Ask The Eggspert: What Holiday Recipes Do You Recommend that are Freezable?

Question: Now that the kids are almost back in school, the holidays will soon be rapidly approaching! My plan this year is to have less stressful holidays and part of that means preparing some of the food beforehand so I can enjoy my family and friends during those special days, instead of being in the kitchen. Of Eggology's holiday recipes, which do you recommend as being freezable?

Answer: Thanks for bringing this question up. When it comes to holidays, we know that it can be more hectic and stressful than relaxing for many people. So doing things like making holiday desserts in advance and freezing them until the day, is a great idea. We asked our local culinary expert about which of our Holiday Recipes she would recommend as being freezer-friendly. Here is the list she chose and her notes are alongside:

Plethora of Passover Blintzes
Passover Matzoh Muffins
Eggnog Bread Pudding & Apricot Whiskey Sauce (do not freeze the sauce)
Crispy Cheese Blintzes
Vermont Pumpkin-Cranberry Loaf
Soothing Apple Cider-Carmel Cake (do not put the sauce on prior to freezing-you can reheat the cake slightly then add the sauce)
Banana-Fofana Oatmeal Bread
Fog City Cappuccino Cheesecake with Fudge Sauce (don't freeze the Fudge Sauce)
Easy-As-Sunday-Morning Lemon Squares
Forest Honeyed Apple Torte
Winter Spice Pumpkin Bread
Tea Time Spice Pound Cake

Here are some additional tips to freezing your baked goods:

• Let all baked goods cool completely before preparing to freeze.


• For cookies, wrap each individually in plastic wrap then place in freezer storage bag.


• For brownies and other types of bars, do not cut into individual servings. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil.


• For cakes, muffins and breads, use freezer storage bags.


• Do not frost or cover with sauce any of the baked goods. That can be done when they are thawed and you are ready to serve them.


• Most of these items can be frozen for as long as three months except cookies - those can be frozen for about one month.


• To thaw, place on serving platter and let sit out at room temperature for about one to two hours.

See all of Eggology's Holiday Recipes here! See other Eggology baked goods recipes in the Dessert Recipe section!

Eggology Egg White Recipe of the Day: Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

I love making muffins and cupcakes! Being their own little cake, contained in a wrapper, keeps them fresher and more moist than a cake that you slice up. Once a cake is sliced, the part exposed just becomes dry, and soon the whole cake is dry. No fun! The one issue I have with muffins and cupcakes, is that most recipes make one dozen or even two. That is too many for our small family - inevitably some of them end up going bad. And I know you can freeze them, but I just have to tell you - the freshness is never the same.

Sorry, my thought train has temporarily de-railed . . . Back to muffins. So I found a recipe that makes 7 mini-muffins or 3-4 regular size muffins. Excellent! I can whip up 4 muffins for breakfast or as an afternoon snack. No leftovers, no waste! Just some great homemade muffins that are good and good for you! Since they are protein-based, they are also great as a snack before you exercise.

Oatmeal Raisin Protein Muffins

WHAT YOU NEED:
1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup Eggology fresh egg whites

1/4 cup raisins

1/8 cup brown sugar (or substitute 1 tablespoon Splenda brown sugar)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

shake of cinnamon and nutmeg

Optional (but recommended): add walnuts for an extra dose of protein and heart-healthy omega-3s

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Coat muffin tin with cooking spray. Divide mixture evenly among muffin cups (make sure to include all liquids).

Cook for 12-15 minutes.

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Eggology is eggspanding our Recipes section. Do you use Eggology egg whites in any of your recipes? Send your favorite recipe to us - we'd love to try them out and feature them as our weekly recipe!

Eggology in the News: Good Housekeeping Grab 'N Go Breakfast

The Good Housekeeping Institute knows that everyone is in a hurry these days - but that doesn't mean you need to skip breakfast!

They've created 5-minute meals that you can make at home or in the office. All of them are very nutritious and delicious ways to start the day. And all for under 400 calories.

Samantha Cassetty, Nutrition Director at the Good Housekeeping Institute recommends:

"At work it's a good idea to keep a cup of Eggology egg whites On-the-Go in the fridge and you can just pop it in the microwave and in 95 seconds you'll have scrambled egg whites."

