Eggs Hilton

Eggs Hilton stresses the importance of a solid breakfast that will not cause your blood sugar to soar, nor leave you famished at 11 o'clock. It needs to have staying-power; the word is satiety.

This page was last updated by Bernard Preston on 21st March, 2023. Yup, it is the equinox here in Hilton, South Africa, and we're heading right into the season of mellow fruitfulness. The summer-rains and humidity are over, and that means plenty of greens unaffected by mold. The peppadews have turned bright red, and we have different beans amass. The limas and favas are my favourites.

Interesting research shows that those who miss breakfast are more likely to be obese. There are numerous theories as to why that is; might it be that we are more likely to snack several times during the morning? And, especially if one is already insulin resistant, blood-sugar would then soar; and be stored as adipose tissue.

On the other hand, intermittent fasting is a pillar of the longevity diet, one of the few that I think has merit. That means having an early dinner and delaying your morning meal.

The body works hard to prevent raised blood glucose; that is what inflames the inner lining of the capillaries causing blindness, gangrene of the toes and a host of problems associated with diabetes.

Whilst doing a high powered course on the ketogenic-diets, I decided to purchase and use a glucometer to test the reaction of my body to various foods, the influence of exercise and other factors. It came as a shock to discover that I am prediabetic.

I started the course as a skeptic, and I still am, though I believe the low refined carbohydrate together with high fat diet does have merit. It is the only way that I know of that squarely faces the ugly truth about hunger.

All the low fat fads that see red meat, dairy and generally the cholesterol-rich foods as the problem, leave you pulling teeth at 11 o'clock. The ketogenic diets are different; you simply are not hungry mid morning.

Eggs Hilton

To these basic ingredients of Eggs Hilton I would add whatever greens are in season. The Arabs would call this a "shakshuka," a haphazard mixture of whatever comes to hand.

Dark-green leafy vegetables should be enjoyed daily if we want to avoid macular degeneration and cataracts; it's all about the benefits of lutein.

Tell me what is the reason, that brown Zulu-hens produce white eggs, and Leghorns lay beige?

Eggs Hilton is our variation of the great Florentine recipe; they are normally poached on just a bed of spinach. Let's make it tastier and richer.

Eggs Florentine is a great recipe but after a time it becomes a little dull; plus we are trying hard to increase the phytonutrients in our diet by eating seven to ten coloured foods every day; it is associated with a much lower mortality.

So Eggs Hilton might include other greens such as kale or beet tops together with fresh legumes; and peppers, onion and garlic for more flavour. The dish at the head of this page has six coloured foods.

This is not a fixed recipe; I believe in eating what's in season. So in winter there might be favas, fresh peas and spinach; but in summer limas and green beans with kale.

Forget the Hollandaise sauce; it is tedious and time consuming and frankly not very nutritious, so you should only eat it occasionally on high and holy days. But a tablespoon of cream would not go amiss. Eggs Hilton is our daily breakfast. It takes about five minutes to prepare the vegetables and another ten to cook and poach.

It's all part of our belief that the body is the temple of God; to be cared for and treated with great respect.

Method

Collecting the vegetables from the garden: Ten-minutes

Preparation and cooking time: Fifteen-minutes

Step 1

Chop half an onion or leek from the garden and fry in a saucepan in a tablespoon of butter. Pod and add the beans and peas; slice the peppers removing some of the seeds if you do not like it too hot. Remember that is where the capsaicin is to be found. Drop in the chopped tomato and lemon.

Once it is sizzling nicely, add half a cup of boiling water and simmer with the lid on; a quarter teaspoon of coarse sea salt.

Step 2

Meantime, devein the spinach and kale, wash thoroughly to remove any snails and other bugs; chop finely and add to the saucepan. Bring to a rapid boil for about 3 minutes.

If the greens are young enjoy the whole leaf; the stems are even richer in the nitrate proven to lower blood-pressure.

Step 3

Sprinkle the chopped garlic over the spinach and drop the eggs into the saucepan. Cover and bring back to the boil. Press down the toaster.

Incidentally it is a myth that if the yolk breaks then it is old; these are  fresh free-range eggs straight from the garden this morning. Notice the deep orange colour.

Real free range eggs are only to be had by those determined to keep their own hens, and put up with the damage they do to your seedlings periodically.

Those who enjoy breakfasts like Eggs Hilton can usually indulge in a tablespoon or two of cream at this stage; half before adding the eggs, and pour the other into the saucepan just before serving.

Remember, the cholesterol in your food does not affect the blood levels; it's the refined carbs that are the devil. 

Step 4

Butter the toast on a serving plate or bowl if you like it moist.

The good wife enjoys hers dry on a flat platter, but I have mine in a bowl with all the juice. Scoop the veggies and egg onto the toast.

Say grace and tuck in. The taste is to die for.

The beauty of Eggs Hilton is that it is quick and easy, with little washing up; everything is done on the stovetop. Fresh vegetables from the garden are far more delicious but for some that is obviously impractical.

But it is surprising how much food you can get from just a couple square metres of ground with lettuce, spinach and pole beans; and a few bright red jalapenos or peppadews gracing the flowerbeds.

There are a 101 variations of Eggs Hilton and it is rare that you will make it exactly the same every day. Add some parsley perhaps, beet tops or green coriander; also known as cilantro.

Capsaicin

Turmeric

Partly because of the wonderful flavour of small amounts of turmeric in our cooking, but also because I am prediabetic we add half a teaspoon every morning now to our eggs Hilton.

Does turmeric help with the inflammation of diabetes? Yes, it certainly does.

Bread

Bread to go under your eggs Hilton is optional; if you suffer from insulin resistance and are on a very low carbohydrate diet then just omit it.

A refined slice of toast eaten on its own it will certainly give you a steep rise in blood glucose but with testing I am finding that with a meal like this it has little effect on my BG despite being prediabetic.

But then this is what we are today calling real bread; it is made with 100% wholemeal flour. That from the supermarket is something quite different.

Real bread has the lignans that are the first line of defense against breast conditions^[2], and the vitamin E^[3] that is an anticoagulant; so important in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Butter is back

It was such a relief to me to hear that scientists examining all the evidence found no virtue in margarine; in fact the trans isomers are shockingly bad. Butter is back and that is reassuring; it also helps with the absorption of certain phytochemicals and vitamins.

Grits

It's generally best to have only one starch at a meal if you suspect you might be insulin resistant.

If you skip the toast under your Eggs Hilton, then perhaps start your breakfast with this stone ground grits. It's a rich source of zeaxanthin, the other phytonutrient essential to prevent adult-onset macular degeneration.

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