Creating nutritious memories
I remember when living with friends and I implemented eating our meals on Wednesdays. They enjoyed the company, meals and environment that it became a daily thing for the mornings. To this day, we recall our fond memories of the times of eating our meals …
When the clock strikes 12pm when the New Year is announced, all of the excitement and splendour from the beautiful fireworks populate the night sky making a vibrant eye-catching scene. Do you ever feel like you need to wait until the new year to start …
How to boil an egg, you must be kidding. No, I’m not cracking jokes. When it comes to cooking, we all have to start from humble beginnings. (If you were a wiz in the kitchen, you might be familiar with all of the content of this post). By the end of this post, you will learn how to make soft, medium and hard-boiled eggs which you can use to prepare several recipes. Before we get into the post, first look at some cooking methods and how to check if an egg is fresh.
Cooking methods and uses
Eggs are a versatile ingredient and can be used other than in breakfast. The list can go on with ideas and recipes to suit your preferences, from lunches, sauces, lunches, and the various cooking methods. There is a budget-friendly option, and if a dozen eggs are too many for one person, you can share purchasing them with a housemate.
Checking for freshness
When making eggs, such as scrambling or poaching, you want to make sure they are fresh. One way is observing the egg yolk as the yolk should stand high whilst the white part is connected to it cohesively. Another trick is to get a glass of cold water and gently place the egg in the water. If the eggs sink to the bottom of the glass, the egg is fresh and ok to consume. The egg may fall to the bottom but is titled in an upright position; they are suitable for hard boiling.
If the egg floats on top, you want to check the egg by cracking it open and ensuring no foul smells or that the colour does not look off. The egg will float. Eventually, the air pocket inside the egg will become more significant as water is released and then replaced by the air. That is because eggs shells are slightly porous, so over time if eggs are not used, air will enter, resulting in a larger air pocket leading to eggs acting as a buoyancy aid.
While there are many many ways to observe if an egg is fresh, to make things easier, it is best to follow the best before date on the packages and to use it as soon as possible.
Boiling Eggs (Tips and ideas)
While there are many methods of boiling eggs, following one that is simple and less confusing would be useful when making soft or hard boiled eggs. For the most consistent eggs, I prefer to boil the water first.
Troubleshooting
The green ring around the yolk of boiled eggs
Like other foods, rice gets burnt, the meat becomes dry and boiled eggs become discoloured, which is a sign that the eggs were cooked for too long. Because of this, the iron from the yolk reacts with the hydrogen sulphide from the white(albumin), resulting in a greenish-grey colour ring in between the yolk and the albumin. Using water with a high level of iron may also be the culprit
Solution:
Seasoning ideas
All-purpose seasoning (this can be a secret cook weapon, convenient to have at home if you won’t bump up the flavour of food and is available in all supermarkets). This blend combines salt, pepper, dried garlic, dried onion, dried herbs, and other savoury spices. Try mixing it with paprika and dried or fresh parsley.
Need ideas for using boiled eggs
Soft-boiled eggs
Hard boiled eggs
Did you get a chance to make this recipe? If so, please leave a comment below or share your photo on Instagram. Dont forget to tag @Thatsaftotastic and use the hashtag #Thatsafrotastic.
Question: Do you prefer soft, hard boiled eggs or both?
[lt_recipe name=”Soft/ hard boiled eggs ” total_time=”21 MINUTES FOR HARDBOILED EGGS ” difficulty=”Easy ” summary=”An easy no fuss method for getting perfectly cooked soft or hardboiled eggs every time. Author by Lisa Bryan” print=”yes” ingredients=”1-6 eggs (depending on how many you want to use)” ]Using a medium size pot, allow the water to boil. Make sure there is enough water so that it covers the eggs around an inch.;;As you are waiting for the water to boil, collect the eggs from the fridge, place them on the counter and prepare an ice water bath using a large bowl.;;When the water has reached boiling point, reduce the heat to low. Using a skimmer. add the eggs slowly into the water.;;Using a timer cook the eggs for 6-7 for soft boiled eggs and 12 to 14 minutes.;;Once the eggs have been cooked about your preferred time, remove the eggs using the skimmer and submerge them in the ice water bath immediately to prevent them from cooking further.;;Peel the eggs and enjoy.[/lt_recipe]
Refences and resources
Welcome to the new series Back to basics. This series aims to provide foundational skills for cooking that will eventually lead to exploring other recipes and even inventing your own original recipes. This will include staple ingredients, how to observe their freshness, storage and cooking …
Ahh, oatmeal again??? If you asked me a couple of years ago, oats were not part of my staple, especially when making into oatmeal. Previously oatmeal seemed bland, especially when I saw it produced with water and sugar. Nevertheless, fast-forward to now, and I have …
As the weather is getting warmer calls for more cold and iced beverages. At least once a week, I like to make a batch of iced tea to store and use over time during the week. It was around 30 degrees as I was typing in this hot weather, but a cold drink in a shaded area in the home does the trick and bonus points if you use ice cubes. With the increase in temperature, I like to experiment with different flavours when it comes to hydration as I am reaching for water more than in colder seasons.
