EGGS EN COCOTTE

Yet another study has exonerated saturated fat and cholesterol of any link to heart disease and fingered the real culprit. The new research, just published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found no evidence that eating saturated fat led to an increase in heart disease or coronary events. The researchers evaluated the best evidence to date from almost 80 studies with more than half a million subjects. They looked, not only at what people reported eating, but the composition of the fatty acids in their fat tissue and blood. (They did find a link between trans fats or partially hydrogenated oils and heart risks.) 

Lead author, Dr. Rajiv Chowdhury of Cambridge University, said, “My take on this would be that it’s not saturated fat that we should worry about.” According to Chowdhury, the dangerous, artery-clogging LDL particles are increased, not by saturated fat, but by “sugary foods and excess carbohydrates.” 

Celebrate your freedom from low-fat dogma with these amazingly healthful eggs!  

Eggs en Cocotte
A cocotte is a small casserole dish used in France for baking eggs. You can use ramekins, custard cups, or even squat canning jars. Scale up the recipe and you can serve breakfast or brunch for eight, twelve, or more and have every egg perfectly cooked at the same time.

Ingredients:
8 large eggs
4 teaspoons butter for ramekins
4 ounces (1 cup) diced sugar-free ham
4 tablespoons (¼ cup or 1 ounce) grated Gruyère cheese, plus 4 teaspoons for top
4 teaspoons heavy cream
Salt and fresh back pepper to taste
A sprinkle of nutmeg for each serving
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional

Directions:
Remove eggs from refrigerator and place in warm water for 10 minutes to warm up. Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Line a large roasting pan with a folded kitchen towel or a double layer of paper towels. Place roasting pan on stove top over low heat and add an inch or so of boiling water. (Water should come one third of the way up the sides of the baking dishes when all four are in pan.) Butter 4 eight-ounce ramekins, cups, or small, wide-mouth, 8-ounce canning jars (do not use lids).

Put ¼ cup of diced ham in each buttered ramekin, add 1 tablespoon of grated Gruyère cheese, and set in water bath. Heat for 5 minutes.

Break 2 eggs over ham and cheese in each dish, being careful not to break the yolks. Spoon 1 teaspoon of heavy cream over whites of eggs, leaving yolks exposed. Put 1 teaspoon grated Gruyère over egg whites (but not yolks). Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Transfer to middle oven rack and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until whites are opaque and set but yolks are still liquid. (Test egg whites with the tip of a spoon to see if they are firm.) Leave in oven for longer time for firmer yolks. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and serve hot. (Dishes can be kept warm in water bath for10 minutes or so, if necessary.)

Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: Net carbohydrate: 0.9 grams; Protein: 22.6 grams; Fiber: 0 grams; Fat: 20 grams; Calories: 276

Weight per serving: 5½ ounces or 159 grams
Preparation time: 15 minutes active; 30 to 35 minutes total

Recipe adapted from Nourished; a Cookbook for Health, Weight Loss, and Metabolic Balance.

“We don’t need to eat less cholesterol; we need to eat more, even those of us trying to lower our blood cholesterol and especially those of us trying to lose middle-body fat…Keeping the yolk intact during cooking and minimizing the cooking time to just long enough to solidify the white helps preserve the quality of the cholesterol. By not cooking the egg at all, however you’ll get the cholesterol in its purest and most beneficial form.”
~Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades

Pin it > http://www.pinterest.com/pin/224405993907232208/

Nourished and Carb Wars from LC-Foods > http://www.holdthecarbs.com/books

Disclaimer: I will receive a commission from the sales of the books above.

(c) 2014, Judy Barnes Baker, www.carbwars.blogspot.com

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Judy Barnes Baker

The working title for my first book was, “You’ll Never Know What You Are Missing.” It summed up my goal: to make eating for health synonymous with eating for pleasure. Once you discover the secret, you will find that the very best food for weight management, longevity, the treatment and prevention of disease, and over-all health and happiness is also the most sumptuous, satisfying, and indulgent way of eating the world has to offer. You are invited to the feast. Enjoy!
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