Eggs+-+Melissa


 * 1/2 to 3/4 pound asparagus,trimmed, chopped
 * water
 * 2 tablespoons butter * ( Instead of using butter, use olive oil)
 * 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
 * 4 green onions, with green, thinly sliced
 * 1 small tomato, peeled, seeded, diced
 * 1 1/2 cups shredded Havarti cheese or Swiss, about 6 ounces * (use goat cheese)
 * 4 large eggs
 * 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or whole milk *(1% milk)
 * 1/2 teaspoon salt
 * 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
 * dash nutmeg

Preparation:
Serves 6 to 8.
 * 1) In a saucepan, cover asparagus with water.
 * 2) Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.Drain and set aside.
 * 3) In a skillet, heat butter over medium-low heat; add mushrooms.
 * 4) Saute until mushrooms are tender; add green onions and cook for 1 minute longer.
 * 5) Set aside.
 * 6) Line a 9-inch or 10-inch pie plate with pastry; bake at 375° for 8 minutes.
 * 7) Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350°.
 * 8) Arrange vegetables and shredded cheese in pie pastry.
 * 9) Whisk together the eggs and half-and-half; add salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
 * 10) Pour egg mixture over the vegetables.
 * 11) Place the filled pie shell on a large cookie sheet or jelly-roll pan.
 * 12) Place in the oven and cook for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Variations : Why to use Olive Oil instead of butter: Butter: 100 calories per tablespoon. 12 grams fat,__ 7 grams saturated fat, 3 grams monounsaturated fat. 31mg cholesterol, 82 mg sodium. __ Olive Oil: 120 calories per tablespoon. 14 grams fat,__ 2 grams saturated fats, 12 grams healthy fats , 0 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium __ Even though Butter contains less calories than Olive oil, butter is very high in saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Also when you sautee vegetables in olive oil its healthier and wont be soaked in butter to loose the good vegetable taste.

Using Goat cheese : A good cheese that you can possibly use for this recipe is Goat cheese. Goat cheese is lower in fat and contains less calories than cows cheese. Difference between Cow Cheese and Goat cheese : Calories per ounce: Goat Cheese- 80 Cows Cheese- 100

Fat (g): Goat Cheese: 6 Cows Cheese:10

Cholesterol (mg): Goat Cheese: 20 Cows Cheese: 30 If you are not comftorbal with using Goat Cheese, part skim milk cheese can be another option. It contains less fat than whole milk cheese.

Using 1% Milk rather than whole milk or half and half: I'm saying that in this recipe it would be good to use 1% milk. Why not skim? While skim milk might be less in fat, it has a very watery taste, 1% milk still has some fat in it but not much. A Quiche should be fluffy instead of watery. Whole milk is the highest milk in fat and calories.

Parts of the egg: Coagulation: When an egg coagulates, it depends on the temperature. Whites Coagulate at 140 F (60 C) Yolks Coagulate at 144- 158 F (62- 70 C) Scrambled Eggs Coagulate at 156 F (69 C)

Deterioration of Eggs: Once the egg is laid, it is highly perishable and begin to deteriorate. When can you tell if an egg is starting to deteriorate? White begins to thin Yolk is no longer firm or rounded Air cell sac increases

How to store your eggs: In the refrigerator an egg can stay good for about a month. How to saute your vegetables: media type="youtube" key="lxvtcHVeqjw" height="390" width="480" How to foam Egg Whites:
 * 1) Separate yolks from the whites.
 * 2) Wait until eggs are room temperature.
 * 3) Before mixing, make sure your bowl is clean with NO oil in it. (A copper bowl produces the best, most stable, highest volume foam with a slight yellowish tinge. If you happened to have one, clean it first with a little vinegar and hand beat egg whites in it.)
 * 4) You can add sugar to this mix because it will stabilize the egg but make sure you don't add the sugar to early because it can inhibit foam formation.

Fun Facts about Eggs:
 * A hen requires 24-26 hours to produce one egg.
 * Eggs age more in one day at room temperature than they do in a week if refrigerated.
 * About 240 million laying hens produce approximately 5.5 billion dozen eggs per year in the United States.
 * If you accidentally break an egg on the floor or a counter top, sprinkle it heavily with salt for easy clean-up.
 * Egg Yolks are one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D, which is essential for building strong bones (it helps the body absorb calcium).

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