While eggs certainly shine in the early morning sunlight, it’s a good idea to bring them out of the carton during the darker hours as a quick and light dinner entrée. Most egg dishes can be whipped up in fifteen minutes or less, perfect for those days when you are running home late from work and wondering what to make for dinner.

Not only are eggs quick and easy to prepare but they are also offer a strong nutritional profile: they are a great source of protein, vitamins A and D, long chain fatty acids and choline (a key component that provides flexibility and structural integrity to cell membranes and is important in brain function and health). However, it is important to note that all eggs are not created equal and studies have shown that organic, free-range eggs have a much stronger nutritional profile than factory farmed eggs (which are bred in troubling conditions and sprayed with pesticides and antibiotics).

It’s also important to be informed when buying eggs because the labeling can be tricky. While you may envision ‘free-range’ chickens to be roaming around the farm, it is more likely that these farms conform to minimum standards (like having a small door open in their giant sheds) and aren’t much better than factory farms. A more stringent label is ‘organic’ and this is the best option when shopping in the grocery store (Organic Valley eggs should be available nation-wide). The best option is to buy directly from the farmer either on the farm or at a farmer’s market. Every Saturday I purchase 2 cartons of eggs from Marin Sun Farms whose chickens are pasture fed (meaning that besides their grain meal they also eat bugs and worms) and humanely treated. These are quite simply the best eggs I have ever tasted, with rich orange yolks and a higher omega-3 fatty acid profile. To find organic, pastured eggs near you check out the search option at Sustainable Table.

Once you have sourced and bought your eggs, the next step is cooking. There are numerous ways to cook eggs and it seems that everyone has their own favorites. My favorite option for dinner is a quick and simple scramble. However, remember to pay attention to cooking techniques. As author/blogger Michael Ruhlman notes in The Elements of Cooking:

• “After the chicken breast, scrambled eggs are probably the most overcooked item in America. Properly scrambled eggs are moist, delicate, glistening; they should even have a liquidy element to them, as if they have been lightly sauced.” (p. 25)

The key to a successful scramble is using a well-seasoned cast iron skillet and low, gentle heat. When eggs are overheated their protein bonds tighten, squeezing out all of the moisture and leaving you with dry, rubbery and tough eggs.

The recipe below has been adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen. In Spanish, “revuelto” means to mix-up or stir, and it is synonymous with the term “scramble” in the United States (I went with the Spanish recipe title because it sounds more fun). The original recipe calls for 4-6 ounces of peeled small shrimp, but since it is still crab season in the Bay Area I substituted cooked crab that I had picked up at my fish market. Asparagus has been popping up at all the stands at my farmer’s market, announcing that spring is here! If spring has not completely sprung where you are from (especially my friends in Vermont who are getting snow tomorrow), it is worth waiting for local asparagus to truly enjoy their flavor.

Crab & Asparagus Revuelto (Adapted from The New Spanish Table)

Serves 2

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• ½ cup thinly sliced asparagus (4-6 stalks, well trimmed)
• 4-6 ounces cooked crab
• 5 large organic eggs (fresh)
• sea salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 1 avocado

Break the eggs into a bowl and, if just removed from the refrigerator, allow to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, asparagus, and a pinch of sea salt and cook, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes. The asparagus should be tender but retain some bite. Add the crab and cook for another minute.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the eggs to the skillet. As soon as the egg whites turn cloudy, quickly scramble the eggs for about 45 seconds to 1 minute. You want to scramble the eggs until they have barely set (they will continue to cook once removed from the heat). Season with sea salt and pepper and serve immediately garnished with a sliced avocado.