You heard her! Now there's no excuse to skip the most important meal of the day.

Check out more great breakfast-in-a-hurry tips from Good Housekeeping!

Eggology in the Jewish Press: Kosher Tidbits

Eggology was recently featured in The Jewish Press, an independent weekly that features an eclectic mix of Jewish news, political and religious commentary, as well as special features.

In addition to being USDA organic and certified humane, Eggology is completely Kosher certified, supervised, and inspected. In fact, our facilities are egg-spressly kosher - with all aspects of our products and operations overseen by Rabbi Teichman.

Thats why The Jewish Press says:

"Eggology, makers of scrambles in the microwave and Cool Cravings announces a new line of all-natural certified organic and cage-fee hardboiled eggs. Need I say more?"

Maybe I'd just add that our hard-boiled eggs are also low in calories, completely free of preservatives, GMOs and trans fats --- AND egg-stremely delicious!

Eggology Egg White Recipe of the Day: Fruit & Oatmeal Bar Snacks

Wikipedia defines "snack food" as a type of food not meant to be eaten as a main meal of the day – breakfast, lunch, or dinner – but one rather that is intended to assuage a person's hunger between these meals, providing a brief supply of energy for the body. The term may also refer to a food item consumed between meals purely for the enjoyment of its taste.

Admittedly, I like to consume food for the "enjoyment of its taste", but I also like to know that it's something healthy and nutritious for my body. As the old adage goes, You Are What You Eat. So when it comes to snacks, I strive to make mine at home, using fresh ingredients of my choice, as opposed to buying any of the pre-made, pre-packaged, full of food dye and MSG snacks that are so prevelant on the market today.

Today's featured recipe is a snack for your whole family to enjoy - made with the idea of toddlers in mind, but great for anyone, ages 2 to 102! Treat your toddlers (and yourself) to something good, and good for them!

Funny Fruit and Oatmeal Bars

WHAT YOU NEED:
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
8 ounces (1 container) vanilla or plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup Eggology egg whites, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fat-free milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup diced dried mixed fruit, such as raisins or dried blueberries or dried cranberries

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, combine sugars, yogurt, Eggology egg whites, oil, milk, and vanilla. Mix well.

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well. Add to yogurt mixture; mix well.

Stir in oats and fruit (and nuts and chips if you choose to use them).

Spread dough onto bottom of ungreased 13×9-inch baking pan.

Bake 28-32 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack.

Cut into bars. Store tightly covered.

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Eggology's recipes are eggspanding! Find a variety of recipes using Eggology egg whites here.

Eggology Egg White Recipe of the Day: Bitter Melon with Egg Whites & Black Beans

Got an extra bitter melon lying around the kitchen? Nope, me neither. Do you even know what they look like? Well, I've included a picture of them for your convenience, because after you read this very informative post, I know all of you will be running out to the store to pick up your bitter melon for dinner tonight.

Eggology is adding more recipes to an already robust recipe database! So I thought this would be a great opportunity to showcase some of the latest creative recipes that always feature Eggology egg whites. Browsing through them, I found a recipe called "Bitter Melon with Eggology Egg Whites & Black Beans". Hmmm, I thought. Aren't bitter melons traditionally used in Asian food? And aren't Black Beans traditionally used in Spanish food? And aren't egg whites traditionally not used with either of those two ingredients?! Well, I read on and discovered that we aren't using black beans, but fermented soybeans (also known as black beans) which is used in Asian cooking. Still, I asked myself, who would voluntarily eat a food that is called "bitter". If a food has to be named bitter, than it must be, well, really bitter!

So I did some research - thank you to wikipedia! And found out the medicinal values of bitter melon seem to certainly outweigh whatever bitterness they may have! For example, this food stimulates digestion, has an anti-malarial activity (though not proven in labs, the Asian people have used it in prevention and treatment of malaria), shows promise in improving cell function in people with cancer and could help people with HIV, and to top it off, has four bio active proteins that may help or prevent type II diabetes.

Now are you getting ready to run out to your local health food store and pick up a few bitter melons for dinner? Before you go, don't forget to print out this recipe! This is a sweet recipe for something so bitter! Enjoy!

