Get egg-cited about eggs
Updated: Apr 2, 2021
Delicious, nutritious and oh so versatile, eggs are, in my opinion, the king of all proteins. At only 77 calories and packing around 6 grams of high quality protein and vitamins, eggs are the complete protein your body needs to kickstart the day.
When I am not having an on-the-run quick and easy protein shake for breakfast, my favourite food to indulge in for breakfast is eggs, there is something about the warm, runny yolk of a poached egg, or luxurious creaminess of a perfectly scrambled egg that can make any morning feel like a laid back, easy Sunday morning, even if it is only Tuesday.
If you want to kickstart your metabolism in the morning, avoid the mid-morning munchies or you’re just after a quick, easy breakfast, eggs might just be your new BFF, and I’ve got some delicious recipes to really get you egg-cited (I promise that is my only dad joke today). So forget the Egg-Fast Diet or the Boiled Egg Diet or any other plain, boring egg recipes, and let’s get into some delicious, nutritious and every bariatric soldier’s favourite word, protein-filled egg recipes.
Easy, Creamy Scrambled Eggs
The luxurious eggs are my favourite warm breakfast, and helped me survive many days during my purée stage post surgery. My favourite thing about this recipe is that it is so versatile, have it on its own or, if you’re in the mood for veggies add some caramelised onion & capsicum, or wilt some baby spinach into your eggs. Want to add some spice to your life? Add a pinch of chili flakes to up the heat.
Serves: 1
Nutritional Information
Calories: 99
Carbs: 1.2g
Fat: 7.9g
Protein: 8.2g
Ingredients
1 whole egg
20g light cream cheese
1tsp (5ml) skim milk
1tbsp (15ml) fresh chives, chopped finely
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Crack the egg into a small bowl.
Add cream cheese, skim milk, salt and pepper to the egg and whisk with a fork until well combined.
Pour your egg mixture into a small non-stick pan, and cook slowly over a low heat, using a silicone spatula to quickly swirl circles around the pan to create small, soft egg ‘curds’ (Don’t cook over a high heat as this is bound to result in dry eggs).
Once the eggs are just set (still looking slightly raw and runny), take the pan off the heat, allowing the residual heat to set the eggs for a few seconds.
Plate, and sprinkle with chopped chives to garnish.
Alternatively if you really want to indulge, add a sprinkle of goats cheese and oregano as you remove the eggs from the heat and let the residual heat melt the cheese, creating a luxurious, indulgent scrambled egg.
* Above macros are for the basic scrambled egg recipe, any additions add to your daily macros.
Everything But The Kitchen Sink Frittata
You know those days where you open the fridge and realise that you maybe have half an onion from Monday night’s dinner (I never get why most recipes don’t require a whole onion), a handful of mushrooms that look like they might have a day left in them before in the bin they go. Or maybe it’s a Friday night, and because you’re an absolute powerhouse during the week, you are tired AF and just want to order a pizza and down a glass of rosé, but you decided pizza two nights in a row probably isn’t what they meant when they said ‘everything in moderation'. If either scenario sounds familiar then this is the recipe for you.
Serves: 6
Nutritional Information
Calories: 165
Carbs: 4g
Fat: 10g
Protein: 14g
Ingredients
6 whole eggs
50g light mozzarella cheese, grated
125ml skim milk
½ brown onion, sliced (approx. 75g)
1tsp onion powder
1tsp garlic powder
200g mushrooms, sliced
10 cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
75g bacon, chopped
3tbsp fresh basil
2tbsp parmesan cheese (fresh or powdered - it is whatever you have after all)
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 180°C (356°F). In a non-stick pan on a medium heat, cook bacon until just cooked and most of the fat has cooked out into the pan.
Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.
Add onions to the pan and cook until soft (about 8-10minutes).
Add mushrooms to the pan of onions and cook until soft.
Add bacon back to the pan of veggies and mix until evenly combined.
Crack eggs into a bowl, add milk, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, onion and garlic powders and whisk until well combined.
Spray an ovenproof pie dish with a light spritz of spray oil and pour the bacon, onion, mushroom mixture into the dish and spread evenly over the base.
Arrange the cherry tomato halves, round side down in the pie dish.
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and basil into the dish, and evenly pour the milk-egg mixture over the bacon-veggie mixture.
Pop the pie dish into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the egg mixture is puffed and golden, appears cooked (it will still have a slight jiggle in the centre). Let the frittata cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving with a fresh green side salad, or enjoy on its own if you’re wanting to keep the carbs low.
Recommended Filling Combinations:
Taco mince, coriander and capsicum - topped with a little bit of guacamole & sour cream
Ham, cheese & tomato - all the flavours of a toastie without the carbs
Roast chicken, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella & basil - drizzle a little balsamic glaze once out of the oven to give it some caprese salad vibes
Spinach, garlic, onion, dill, parsley & feta - Go Greek with this Spanakopita-esque version, a perfect vegetarian alternative packed full of iron.
*Macros are above ingredients, for alternate fillings you will need to adjust the macros.
Sleep-in Egg Muffins
Who wouldn’t love a sleep in on a Monday (or any) morning? With these quick, easier, freezer friendly, high protein egg muffins, your next sleep in is more than just something to hope and dream about. What’s great about these muffins is you can use whatever flavour combinations you have hiding in your fridge, making it the perfect pre-grocery shopping meal. These babies last up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge, and can last up to 3 months when frozen, if individually plastic wrapped in an airtight container.
Serves: 12
Nutritional Information per muffin
Calories: 89
Carbs: 4g
Fat: 5g
Protein: 8g
Ingredients
3 whole large eggs
6 large egg whites (about 1 cup/250ml)
75g light tasty cheese, grated
125ml skim milk
2 shallots, chopped
1tsp onion powder
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp Italian herbs
100g mushrooms, sliced
1 green capsicum, diced
2 rashers middle bacon, chopped
1 zucchini, grated, with all the liquid squeeze out*
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 180°C (356°F). Grease a 12 muffin tin with spray oil.
In a non-stick pan on a medium heat, cook bacon until just cooked and most of the fat has cooked out into the pan.
Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.
Add shallots, zucchini, mushrooms and capsicum to the pan and cook until soft (about 8-10minutes).
Add mushrooms to the pan of onions and cook until soft.
Add bacon back to the pan of veggies and mix until evenly combined.
Remove from the stove to cool.
Crack eggs into a large jug or bowl, add milk, salt, pepper, Italian herbs, onion and garlic powders and whisk until well combined.
Add the cheese, bacon, vegetable mix to the egg mixture and whisk with a fork until evenly combined.
Carefully pour evenly into the muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes, until fully cooked.
Remove from the oven and let it cool for about 5-7 minutes before removing from the muffin tin.
* To remove the liquid from the zucchini, pop the grated zucchini into a clean tea towel, twist into a ball and squeeze over the sink until all the excess moisture is removed.
What are some of your favourite ways to use eggs? Let me know in the comments