U.S. Egg Supply in Crisis!

A recent outbreak of the bird flu has caused a crisis for the U.S. egg supply. In Iowa, the largest egg producer in the United States, 40% of the egg laying flock has been killed. Strangely enough, it doesn't seem that back yard flocks are being affected. But why is that the case? Plus, dietitians are changing their tune about saturated fat and a recipe for a fun frozen treat in this Real Food Round-Up.

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Egg Farms Hit Hard as Bird Flu Affects Millions of Hens

Bird Flu Is Slamming Factory Farms But Sparing Backyard Flocks. Why?

Bird flu outbreak mostly spares backyard chickens

Academy Of Nutrition And Dietetics Commends Strong, Evidence-Based Dietary Guidelines Report

2-Ingredient Pina Colada Popsicles from Live Simply

Asparagus Frittata | Mother's Day Recipe

Mother's Day is right around the corner and what better way to celebrate your mother than a delicious homemade meal! This frittata is simple and quick to make and uses one of my favorite spring foods: asparagus.

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Asparagus Frittata

Ingredients

2 spring onions, white and green parts thinly sliced

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1.5 inch pieces

8 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

Butter or other fat for cooking vegetables and greasing cast iron skillet

Directions

1. Heat butter or fat of choice in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove cooked onions from pan and set aside.
2. Add more butter to your skillet and cook asparagus until crisp tender and bright green, about 5 minutes. Remove cooked asparagus from pan and set aside.
3. Add eggs, salt, and pepper to a large bowl and whisk thoroughly.
4. Add cooked onions and asparagus to the beaten eggs and mix until everything is evenly distributed.
5. Grease a cast iron skillet with butter, lard, coconut oil or other fat and heat over medium high heat. Add egg and vegetable mixture to the hot skillet and turn heat down to medium low. Cook until the edges of the frittata are set and pull away from the skillet, about 10 minutes. The center of the frittata will still be liquid at this point.
6. Set your broiler to low and place the skillet directly under the broiler. Cook until the frittata is cooked through and the top is golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Watch closely during this stage to make sure that the frittata doesn't accidentally burn.
7. Remove frittata from oven, allow to cool slightly, slice, and serve. I like to cut mine into 8 slices.

Recipe: Feta Red Onion Frittata

Frittatas are one of my favorite dinners because they are quick, easy, and can be adapted to your tastes or whatever you happen to have on hand. Plus, the leftovers can serve as breakfast, making it the ultimate when it comes to versatility. In this version, I combine caramelized red onion with feta cheese, giving a little hint of sweet and salty in each bite.

Feta Red Onion Frittata

makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients

2 teaspoons coconut oil, plus more for greasing cast iron skillet

1 medium red onion, sliced into half-moons

8 large eggs, beaten

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of coconut oil in a medium-sized pan and heat on medium heat. Add onions to the pan and stir occassionaly, breaking the slices into slivers as you go, until the onions are caramelized, 5-10 minutes. Once cooked, allow the onions to cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, feta, salt and pepper, mixing until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
3. Grease a cast iron skillet with coconut oil (the amount you need will depend on how well seasoned your skillet is to start with) and heat on medium-high heat.
4. Once the skillet is ready, add the cooled onions to the egg mixture and stir to incorporate. Pour the finished mixture into the heated skillet. Then, turn the heat down to medium-low and pre-heat your broiler to low.
5. Cook the frittata on the stove-top until the edges are set and pull away easily from the skillet, about 10 minutes.
6. Transfer the skillet to the oven and place directly below the broiler. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the top is browned and the frittata is cooked through when tested with a knife. Be sure to keep a close eye on it because things can go from browned to burnt pretty quickly.
7. Allow the frittata to cool for 5 minutes, cut into 8 slices, and serve.

Egg Comparison: Duck VS Chicken

Eggs are a hot commodity at my farmers market, especially now that the weather is getting cooler and the hens are slowing down in their egg production. I got there a little too late last week and there were no chicken eggs to be found. I was a little disappointed, but I also understand that we gotta work with what the chickies can do. However, just when I had accepted the fact that I wouldn't be able to get any eggs this week, my egg lady mentioned that she had a few duck eggs, if I was interested. I definitely was, so I bought those bad boys right away!

I've had duck eggs once before in college. A farmer there sells them, in addition to chicken eggs, and he finds that they are a big hit with those suffering from chicken egg allergies. Interestingly enough, some with chicken egg allergies find that they can eat duck eggs with no problems at all. Even if you aren't an allergy sufferer, duck eggs are a nice way to switch things up.

Ducks eggs are typically larger and have a thicker shell. They also have a higher proportion of yolk. These two factors together result in an egg that is higher in calories, fat, protein, and most vitamins and minerals.

In the end though, I don't really care too much about that stuff. I figure everything works itself out in the end. Just know you'll probably need fewer ducks eggs to give you the same satiety as chicken eggs would. As far as flavor goes, duck eggs are a little richer due to their larger yolk, but they don't taste incredibly different. Jasen couldn't tell a difference when we had them for dinner the other night.

As you can see in the picture above, the duck egg has a higher proportion of yolk and everything is much firmer/holds its shape better than in the chicken egg. I think they're a fun addition to our food routine!

Have you ever had duck eggs? If so, how do you like them compared to chicken eggs? Share in the comments below!