The Best Bitter Melon w/ Egg Whites & Black Beans

Servings: One main course or a side dish for two.

WHAT YOU NEED:
1 large bitter melon
2 teaspoons black beans (fermented soy beans)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 cup Eggology egg whites
1 teaspoon soy sauce, low sodium
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Dash of pepper
Dash of chili sauce (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Chop off both ends of the bitter melon and slit it lengthwise. With a spoon gently remove the seeds and the pit from the vegetable and discard. Cut into pieces about a quarter inch thick. To remove some of the bitterness, add the pieces to boiling water and blanch them for 2 minutes then quickly put them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. This step is optional but if you never tried bitter melon before you may want to do this.

Add the black beans, garlic and ginger to a bowl. With the bottom of a fork mash them together until it forms a paste.

In a separate bowl, whisk in the soy sauce and chili sauce (if using) into the egg whites.

Heat the oil in a skillet (use a nonstick skillet if preferred). Heat the oil to very hot. Add the black bean mixture and stir around for 30 seconds or so. Add the bitter melon to the skillet (after it was removed from the ice water and dried off) and mix well with the black beans mixture.

Grind some fresh pepper and set the heat to low and cover for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes is up remove the bitter melon from the skillet.

Add more oil to the skillet (if necessary) and scramble the Eggology egg whites. After the eggs whites are done add the bitter melon back to the skillet and mix it well with eggs whites. Remove and serve.

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Eggology is adding to their recipes list and would love to add your favorite recipe that incorporates Eggology egg whites! Submit recipes here.

News Flash! Eggology Egg Whites and Dani Spies Spotted Together

BREAKING NEWS! We confirm the rumors that the Health & Food Coach and Fitness Trainer Dani Spies and Eggology egg whites have teamed up again to make an awesome asparagus omelet and it was all caught on video!

And Epicurious, the site for "people who love to eat", is premiering it online! See the step-by-step instructional video here.

Ask The Eggspert: How can I get the hotel I'm staying at to serve Eggology egg whites, not other brand egg-whats?!

Recently we had a post from an Eggology customer about hotels and egg whites. We thought this made an eggcellent "Ask the Eggspert" question:

Question: I am a disgruntled traveler at a Sofitel hotel who asked what brand the egg whites were and was told that the egg whites were eggbeaters, which is not what I buy at home. i can't believe that a high end hotel like this doesn't carry eggology. i am really careful about my diet and exercise and believe that you are what you eat...who can I contact at Eggology to see what hotels carry Eggology??

Answer: Great question. Most hotels (even the upscale ones) don't think their patrons care about the differences in quality food items. I recommend you voice your opinion to the head of dining or hotel manager.

For a list of hotels who use Eggology, please contact our Customer Service department either by phone at (888) NO-YOLKS or through email.

Eggology Egg White Recipe of the Day: Strawberry Meringue Cookies

Recently Marye Audet sat down with the founder of Eggology for an interview for Love to Know Organics (see July 16, 2008 blog post about that interview). After the interview was over, Eggology sent over some egg whites for her to eggsperiment with . . . which she did and blogged about it. Turns out that Marye, who also writes for Baking Delights, discovered that fresh, organic Eggology egg whites have many more uses than just egg whites! (Which we knew, but always nice to have it validated by someone else!) In fact, she writes, that she "compared them to the whites from our own free range hens and there was virtually no difference in taste or quality." Indeed, she was "impressed"!

Marye used the egg whites for glazing bread, as a face mask and whipped them up into a "fluffy meringue". Which brings us to the recipe of the day! Who doesn't love a meringue cookie? So light and airy, they are the perfect afternoon treat.

The spring edition of Southern Lady magazine featured a twist on the traditional meringue cookie (noting to use "pasteurized eggwhites" from Eggology):

Strawberry Meringue Cookies

WHAT YOU NEED:
1/2 cup pasteurized Eggology egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon strawberry extract

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

2 drops red food coloring

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 215 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat Eggology egg whites, strawberry extract, and cream of tartar on medium speed until frothy. With mixer running, add confectioners' sugar in tablespoon increments. Add food coloring; continue beating until stiff peaks form. (Be careful not to over beat.)

