Sunday, January 26, 2020

Eating While on the Road - Breakfast (Poached Egg)

Dear Readers,

Post number 5

This will be my final microwave egg preparation for this trip. A poached egg in half the time it would take on the stove! A poached egg is also my segue into other meals, hot and cold, topped with a poached egg. Continued thanks for following me on this journey of microwave meals, nutritional eating, and budgeting while on the road. I hope that these posts have some value for you, I certainly enjoy writing them.
  • Poached Egg (Salt, Vinegar, Water, Egg)
First the goods:

If you remember my itemized grocery list from my budgeting post you would remember:
- A dozen organic cage free eggs (Eggland's best) at $3.99 (about $0.33 per egg).
- Apple Cider Vinegar $0.99 for 16 ounces.
- Salt and Pepper grinders from the dollar store cost $1 each., or you can find complimentary packets at hot food counters.

The tools:
  • Microwave
  • Microwave safe glass or ceramic plate
  • Utensils: Fork, Spoon
Simple Microwave Egg "Over Easy" 
The application:
(Important tip, don't put your container in the center of the microwave, off-set it for best results)
  1. Crack your egg into a microwave safe container (mug or bowl)
  2. Add a teaspoon of vinegar
  3. Add a pinch of salt
  4. Submerge/Cover the egg with water, to about a 1/2 inch above the egg.
  5. **DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!**Gently poke a hole in to the top of the membrane that surrounds the yolk** DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!** If you skip this step your egg will likely explode in the microwave. 
    • Puncturing the membrane allows heat/gas to escape during the microwave process, I usually poke two holes.
  6. I usually do not cover the bowl/mug but you can use a plate or damp paper towl
  7. Cook on high for 2 minutes
    • Times may vary, I have access to a 900W Magic Chef machine
At this point any further cooking is to your preference

Reminders:
Let the plate/egg cool before you eat! Remember that the eggs (and all microwaved food) will continue to cook a bit after you've taken them out of the microwave. With that in mind, thee eggs might look a little loose, but will firm-up some after sitting to cool. Additionally, my bowl is never too hot to handle, but you may want a towel or t-shirt to remove the bowl to your eating surface. 

Additions:
Dress/serve with your favorite additions or on top of your favorite: bread, toast, quinoa, salad, rice, or eat on its own.

I am going to include the nutritional facts, as I did in the previous post, for continuity and convenience. Microwaving your food does less damage to your food compared to stove top methods, and as a result less/fewer nutrients is/are lost in the process. Eggland's Best eggs raw are 60 calories per serving, 6 grams of protein, 1 gram of saturated fat, 3 grams of unsaturated fat (1 poly- 2 mono-), approximately 20 - 40% of your daily value of Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Riboflavin (B2), Vitamin B12, Biotin, Pantothnic Acid (B5), Iodine, Selenium, Molybdenum, and Choline, and 57% of your daily value of cholesterol. They also contain 125 mg of Omega 3 fatty acids and 200 mcg of Lutein.

I use such a small quantity of vinegar and salt that the nutritional value is negligible, but he flavo is impeccable. 

Thanks for reading,
Joe

*Try to avoid plastic as much as you can. Microwave-safe plastic doesn't mean that it's good for you, it means that it will not destroy your microwave, it might destroy you long term.

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