Joy Bauer shares two incredible egg recipes that bring flavor and nutrition, interview

As many families appreciate, eggs have been a staple in their weekly recipes. Even though food costs can impact the budget, eggs continue to be a versatile protein that can be enjoyed morning, noon, and night. During a recent conversation with nutritionist Joy Bauer, two new incredible egg recipes showcase protein rich, flavorful dishes that can adapt to anyone’s palate.

While many people watch Joy Bauer on the Today Show, she is a nutritional expert who makes understanding good food choices approachable. That balanced lifestyle approach is more about making choices that work for you. Even though there are many better for you options, people need to actually pick up the fork and eat them.

Thinking of the humble egg, it can be more than just scrambled, fried, or poached at breakfast. Even though the omelet might be served at dinner, there are a plethora of incredible egg recipes that the whole family can enjoy.

Before cracking into those recipes, Joy shared why adding eggs into the weekly recipe repertoire is important, especially enjoying the yolk of the egg. Joy said, “the yolk houses almost half of the protein in the egg.” As some people are looking to boost protein in their food choices, the egg is an important resource.

In addition, Joy shared that eggs contain “lutein and zeaxanthin, which are two antioxidants that work together to protect eyes.” Given that young and old often spend hours staring at screens during the day, those nutrients are an added benefit to help promote a balanced lifestyle.

Also, Joy talked about a nutritional component that often does not get a lot of discussion, choline. Joy said, “about 90% of Americans are deficient or don’t get enough choline on a daily basis. One large egg has about 30% of our daily need.”

She explained why choline is important. “It’s because choline helps to enhance cognitive function. It improves mood your memory and then like as you get older it helps to slow age-related cognitive decline.”

While all the benefits can have many people ready to crack an egg, incredible egg recipes make it even more enticing. The two ideas that she shared can be enjoyed at breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The first recipe is Stuffed Quinoa Peppers with Eggs. While many people have a version of stuffed pepper, this recipe uses the egg almost as a sauce. As the just set egg is cut, it offers a sauce to the eggplant and quinoa mixture. For anyone who is looking for a non-meat stuffed pepper dish, this recipe is a great one.

Joy recommended adapting this recipe to personal preferences. While she used feta, it could be easily swapped for parmesan. Or, if a spicier version is preferred, some cayenne can be added to the eggplant and tomato mixture.

After trying this recipe, our household tried another option that built off the stuffed pepper but with a food trend twist. As many people have taken to savory oats, our home tried a stuffed pepper with oatmeal and an egg. Swapping some shredded pepper jack for the feta, it has become a hearty weekend breakfast. Plus, the pepper ensured another serving of vegetables for the day.

The other recipe that joy Bauer shared was One Skillet Mexican Rice Bean Baked Eggs. For anyone who loves shakshuka, this recipe is something similar but with Mexican flavors. The protein packed dish is a great one skillet dinner.

Made with beans, rice, and eggs, the dish is hearty. While this version is made with black beans, Joy suggested that other modifications can be made, too. Whether adding more beans or even potentially changing the rice, there are many ways for families to make it their own.

One modification that worked well in our household was to add some more diced fresh peppers as a topping to the dish. The additional crunch created a contrast of texture. Also, another option was to put some tortilla strips on top for that crunch.

Also, the One Skillet Mexican Rice Bean Baked Eggs works great as leftovers. For the areas that were left (not including the soft egg portion), they were transformed into the next morning’s breakfast burrito. With a soft scrambled egg and the rice and bean filling, it ensured that no food was wasted.

These incredible egg recipes and many more can be found online on the Incredible Egg website. Joy Bauer, the best-selling author and nutritionist, has her own website where she shares practical, approachable nutrition ideas and recipes.