Transfer mixture to a pastry bag or large zip-top bag fitted with large round tip. Pipe into 2-inch spirals on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, rotating once. Turn off oven, and open door. With meringues still inside oven, let dry out for 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from oven. Remove parchment paper from baking sheet, and let meringues cool completely.

Enjoy!

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Order Eggology egg whites online or find them at a store near you!

Dani Spies Weighs In on Dieting

A friend of mine just forwarded me an eNewsletter from Dani Spies (pictured on the left) - the popular Health & Food Coach and Fitness Trainer. She featured an interesting article in it about dieting - America's favorite topic! The title of the article sums it up "Why Weight? Diets Don't Work". I thought, awesome, she's going to tell me that I can eat everything and still look like her! Well, not really (more on that later).

She does have some great points about diets:

• Diets don’t work because each person is unique: how could one diet be right for everyone?


• Diets don’t work because they are extreme solutions


• Diets don’t work because they are too restrictive
  

Dani believes that "balance and a sustainable weight are your body’s natural state" and that there is "no such thing as a quick fix". Slowing-down, eating a home-cooked meal, listening to your inner wisdom and feeding yourself wisely are her great suggestions for keeping your body healthy and stabilizing your weight.

So my take-home message is that I can eat what I want, but I must be mindful about it (within moderation, as my mother would say!). Remember, as the old saying goes - you are what you eat. Thanks, Dani, for an inspiring article ... I'm off to eat broccoli and hummus but you can read the article in it's entirety here.

Even Eva Mendes Eats Eggology Egg Whites!

It's no wonder Eggology egg whites are popular with the stars. In this day and age, Hollywood actresses seem to be thinner, but toner, than ever before. What's their secret? We think it has to do with eating lean protein, lots of veggies and fewer carbs. And Eggology egg whites are a fabulous source of protein because they are the purest form of protein available allowing for ultimate muscle and body absorption with no fat and no cholesterol.

Recently we read on Celebrity Beauty Buzz that Eggology egg whites are one of Eva Mendes' favorite healthy snacks! Even Eva Mendes Eats Eggology Egg Whites. Say that ten times - preferably to ten of your friends!

Find Eggology at a store near you or order online today!

Eggology Egg White Recipe of the Day: Turkey Burgers

This weekend we are taking our family summer "staycation". With gas prices being so high, who can afford to take a road trip or fly to another state just for a vacation? Instead we are spending our vacation in our own backyard, almost literally. We are heading about 10 miles north of our city to go "camping". Well, okay, it's in the semi-wilderness, right across from a beach, and we are staying in a cabin with full bathroom and mini-kitchenette. But still, we will be cooking our own food. And nothing's better than an awesome burger after a long day of, err, "wilderness". So I cooked these up in advance and am taking them with us because they are great served hot or cold. In this way, I'll have one meal taken care of and I won't even have to lift a finger. Sounds like my type of staycation! Enjoy!

Tantalizing Turkey Burger
Serving size: 2
Notes: Makes a great sandwich when served cold.

WHAT YOU NEED:
1/2 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
Dash worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
2 ounces Eggology fresh egg white, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

cooking spray
2 (1/2 ounces) hamburger buns
2 tomato slices (1/8-inch-thick)
2 red onion slices (1/8 inch)

INSTRUCTIONS
Combine first 10 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Add egg white; stir until blended. Divide mixture into 2 equal portions, shaping into 1/2 –inch-thick patties. Dredge patties in flour.

Coat a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat until hot. Add patties; cook 5 minutes on each side.

Serve patties on hamburger buns with tomato and onion.

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Find Eggology egg whites at a store near you or order online!

Wouldn't You Love to Know all about Eggology Egg Whites?

Recently the founder of Eggology sat down with lovetoknow.com - a free information website with articles on all subjects that you'd love to know - to eggsplain why Eggology egg whites are so eggstraordinary.

Eggcerpts from the interview:

LoveToKnow (LTK): Well, there are other egg white products on the market. What makes yours different?

Brad Halpern (BH): There are several differences. First of all, our product is in a clear bottle. You can see that there is nothing added and the egg whites are pure and unfiltered. You can see the foam and the chalazae, a natural part of the white, floating around.

