With the birth of egg cookers, many deem it as a nutritional way of cooking egg in a matter of minutes. Hence, these egg cookers are actually made based on the steam cooking concept. It eliminated the use of fatty oils.
There are those that are actually marked with only three levels. The water level decides the type of egg you will boil, if it is soft-, medium- or hard-boiled. If there are no marked levels inside the egg cooker, there is a measuring cup provided so that you can fill it up with the right amount of water.
With egg cookers, you only need to fill its base with water, place the eggs inside the tray, close the lid of the cooker, and then turn on the button. When the water boils, it is the steam formed inside the egg cooker that can cook the egg just the way you like it. With steam and the fact that it is cooked in a closed container, you are assured that the nutrients of the egg is restored.
Maintaining Steam Egg Cookers
Since many families use steam egg cookers almost every day, it is important that you care for this appliance. You need to clean it after every use. You initially need to unplug the unit as well as the power cord, allow it to cool down, and then, proceed with the cleaning process. You need to wash the important components like the cooking tray, poaching tray, lid, egg pan, egg ring and service pan.
Wash these ideally with hot and soapy water. Allow air drying. You can also scrape-off its platen surface. If there are residues, make sure that you remove it. Then, using a damp "grill" cloth, wipe your entire egg cooker as well as its platen surface.
After this, wet a paper towel using 1 tbsp white vinegar. Wipe it to clean the heating plate. It takes out all the mineral deposits and impurities left behind, also acting as a good antibacterial agent. You can do this regularly because using merely soap and water can still cause mineral build-up, leading to discolored egg shells. However, the color never affects the eggs flavor and taste.
The more popular egg cooker brands are Krups, Oster, Cuisinart, Chef's Choice, West band, Maverick and Nordic Ware.
Here is a delicious and nutritious breakfast you can serve using hard-boiled eggs:
Creamed Eggs with Ham
Ingredients:
¼ c green onion, sliced
1 c ham, cooked and cut into julienne strips
¼ c green bell pepper, chopped
¼ c red bell pepper, chopped
4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
2 tbsp flour
2 c milk
1 ½ c asparagus, cooked and cut to 1in/pc
Cooked rice (hot) or puff pastry shells (baked)
Procedure:
1. Using a large skillet, place it on top of medium-high heat.
2. Put some margarine or butter. When it is already hot, cook some ham until it becomes lightly brown.
3. Add the bell peppers and onion, stirring intermittently.
4. Once the vegetables become tender, you can add the flour and continue stirring.
5. Once the flour is absorbed completely, showcasing a smooth mixture, you can now remove the pan from the stove.
6. Pour some milk, small amounts at-a-time while still stirring it constantly.
7. Once it becomes smooth and thick, add the asparagus and eggs. Place them onto the skillet, and then, reheat it.
8. You can serve this with puff pastry shells or cooked rice.
