Fast Ed for World Egg Day

Fast Ed for World Egg Day

Celebrity chef Fast Ed invites you to whip up his favourite egg dishes
14th October 2011 is World Egg Day - the perfect time to celebrate and indulge in some nutritious and delicious egg-inspired dishes.

For over 14 years, World Egg Day celebrations have been held across the globe to help raise awareness of the fantastic nutritional credentials and health benefits of eggs.

On behalf of the Australian Egg Corporation, celebrity chef Fast Ed has developed two egg-citing recipes inspired by flavours from across the globe.

Follow the lead of the world's biggest egg consumers, the Mexicans, with these fun Mexican Egg and Corn Fritters. A favourite family dish, these versatile fritters are stuffed to the brim with delicious veggies and protein-rich eggs and are an easy way to add folate, iron and vitamin A to your diet. Or to spice things up, take inspiration from Morocco with this Chicken and Egg Tagine - a protein and carb-free dish that's packed with a variety ingredients, including chicken, eggs and plenty of mouth-watering veggies marinated with Moroccan seasoning and low-fat yoghurt.

Fast Ed says; "Eggs are one of my favourite foods - they're tasty, versatile and easy to cook with, so I religiously start every day with three boiled eggs".
"To celebrate the wonderful egg on World Egg Day, make sure you try one of my egg inspired dishes for all the family to enjoy - I'll certainly be cooking up an egg feast tonight."

The Heart Foundation recommends all Australians can enjoy up to six eggs a week as part of a healthy balanced diet without increasing the risk of heart disease, making World Egg Day the perfect egg-scuse to get cracking in the kitchen and enjoy eggs!

This year Australian Egg Corporation is also celebrating World Egg Day with a competition to make life just as easy as eggs do. For your chance to win a year's supply of groceries, baby-sitting or cleaning, simply visit www.eggs.org.au where you'll also find more inspiring egg recipe ideas.

Interview with Fast Ed

Question: What is World Egg Day?

Fast Ed: World Egg Day is an international event which celebrates the wonderful egg across the globe.


Question: Why are you promoting World Egg Day?

Fast Ed: Eggs are one of my favourite foods - as well as being tasty, versatile and easy to cook with, for me they're a protein enriched breakfast option, so I religiously start the day with three boiled eggs.


Question: How will you be celebrating World Egg Day?

Fast Ed: With eggs of course! Mexicans love their eggs, so tonight I'll be cooking Mexican Egg and Corn Fritters - perfect for a family meal. For other inspiring egg recipe ideas, visit www.eggs.org.au


Question: How do other countries celebrate World Egg Day?

Fast Ed: The great thing about World Egg day is that every country celebrates it differently. I'm Hungarian, and there they host a three day long egg festival is held in Siofok which includes lots of fun activities for children and families, such as concerts, exhibitions and dance shows and creating the biggest egg dish in the world.


Question: What's a favourite egg dish for you?

Fast Ed: My two children aged five and eight love their dippy eggs, so as a family we start every day with boiled eggs and wholemeal toast. As well as being a protein enriched breakfast, we have to remember that ages are pretty great for kids too. They help ensure normal brain and physical development and can help protect them against many vitamin deficiencies into adulthood like Vitamin D deficiency which is more and more common.


Question: What's your cooking trick for the perfect eggs?

Fast Ed: There are so many to share! With boiling and scrambled and making omelettes, it's best to use an older egg. They're also great for quiches, frittatas, and cakes to hold your mixture together. My tip for poaching is to use the freshest eggs you can get.


Question: Any other egg-celent tips?

Fast Ed: Fresh eggs can be kept refrigerated for up to six weeks in their original carton, always buy eggs with the longest best-before-date in the store. The fastest way to check for freshness in uncooked eggs is to put them in a bowl of water - a fresh egg sinks, while a stale egg floats.


Question: Are eggs good for you?

Fast Ed: Eggs are a nutrition powerhouse providing 11 different vitamins and minerals, high quality protein, healthy fats (including omegas-3) and important antioxidants. Along with their nutritional value, eggs are tasty, convenient and good value for money making them an excellent part of a well balanced, healthy diet.


Question: How many eggs can I eat?

Fast Ed: The Heart Foundation's latest review of the evidence showed that all Australians can eat up to 6 eggs per week as a part of a healthy balanced diet that is low in saturated fat. That's an egg a day for six days or three serves of two in a week.

Mexican Egg and Corn Fritters

Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes + 1 hour freezing Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
6 eggs
2/3 can refried beans
400g no added salt corn kernels
1 stick celery, finely diced
2 tsp dried oregano
½ cup plain flour
1 cup wholegrain breadcrumbs
vegetable oil for frying
light sour cream, lime wedges and salad leaves, to serve

Method
1. Place 4 eggs in a saucepan of cold water and set over a high heat. Bring to a boil, then cook for 6 minutes. Turn the heat off and let stand for 2 minutes. Chill under cold running water, then peel and chop. Set aside.
2. Combine the refried beans, corn, celery and oregano in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Fold in the chopped eggs gently. Form into 8 patties, then place in the freezer for 1 hour to firm up.
3. Dip the patties in flour, then the remaining beaten eggs, then breadcrumbs. Fry in hot (180?C) vegetable oil for 4 minutes, turning several times, until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper, then serve with light sour cream, lime wedges and salad leaves.

Nutritional Analysis (not including sides)
Serving size: 290g (2 patties)
Quantity per serve %DI / RDI*
Energy: 1950kJ /22%
Protein: 19g /38%
Fat, Total: 17.3g /25%
- Saturated: 3.2g/13%
Carbohydrate: 54g /17%
- Sugars: 5g/6%
Dietary Fibre: 9.8g/33%
Sodium: 545mg/24%
Folate: 108mcg/54%
Iron: 3.8mg/32%
Vitamin A: 95mcg/13%

Chicken and Egg Tagine

Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes. Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients
6 eggs
400g skinless chicken thighs
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 leek, thickly sliced
2 celery sticks, thickly sliced
1 medium carrot, thickly sliced
½ red capsicum
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tsp Moroccan seasoning
500ml salt-reduced chicken stock
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 bunch mint leaves
½ bunch coriander leaves
low-fat yoghurt, flatbread and lemon wedges, to serve

Method
1. Place 6 eggs in a saucepan of cold water and set over a high heat. Bring to a boil, then cook for 6 minutes. Turn the heat off and let stand for 2 minutes. Chill under cold running water, then peel and halve. Set aside.
2. Set a large saucepan over a high heat and fry the chicken thighs in olive oil for 5 minutes, turning often, until lightly browned. Set aside.
3. Add the leek, celery, carrot, capsicum and garlic to the saucepan and fry for 5 minutes, until just softened, then return the chicken and mix in the Moroccan seasoning.
4. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil, then turn the heat to very low and simmer gently for 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Mix in the eggs, spinach and herbs, then serve with low-fat yoghurt, flatbread and lemon wedges.

Nutritional Analysis (not including sides)
Serving size: 400g
Quantity per serve %DI / RDI*
Energy: 1215kJ /14%
Protein: 30g /60%
Fat, Total: 17.5g /25%
- Saturated: 4.9g/20%
Carbohydrate: 4g /1%
- Sugars: 2.7g/<1%
Dietary Fibre: 3.3g/11%
Sodium: 575mg/25%
Folate: 115mcg/58%
Iron: 3.8mg/32%
Vitamin A: 685mcg/91%