The whites are fresh. Other companies that create this type of product are often egg separation companies that primarily sell yolks to ice cream manufacturers and other food manufacturers. The whites are frozen until they can be marketed. We never freeze our product. We make each bottle to order. The product is good for the same amount of time opened or unopened, there are no preservatives added.

When you are cooking with organic egg whites you want the same results every time. The product you buy should be the same as if you had separated an egg at home. You can whip these egg whites into a meringue with no problems. You can't do that with the other brands unless they have added tri-ethylcyclate to help them whip.

LTK: Where do you get the eggs?

BH: The eggs come from local farms and ranches here in Southern California. Not only are they certified organic and certified humane, but we have our own certification program that they have to pass. We want to know that they are using good manufacturing processes.

LTK: Do you produce other items?

BH: Yes. We have an entire line of products that use organic egg whites. Often when you buy natural, organic products, they taste bland. When you buy the things that are bad for you they taste great. We are trying to marry the two; an all-natural, healthy product with a decadent taste.

We make an ice cream that has less fat and more protein than other ice creams. It is made with egg whites and the taste is absolutely decadent! It is completely organic and the milk has no bovine growth hormones. Cool Cravings is available in five flavors.

Other items we produce are:

• Eggology-on-the-Go, a microwaveable, scrambled egg white breakfast. Just microwave until the op pops up and enjoy four, perfectly cooked scrambled egg whites.
• Simply Sensational desserts and muffins are delicious, all natural baked goods

Read the entire interview here.

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Eggology.com features recipes that use egg whites. Do you have an egg white recipe that you'd like to share?

Healthy Low Carb Living - It's a Lifestyle!

When people were shunning carbs, I was always quick to defend them. But as I'm getting older, and researching more about what I eat, I am beginning to realize that maybe I should not have been so quick to defend. Recently I have begun to adjust my eating - and I'm not talking about anything drastic like cutting out every last carb and subsisting on cheese, bacon and eggs - but I am making an effort to look at not only the fat grams and cholesterol, but the also of the amount of carbs that any food item contains.

With a wealth of resources out there about "low carb diets" telling me what I should eat and shouldn't eat, I found many of them a little too structured for my liking. Then I was referred to a site called "Healthy Low-Carb Living" which is really more of a guide for people who are interested in adopting a low-carb lifestyle. The site is not only inspirational (check out their story and progressive weight loss pictures), but it is informative in the way that it offers you choices of low-carb plans and doesn't try to squeeze everyone into one plan. It is also full of resources - links to cookbooks, food products, etc., - tips and, my personal favorite, a tools page that has a hidden carbs calculator and a link to the USDA nutritional database (where you can find nutrition information about almost any food out there). One last fun item is their blog, where they keep you up to date on the latest low carb foods, findings and more.

Low-carb living is a lifestyle, not a diet, and the Healthy Low-Carb Living website is my favorite resource for helping me transition to this new way of life.

Egg White Recipe of the Day: Weekend Waffles

Hope you had a great 4th of July weekend with your family and friends! We enjoyed four sets of fireworks from one viewing area that we were vacationing at. Fantastic! It doesn't get any better than four sets of professional fireworks at once. Except for that we were with our very best family friends. After a late evening on the 4th, we woke up to a lazy Saturday morning. I whipped up these waffles and they were, hands down, every one's favorite ever. Frozen waffles (or as my toddler son used to call them "awfuls"), never again! This recipe is so easy, fresh, and tasty you don't even need syrup. Just powdered sugar and fruit. Just my humble opinion, though I think some children I know would beg to differ. Anyway, whatever you top it with, I know it will be delicious!

Weekend Waffles

Makes about 3 waffles in a Belgian waffle maker that yields waffles that are about 7.5 inches in diameter.

WHAT YOU NEED:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar or sugar-substitute (like Splenda)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 oz (or 6 tablespoons) Eggology egg whites
1/4 cup melted butter
1 1/4 cups milk, as needed
cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat waffle maker. Spray with cooking spray if needed.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add in egg whites, melted butter and milk. Batter may be a bit lumpy.

Spoon batter into waffle maker. Cook for appropriate time (per your waffle maker's suggestion).

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More eggcellent breakfast recipes can be found on the Recipes page at Eggology.com.

Have an eggxhilarating breakfast recipe made with egg whites? Share it with us!