Eggs make a healthy and enjoyable choice for breakfast or lunch, but rather than fry them in oil, which often makes them sickly and greasy tasting, poaching is the perfect solution.

Poached eggs on toast

Nothing beats a good poached egg, with a thin layer of fully cooked, non-rubbery white and a warm, runny yolk.

The fresher the egg, the better the result when it comes to poaching. Stale eggs will simply separate and you’ll be disappointed with the outcome. I always maintain that organic and free range eggs are tastier and have better yolks – that may be a matter for debate, but I also prefer to think of the welfare of the chicken before the impact on my pocket.

Some people swear by their egg poachers and others suggest that you need to add a little vinegar to your boiling water for perfect results. I’ve never been particularly impressed with egg poachers and have often ended up with over rubbery or jelly-like whites when I’ve tried to use them. I’ve also heard of people poaching their eggs in a small cup that is placed into the pan or using a ladle as a makeshift egg poacher.

For perfect poached eggs, select a good quality, fresh egg and crack it into a cup. Prepare a pan of boiling water, and simply tip your egg in when it’s boiling really vigorously. It will usually take 3 to 4 minutes for the egg to be ready – simply scoop it out with a large enough spoon and drain off any excess water. Serve on granary toast with lashings of butter, a couple of warmed plum tomatoes and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Simple but delicious.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil or butter
1 pkg. your favorite pasta
1 pkg. Hombres Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Dip
1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (optional)

Directions

1. Cook pasta until tender
2. Saute dry dip mix in olive oil/butter on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Cook chicken until the juices run clear (If you’ve opted to add it.).
4. Toss everything together and serve.

Source: Hombresfoods.com

I take a different approach towards cooking when summer arrives. Quick and easy becomes my motto because I hate standing in a hot kitchen on a hot day. My oven gets a reprieve, while my microwave (old and decrepit as it is) and stovetop work overtime.

Tonight, I used my stovetop to cook a very easy chicken recipe. I like to buy the bags of frozen, boneless chicken breasts because I can take out however many breasts I need without having to defrost the entire package.

With this recipe, I don’t bother defrosting the chicken. Instead, I pour some bottled marinade or barbecue sauce in a large non-stick frying pan. Tonight I used a roasted raspberry chipotle sauce from Arizona Finest Foods. It has a fruity, smoky flavor that goes very well with Augratin potatoes.

Place the chicken on top of the marinade, then empty the rest of the bottle over the chicken. Turn the heat to medium and cook covered for about 10 minutes or until the marinade begins to boil.

Turn the heat to Low and simmer for 45-60 minutes, or until chicken is white in the center. Serve immediately.