Eggs are packed with protein and offer endless variations at breakfast and all day long.
When looking for diner food in Denver, or anywhere for that matter, you’re bound to run into a lot of eggs. Breakfast is a major component of diner menus, often being served all day. And the backbone of any breakfast menu is eggs. Your mom always told you to eat a healthy breakfast, and those little white wonders are just what she had in mind. According to the American Egg Board, one large egg is only 70 calories and contains 6.3 grams of protein and 13 essential vitamins and minerals.
A standard breakfast item at many diners is two eggs cooked any style, served with your choice of breakfast meat and toast. But do you know exactly what all those cooking styles are? Most people are probably familiar with one or two ways that they like to eat their eggs. Here is a list of egg styles, maybe next time you go out to breakfast you can try something new.
Over Easy – Fried on one side and then flipped and cooked briefly on the other side so that the white is not cooked through and the yolk is still runny.
Over Medium – Fried on one side and then flipped and cooked until the white is set and the yolk is thickened but still runny.
Over Hard – Cooked on both sides until the white and yolk are full set.
Sunny Side Up – Cooked on one side only until the white is set and the yolk is still runny.
Basted Eggs – Similar to sunny side up, but the top is cooked by spooning hot fat from the pan over the eggs. This can also be done with water or other liquid for a version that is lower in fat.
Poached – Eggs cooked without the shell in simmering liquid, usually water. The perfect poached egg has a runny yolk and fully cooked white.
Shirred (or baked) – Eggs cracked into a ramekin or small baking dish, usually topped with a small amount of cream or milk, and baked until the whites are firm but the yolk is funny.
Hard Boiled – Eggs cooked in the shell in boiling water until the white and yolk are both completely set.
Soft Boiled – Cooked in the shell in boiling water briefly until the white is set and the yolk is runny.
Scrambled – Raw eggs are mixed together first before cooking in a skillet. The eggs are gently mixed and moved while cooking in order to develop the soft, small curds.