a bento box filled with hummus, olives and vegetables for a delicious afternoon snack.

Enjoy!

Jessica Domel

Special to The Record

Texas Table Top - Field Editor

As a farmer’s daughter and granddaughter, I believe life is best experienced on the farm. I believe Texas agriculture is the backbone of our economy, and we should be proud to show our Texas roots.