Eggs for breakfast, yes. But what about eggs as light dinner fare?

Combine eggs with just the right proportion of healthy whole grains and vegetables, and voila!—nutritious, filling and inexpensive lunches and dinners.

To get you started, here are two delicious egg-bowl recipes that we love for lunch or dinner—Brown Rice and Egg Miso Bowl, with Japanese-inspired flavors…and Curried Grains and Cauliflower, Chard, Eggs and Cucumber Raita, inspired by traditional Indian cooking.

Be sure to check the suggestions for other grain-and-egg combos at the end of this article…plus tips for making egg bowls even easier.

But first the recipes…

Brown Rice and Egg Miso Bowl

Makes 3 servings

  • 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons mirin (a sweet rice wine used for cooking)
  • 3 teaspoons miso paste, divided
  • 2 teaspoons grated ginger
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
  • 6 to 8 medium mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 medium carrot, chopped
  • 1½ cups cooked brown rice
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons sliced green onion, 3 Tablespoons thinly sliced red pepper (both optional)

Whisk together rice vinegar, mirin, two teaspoons of the miso and ginger in a small bowl until well blended.

Stir together remaining one teaspoon miso and one tablespoon water in a deep, medium bowl until blended.  Add eggs and whisk until frothy.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, and add one teaspoon of the sesame oil. Add mushrooms and carrots, and sauté until just tender, two to three minutes. Add brown rice and rice vinegar mixture, and cook until hot, stirring well, about one minute. Remove from heat, and transfer to serving bowls, dividing evenly.

Wipe skillet clean, and spray with cooking spray. Place over medium-low heat and add remaining one teaspoon of sesame oil. Pour in egg mixture, and let cook without stirring for 30 to 60 seconds or until eggs begin to set on the bottom.  Using a heat-proof spatula, push the eggs across the skillet using sweeping motions, tilting the skillet a little to spread any uncooked egg onto the bottom of the skillet.  Continue until the eggs appear almost set in folds.  Remove from the heat, and divide on tops of servings.  Sprinkle with pepper, green onion and red pepper.

Curried Grains and Cauliflower, Chard, Eggs and Cucumber Raita

Makes 3 servings

  • 1 small (pickling) cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and seeded
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • ⅔ cup plain low-fat yogurt (one 8-ounce container)
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1½ teaspoons curry powder, divided
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1½ cups small cauliflowerets (single florets)
  • 1½ cups chopped Swiss chard
  • 2 cups hot, cooked multigrain whole-grain pilaf
  • 2 Tablespoons each sliced green onion, ground red pepper, for garnish

Grate cucumber on large holes of a grater. Place in a fine-mesh sieve, and press to remove liquid.  Mash garlic and ⅛ teaspoon salt on cutting board with the flat side of a knife blade. Combine cucumber, garlic mixture and yogurt in a small bowl and stir well.

Combine eggs, ½ teaspoon curry powder and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a medium bowl and whisk to blend.

Spray a large, nonstick skillet with cooking spray, add one teaspoon olive oil, and heat over medium-high heat. Add cauliflower, and sauté until lightly browned, two to three minutes.  Sprinkle remaining ¾ teaspoon curry powder over cauliflower, and toss well.  Add ¼ cup water, cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until cauliflower is just tender, three to four minutes. Add chard, tossing just until it begins to wilt, about one minute.  Stir in whole-grain pilaf, cover, and cook until hot, stirring frequently.  Divide into serving bowls.

Wipe skillet clean, spray with cooking spray, and place over medium-low heat. Add remaining one teaspoon of olive oil. Whisk the egg mixture just until it begins to froth. Pour egg mixture into heated skillet, and cook until eggs begin to set on the bottom, 30 to 60 seconds. Using a heat-proof spatula, push the eggs across the skillet with sweeping motions, tilting the skillet a little to spread any uncooked egg onto the bottom of the skillet. Continue until the eggs appear set but moist. Remove from heat, and divide on tops of grains. Scatter eggs with green onion, and sprinkle with ground red pepper, if desired.  Top with cucumber mixture, dividing evenly.

MORE EGG/WHOLE-GRAIN BOWL INSPIRATIONS

Try these combos for lunch or dinner:

  • Fried rice and scrambled egg: Stir-fry brown rice, diced peppers and grated carrot together. Layer in bowls with scrambled eggs and sliced avocado. Sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Optional: Add one teaspoon of reduced-sodium soy sauce to the eggs before cooking.
  • Migas-style scrambled egg: Sauté a corn tortilla or two torn into pieces in a skillet until lightly browned. Layer with scrambled eggs, cooked beans, sautéed zucchini, salsa and cilantro. Optional: Add a pinch of ground cumin to the eggs before cooking.
  • Southern-style grits and eggs: Layer grits, veggie sausage, scrambled eggs, sliced green onion or chives in bowls.
  • Sweet potato grain and eggs: Heat mashed baked sweet potatoes, and spread on the bottom of bowls. Top with hot cooked grains, scrambled eggs, shredded cheddar cheese and a spoonful each of salsa and lowfat sour cream.

EGGS-PERT COOKING TIPS

These tips will make it easier to incorporate eggs as a protein source into your main daytime and evening meals…

  • Cook a double recipe of grains ahead to use during the week. You can also freeze any cooked grain (rice, faro, barley, quinoa, bulgur, etc) in plastic storage bags—use within the month.
  • Stir chopped leftover vegetables or shredded carrots and fresh summer squash into the grain mixture before reheating it.
  • For DIY egg-bowls, cook brown rice or another grain and lay out what’s in the fridge—grated cheeses, diced vegetables, herbs, lowfat sour cream, hot sauce, salsa. Then let your family assemble their own bowls. Top them with scrambled egg.

Read more about why eggs should be part of your diet in Bottom Line’s “Do Eggs Promote Diabetes? Only In America” and “It’s Safe to Eat One Egg Per Day.”

Related Articles