Thursday, May 19, 2016

GREEN EGGS AND HAM, NATURALLY

 

Do you like green eggs and ham?
I do not like them  Sam-I-Am.  I do not like green eggs and ham.

If you're like that snotty unnamed character in the best-selling children's book by Theodor Seuss Geisel a.k.a Dr. Seuss, you might find green eggs appalling. I hope to change your mind because colored eggs are as fun to make as they are to eat!

And if you've got kids, it's also an exciting way to teach them about the science of cooking.

INGREDIENTS
- Eggs
- Red Cabbage
- Butter (or oil)
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Red cabbage to make green eggs? Seriously?
 

TO MAKE

Wash and cut the red cabbage into quarters. Take out the tough fleshy part in the middle then cut the  into smaller strips about 1/2 inch wide.

Microwave the red cabbage for about 5 minutes (high setting). It should be wilted and its juices leaking by the time you're done. Let it cool.
 

Get an unbleached muslin cloth or coffee filter and use it to squeeze the juice out of the red cabbage. You won't get a glassful of purple juice but it's okay, you only need a small amount.

 ***
An alternative to get the cabbage juice is to cook it in boiling water and use a strainer.
 
 

***

While you're waiting for the cabbage to heat up and cool down, separate the egg yolk from the whites.

Gently whisk the cabbage juice into the egg white and add a little salt. Watch the purple juice magically turn green right before your eyes!

***
But it isn't magic, it's science. Red cabbage contains anthocyanin, odorless and flavorless water-soluble pigments that occur naturally in plants like the red cabbage, berries and red corn. Plants use anthocyanins to make their leaves, fruits and flowers more attractive to animals so they get eaten,  dispersed and pollinated naturally.

***
Heat up the pan and get your ingredients ready.

Pour in the whites (or greens, if you want to be technical about it).
 

Pour the yolk in position, carefully making sure not to break it.

Let the egg cook in low heat.

Serve with slices of ham.

*** 
 I also made a scrambled egg version. It needs a little sprucing up unless you're serving it as a  halloween treat.

***

No comments:

Post a Comment