Part 8 (2/2)

While the oysters are frying, beat the eggs and the cream together. When the oysters are golden, pour the beaten eggs into the skillet and scramble until set. Divide between 2 serving plates, sprinkle a tablespoon of Parmesan and a tablespoon of parsley over each portion, and serve.

Yield: 2 servings 2 servings Each with 5 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 4 grams of usable carbs and 21 grams of protein.

Hot Dog Scramble Okay, it's not haute cuisine, but I'll bet your kids will eat it without complaining.

1 tablespoon (14 g) b.u.t.ter 1 hot dog, sliced into rounds small onion, chopped 3 eggs, beaten cup (30 g) shredded cheddar cheese Melt the b.u.t.ter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the hot dog slices and onion and saute until the onion is limp and the hot dog slices are starting to brown.

Add the eggs and scramble until half-set. Add the cheese and continue to scramble until the eggs are set and the cheese is melted. Serve.

Yield: 1 serving 1 serving 8 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 7 grams of usable carbs and 31 grams of protein.

Chipotle Eggs Smoky and complex in flavor, chipotle peppers- smoked jalapenos-are very special, and they make these eggs very special, too. Personally, I think a side of avocado slices with a little lime or lemon juice would be nice with this.

cup (80 g) finely chopped onion teaspoon minced garlic or 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil 2 small chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce, finely minced-about 2 teaspoons 6 eggs cup (50 g) shredded Monterey Jack cheese Spray a large, heavy skillet with nonstick cooking spray, place it over medium-high heat, and start sauteing the onion and garlic in the oil. When the onion is translucent, add the chopped chipotles, stir them in, and let the whole thing cook for another minute. (This is a good time to break and scramble the eggs.) Pour the eggs into the skillet and scramble until nearly set. Scatter the cheese evenly over the top, turn the heat to low, cover the skillet, and let it keep cooking until the cheese is melted- just a minute or two. Serve.

Yield: 2 or 3 servings. 2 or 3 servings.

a.s.suming 2 servings, each will have 5 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 4 grams of usable carbs and 24 grams of protein. This also contains 285 milligrams of calcium and 248 milligrams of pota.s.sium. (They'll be more pota.s.sium if you have those avocado slices!) Fried Eggs Are you tired of all that scrambling? These next few recipes are, in one form or another, good old fried eggs.

Fried Eggs Not Over Really Easy If you're like me, you like your eggs over-easy so that the whites are entirely set and the yolks are still soft-but you find it maddeningly difficult to flip a fried egg without breaking the yolk. Here's the solution!

3 eggs tablespoon b.u.t.ter or oil 1 teaspoon water Spray your skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place it over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the b.u.t.ter and coat the bottom of the pan with it. Crack your eggs into the skillet-careful not to break the yolks!-and immediately cover them.

Wait about 2 minutes and check your eggs. They should be well set on the bottom but still a bit slimy on top. Add a teaspoon of water for each serving (you can approximate this; the quant.i.ty isn't vital), turn the heat to low, and cover the pan again.

Check after a minute; the steam will have cooked the tops of the eggs. If there's still a bit of uncooked white, give it another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Lift out and serve.

Yield: 1 serving 1 serving About 1.5 grams of carbohydrates, no fiber, and 16 grams of protein.

For the easiest eggs, use a skillet that fits the number of eggs you're frying. A 7-inch (18-cm) skillet is just right for a single serving, but if you're doing two servings, use a big skillet.

Huevos Rancheros 1 tablespoon (14 g) b.u.t.ter or oil 2 eggs 3 tablespoons (49 ml) salsa (hot or mild, as you prefer) 2 ounces (55 g) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded Spray a heavy skillet with nonstick cooking spray and set it over medium heat. Add the b.u.t.ter or oil and crack the eggs into the skillet. Turn down the heat and cover. Let the eggs fry for 4 to 5 minutes.

While the eggs are frying, warm the salsa in a saucepan or in the microwave.

When your fried eggs are set on the bottom but still a little underdone on top, scatter the cheese evenly over the fried eggs, add a teaspoon or two of water to the skillet, and cover it again. In a minute or two, the tops of the eggs should be set (but the yolks still soft) and the cheese melted.

Transfer the eggs to a plate with a spatula, top with warmed salsa, and serve.

Yield: 1 serving 1 serving 4 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 3 grams of usable carbohydrates and 25 grams of protein.

Asparagi All'Uovo This Italian dish turns a couple of eggs into a light supper. This looks like a lot of instructions, but none of the steps takes much time.

1 pound (455 g) asparagus teaspoon minced garlic or 1 clove garlic, crushed cup (60 ml) olive oil cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese 8 eggs Preheat the broiler.

Snap the bottoms off the asparagus where they break naturally. Put the asparagus in a microwaveable ca.s.serole dish or a gla.s.s pie plate. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and cover. (Use plastic wrap or a plate to cover a pie plate.) Microwave on high for 3 to 4 minutes.

While the asparagus is cooking, stir the garlic into the olive oil.

When the asparagus is done, drain it. If you have 4 single-serving oven-proof dishes long enough to hold asparagus, they're ideal for this recipe-divide the asparagus between the 4 dishes. If not, you'll need to use a rectangular gla.s.s baking dish. Arrange the asparagus in 4 groups in the baking dish.