So let’s talk ingredients and the recipe.
From previous experience, barley is known to have a nutty flavour and slightly chewy rice like medium grain brown rice. If it is anyone’s first time trying it, it can be acquired taste. However, it is interesting to smell the nutty aroma by boiling the barley in water. While you can purchase barley in the supermarket, you can buy whole barley kernels or barley tea bags from any Japanese or Korean local supermarket. I actually gave this a try and followed a recipe by Jee, who has extensive experience in tea brewing. How to Make Barley Tea Properly (Hot & Iced)The whole kernels will take longer to brew.
Nonetheless, I prefer this method as brewing as you will notice a more depth of flavour that is well-rounded and smoother tea instead of the tea bags. Barley in tea bags is crushed into smaller pieces, making the brewing process quicker and great on the go and for convivence. The drawback is the depth of flavour that you get from a whole kernel. You will want to keep the whole kernel barley in an airtight container to keep any humidity or odours away.
This recipe uses a cold brewing method which involves using room temperature filtered water to slowly steep the tea. As there is no caffeine, it makes this recipe a great drink to have during the day or night.
Zesting a lemon is such a calming experience as I enjoy the smell of the lemon and the zest packs an addition tang along with the freshly squeezed lemon juice which are both optional.
Sustainability is s a value that I was growing fond of, yet at the same time, it seemed slightly overwhelming how to go about it. How can I make these changes? I have decided to break it down into small chunks …
Eating at the table, is there someone coming over, a celebration, nope none of them. In all honesty, this was a habit that I wanted to cultivate but struggled with for many years. It was slowly leaning towards eating just for fuel. …
The weather was beautiful on a sunny Wednesday afternoon. Just right and not too hot to the point where I want to duck in a find shelter. Perhaps it was the lovely cool gentle breeze that we all yearn for on those sunny days without a cloud in sight.
Aside from anything else, I find trips to the fresh local produce or markets relaxing and a way of slowing down. I love the aroma of pineapples, mangoes, strawberries, which is not always easy to come by. It is also lovely to find new ingredients, support local businesses and farmers, and just have a beautiful small chat with people. Sometimes if there are flowers in season or unique, I would purchase them and do a simple ikebana design for the home. I think this is another lovely way of bringing nature into the house. Having this mindset allows me to shift my perfective of understanding these small pockets of gems (moments) into cultivating gratitude and a sense of calm in the day. I didn’t always think to act this, especially last year where the thought of purchasing produce and food was a hassle and stressful, to be honest, which I didn’t like. This led me to ask myself this question ” what is one thing that I can do in my control to make it a little interesting, fun, enjoyable or exciting? ” It is amazing how gratitude has the power to turn around average day into one that is beautiful. Seeing the same situation, but with a different perspective.
Alright, so let’s talk ingredients.
Mangoes and salsa instantly remind me of summertime. While this recipe has few ingredients, the freshness and aroma of the fruit and veggies will make a huge difference from an ok to a fantastic salsa. If there are any local fruit grocers or farmers markets closely that you know that are known for their quality of fresh produce, give them a try. Sometimes when I am in a rush or tired, in all honesty, I may in once in a blue moon get produce from the supermarket. However, it doesn’t have the same taste, flavour, and captivating aroma, reminding me why I love sticking back to my usual fruit and veg markets.
Like the mangoes, I highly suggest using fresh-squeezed limes over the ready-made lime juice. I don’t think this is really common. However, I use the zest of the lime to increase the aroma of the lime, which pairs nicely with freshly cracked black pepper. Mixing all of the ingredients, you end up with a colourful dish on a plate and bowl that looks calming to observe, packed with flavour and fresh tyangy smell from the lime (I’m sure you can see that flavour is not only an essential factor but also smell texture and how it looks).
[lt_recipe name=”Mango salsa ” servings=”4″ prep_time=”10 MINS” total_time=”10 MINS” difficulty=”Easy” summary=”A colorful, fresh aromatic salsa with freshly lime juice, cracked black pepper and juicy mangoes.” print=”yes” ingredients=”2-3 tomatoes diced;1/2 cucumber diced,;Corn;2-3 radishes (optional);1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped and extra sprigs to serve;1/2 cup corn kernels;1 Mango diced;Black pepper ” ]1.Diced the tomato, cucumber, mango separately.; ;2. Wash coriander using cold water as fresh coriander can often be sandy. Roughly chop the coriander.;;3. Combine all ingredients together.;;4. Juice the lime and use a fine grater to zest the lime. Add a few sprigs of fresh coriander and black pepper and serve.;;[/lt_recipe]
When December and January comes, it is usually a time people where people reflect over the year, and how fast did 2021 end? It’s hard to even imagine that it has been two years that we have been facing this pandemic. The unpredictability of …