Venn Diagram Cooking: Make the Most of Eggs

by Lentine Alexis
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Venn Diagram Cooking: Make the Most of Eggs

Remember when you were in grade school and you had to study Venn diagrams — with overlapping circles that show where things overlap and different elements collide to create endless possibilities. Your kitchen is like that, too, especially when it comes to eggs.

Eggs are one of those ingredients that are always in your fridge, but you’re probably only using them to a tiny quarter of their potential. The truth is eggs become completely different, mouth-watering dishes when you add one, two, three ingredients (or more).

Below, we’ll show you how to turn your breakfasts (lunches and dinners) with eggs into show-stopping, edible experiments in simple math.

+       1 Ingredient: Eggs + Ricotta = Next-Level Scrambled Eggs

If you’ve got eggs and a few dollops of ricotta (about 1 tablespoon per egg), you’ve got next-level scrambled eggs. Just whisk the ricotta into the eggs, add a little salt and pepper and scramble them up. Voila! Fluffy, rich, delicious eggs that are just a little more special than your usual jam.

+        2 ingredients:  Eggs + Favorite Greens + Ricotta = Big Greens Salad

Ricotta is great as an ingredient, but it’s also delicious as a creamy dressing. You’ll need to add olive oil and lemon juice (but you probably have those already, too). This is a great option for lunch on the go: Whisk the dressing, hard-boil some eggs and wash the greens ahead of time. (We recommend two eggs per person for the salad, 2 cups of greens and 3 tablespoons ricotta citronette dressing, below.) Just before eating, crumble the eggs and dress your salad with the ricotta dressing to prevent the greens from going limp (kale holds up a little better). Bonus points if you add something crunchy like crackers or sunflower seeds because you just *happened* to have them at your desk.

Ricotta Citronette Dressing

Ingredients

  •    3/4 cup (180 ml) whole-milk ricotta
  •    Zest of one lemon, finely grated
  •    Juice of 1–2 lemons
  •    3/4 teaspoon (3.75 ml) coarse salt
  •    Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  •    1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. In a slow, steady stream, gradually add olive oil, whisking continuously to emulsify. Taste for seasoning and add additional lemon juice, salt and pepper, if needed. Dressing will keep, covered, in your refrigerator, for about 2 weeks.

Serves: 8 | Serving Size:  1 1/2 cups

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 162; Total Fat: 16g; Saturated Fat: 4g; Monounsaturated Fat: 11g; Cholesterol: 12mg; Sodium: 22mg; Carbohydrate: 2g; Dietary Fiber: 0g; Sugar: 0g; Protein: 3g

+        3 ingredients: Eggs + Greens + Ricotta + Bread (or Tortillas) = Super Green Tartine

Let’s add your favorite toast (or flatbread or tortillas) to the mix. You’ve already got greens, and you know to sauté them or turn them into salad. And, you have the ricotta to spread or whip into the eggs, so this final overlap gets to be a choose-your-own-adventure. Our favorite three-ingredient egg adventure is this Super Green Tartine.

If you have several kinds of greens or herbs, you can sauté or make a salad with the greens and sprinkle the herbs here. We love a swipe of ricotta under the eggs. (Extra credit if you have lemon juice or zest to squeeze or sprinkle into the ricotta — take it to 11!) Top your toast, flatbread or warmed tortillas with a swipe of the ricotta and the eggs of your choosing.

+       All the Other Good Stuff

Chances are you have a lot of other good stuff in your fridge that would be great with eggs and the other sweet additions we listed above, so take it to the next level and make yourself some egg-focused meals that are satisfying, smart and perfect for any meal of the day. Top your toast with avocado and sprouts, radishes or shredded carrots or a squeeze of lemon.

Now you have the tools to make the most of the eggs in your fridge. The sky’s the limit!

About the Author

Lentine Alexis
Lentine is a curious, classically trained chef and former pro athlete. She uses her bicycle, raw life and travel experiences and organic ingredients to inspire athletes and everyone to explore, connect and expand their human experiences through food. She previously worked as a Chef/Recipe Developer/Content Creator and Culinary Director at Skratch Labs – a sports nutrition company dedicated to making real food alternatives to modern “energy foods.” Today, she writes, cooks, speaks and shares ideas for nourishing sport and life with whole, simple, delicious foods.

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