Whether you're using the individual dishes or the single baking dish, drizzle each serving of asparagus with the garlic and olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and divide the cheese between the 4 servings. Put the asparagus under the broiler, about 4 inches (10 cm) from low heat. Let it broil for 4 to 5 minutes.

While the asparagus is broiling, fry the eggs to your liking. Either use your biggest skillet to do them all at once or divide them between two skillets.

When the Parmesan is lightly golden, take the asparagus out of the broiler. If you've cooked it in one baking dish, use a big spatula to carefully transfer each serving of asparagus to a plate. Top each serving of asparagus with 2 fried eggs and serve.

Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 4 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 3 grams of usable carbs and 16 grams of protein. If you'd like 22 grams of protein, add a third egg to each serving.

Rodeo Eggs This was originally a sandwich recipe, but it works just as well without the bread.

4 slices bacon, chopped into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces 4 thin slices onion 4 eggs 4 thin slices cheddar cheese Begin frying the bacon in a heavy skillet over medium heat. When some fat has cooked out of it, push it aside and put the onion slices in, too. Fry the onion on each side, turning carefully to keep the slices together, until it starts to look translucent. Remove the onion from the skillet and set aside.

Continue frying the bacon until it's crisp. Pour off most of the grease and distribute the bacon bits evenly over the bottom of the skillet. Break in the eggs and fry for a minute or two until the bottoms are set but the tops are still soft. (If you like your yolks hard, break them with a fork; if you like them soft, leave them unbroken.) Place a slice of onion over each yolk and then cover the onion with a slice of cheese. Add a teaspoon of water to the skillet, cover, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheese is thoroughly melted.

Cut into four separate eggs with the edge of a spatula and serve.

Yield: This serves 2 if they're good and hungry or 4 if they're only a bit peckish or if they're kids. This serves 2 if they're good and hungry or 4 if they're only a bit peckish or if they're kids.

In 2 servings, each will have 4 grams of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 27 grams of protein.

Gruyere Eggs 1 tablespoon (14 g) b.u.t.ter 2 eggs cup (30 g) shredded Gruyere cheese 1 scallion, sliced Spray a heavy skillet with nonstick cooking spray and melt the b.u.t.ter in it over medium-high heat. Crack the eggs into the skillet and fry them until the bottoms are done but the tops are still a little soft.

Scatter the Gruyere over the eggs. Add a couple of teaspoons of water to the skillet, cover, and let cook another couple of minutes until the cheese is melted and the whites are set.

Move the eggs to a serving plate, scatter the sliced scallion on top, and serve.

Yield: 1 serving 1 serving 2 grams of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 19 grams of protein.

Chili Egg Puff Serve this versatile dish for brunch or supper. And don't be afraid of those chilies: The mild ones aren't hot, they're just very flavorful. (And if you like hot foods, feel free to use hotter chilies.) 5 eggs 3 tablespoons (15 g) soy powder or (24 g) rice protein powder r teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal teaspoon baking powder 1 cup (225 g) small-curd cottage cheese 8 ounces (225 g) Monterey Jack cheese, grated 3 tablespoons (42 g) b.u.t.ter, melted 1 can (4 ounces, or 115 g) diced green chilies, drained Preheat the oven to 350F (180C, or gas mark 4). Spray a 6-cup (1.4-L) ca.s.serole dish with nonstick cooking spray or b.u.t.ter it generously.

Break the eggs into a bowl and beat them with a whisk. Whisk in the soy powder, salt, and baking powder, mixing very well.

Beat in the cottage cheese, Monterey Jack, melted b.u.t.ter, and chilies. Pour the whole thing into the prepared ca.s.serole dish, put it in the oven, and bake for about 35 minutes. (It's okay if it's a little runny in the very center when you spoon into it; that part acts as a sauce for the rest.) Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 7 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 6 grams of usable carbohydrates and 30 grams of protein.

Don't know how big your ca.s.serole dish is? Fill it with water using a measuring cup. You want one that just holds 6 cups (1.4 L) of water, although just a tad bigger or smaller won't matter.

Swiss Puff This is a great comfort-food-type supper.

4 eggs 1 batch Ultimate Fauxtatoes (page 209) teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon (15 g) b.u.t.ter 2 cups (240 g) shredded Swiss cheese 4 scallions, sliced, including the crisp part of the green shoot 2 tablespoons (7.6 g) chopped parsley 4 drops hot pepper sauce Preheat oven to 375F (190C, or gas mark 5).

Separate your eggs. (Since whites with even a tiny speck of yolk in them will stubbornly refuse to whip up, do yourself a favor and separate each egg into a small cup or bowl.) Dump the yolks into the Fauxtatoes and beat them in; add the salt, pepper, and b.u.t.ter. Dump your (presumably yolkless) egg whites into a deep mixing bowl and set aside.

Stir the shredded Swiss cheese into the Fauxtatoes and then stir in the scallions, parsley, and hot pepper sauce.

Now, using an electric mixer, beat the whites until they stand in soft peaks. Fold gently into the Fauxtatoes. Spoon the whole thing into a 6-cup (1.4-L) ca.s.serole dish you've sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

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