Ditch the Frozen College Menu and Try Some Lazy Eggs

College is not exactly doing wonders for my diet. My protein levels are plummeting, as is my appetite for easy sources like beef jerky. The dining hall offers an abundance of fast options, like pizza and burgers, but I miss meals filled with the color green. As a college student, money does not fall from trees, and I rely heavily on the dining hall, which makes developing a healthy diet challenging. 

My main constraint is the lack of kitchen equipment in my dorm. Not much can be done with a microwave and a 50-cent bowl from Target, but I set forth that challenge. To make my meals healthier, I’ve decided to avoid pre-made frozen food, narrowing my already limited selection.  My solution came in the form of a distant memory – I remembered my lazy eggs recipe from years ago. 

When I was eight, I used to make eggs with my grandfather. He was obsessed with egg recipes, teaching me how to properly crack a boiled egg, separate the yolk from the whites, and remove stray shells from a bowl. One of our favorite creations was making eggs in the microwave — what I now call lazy eggs. My dad disapproved, thinking it was a recipe for disaster (and salmonella), but we did it anyway. 

Years later, I realized this childhood recipe was the perfect solution to my dorm cooking predicament. It’s fast, inexpensive, and easy to clean up. I decided to revitalize my grandpa’s egg recipe. 

I made my way to Trader Joe’s to buy eggs and some extra ingredients to spice up my original recipe. My eight-year-old self’s secret ingredient was… salt. Needless to say, she emphasized the lazy in lazy eggs. A decade later, I, thankfully, had more ideas. 

The produce section immediately caught my eye, filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. Two girls were picking apples, holding them up, trying to decide which ones to bring home. Nearby, a couple browsed fresh lettuce and spinach. If I had a kitchen, I would visit this section weekly. Back home, I had been the family chef, so picking produce was second nature. But today, I had to move on and leave my favorite section.

Strolling through the store, I run into an employee offering samples of brioche bread, sending a tempting sweet scent across the aisle that left me no choice but to try a piece. It was soft, light, and slightly sweet. Without hesitation, I add a loaf of brioche to my cart. 

Next, I wandered into the spice aisle. Now that toast was a part of my plan, I figured I needed a spread. I grabbed a bottle of olive pesto that seemed to complement the sweetness of the bread. Finally, I grab a carton of eggs and head out. 

Back in my dorm, mixing the eggs reminded me of my grandfather. When I was younger, I would hold a spoon at a 90-degree angle and alternate between clockwise and counterclockwise motions to stir the eggs. The result was a clumpy, inconsistent mess that drove my grandfather crazy. He replaced my spoon with a fork, tilted the bowl, and showed me how to move the eggs in circles. Though he muttered some exasperated words under his breath, his patience never ran out. 

As I mix my eggs today, the technique my grandfather taught me seems natural, and I cringe when I think of how I used to mix my eggs.

I microwaved the eggs for a minute and a half, toasted the brioche, and spread a thin layer of olive pesto. When the eggs were done, I placed them on top of the pesto and lightly seasoned everything. 

I wouldn’t apply for Masterchef, nor would I want Gordon Ramsay to try my lazy eggs, but it gets the job done: a healthy recipe that reminds me of home.