Running out of quick dinner ideas? It’s time to eggspedite your menus to include eggs. With eggs, you’ll have so many more options – from simple to eggstravagant. Traditionally considered basically a breakfast item, eggs are so much more versatile. Count on them to give a deliciously fast high-quality protein boost to a wide variety of dishes. Fried eggs taste great on top of an overstuffed backed potato. Using a microwave to cook the potato will put this dish on the table in about half an hour. Customize stirfry using your favorite veggies and Asian sauce. A fried egg turns it into a one-dish meal. Or enjoy a simplified version of eggs benedict, using bottled cheese sauce. Taking advantage of the wide range of prepared foods available today will help cut

corners. And eggs – from poached to fried to scrambled – are fast and easy. Once you start thinking eggs, you’ll find they can fit comfortably into your menus any time of day.
     Nothing’s more enticing than a hot, home-cooked meal on a wintry day. We all know that balancing the demands of a busy career with a hectic home-life is a constant challenge. But if you think eggs, serving a homemade meal in minutes is a cinch. The key is on eggspanding your menu ideas to include eggs throughout the day. Making your own meals saves time and money and also allows you to control the amounts of salt, sugar, and fat your family consumes. Best of all, with eggs you don’t have to sacrifice taste and nutrition just because you’re short on time.
     Farm fresh eggs – sunny side up to scrambled – are ready in minutes. Adding a serving of high-quality protein to any meal, they average less than eight cents apiece. That’s hard to beat. When you start thinking eggs, you’ll find they make a tasty, low-cost addition to many dishes you routinely prepare. You probably already incorporate them into soups, salads, and sandwiches, but why not try them on your favorite stir-fry or stuffed baked potato. They’re delicious with all types of dishes. Eggspedite your options even more by

pairing eggs with the wide range of prepared foods available today. Whether functioning as an integral ingredient – or the finishing touch – eggs are the keys to temptingly fast meals.
     Fried eggs have traditionally been considered breakfast food. Everyone seems to have a different idea of what constitutes the perfect fried egg. To some, it’s sunny side up and basted to perfection with hot, golden butter. Those on a diet probably prefer the steambased method, which requires just a bit of fat to lightly grease the pan. If you use cooking spray, you can eliminate the need for fat altogether. Finally, there’s the contingent devoted to eggs that are flipped to the second side and cooked either over easy or over hard. In any case, gentle heat and slow cooking are essential. Heating an egg evenly and thoroughly helps to preserve the nutrients and to eliminate food safety concerns. Using high heat may actually overcook the protein, but no matter which way you prefer them, fried eggs are comfort food – pure and simple. And they should not be relegated to breakfast alone.
     To cook the perfect fried egg for 1 or 2, start by heating a teaspoon of butter in a 7- to 8- inch omelet pan over medium-high heat until just hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. If your pan is a lot