Welcome to my Broke Betch Cooking series, which is exactly what it sounds like: cooking deliciousness on a budget! Living in NYC is expensive, as is ordering takeout for lunch and dinner every day. Other than Sushi Sundays, which is a long, beloved tradition for me, I try to cook most of my meals at home. Sometimes I’ll go to the grocery store with something specific in mind, but a lot of the time, I end up making something with whatever I can find in the fridge/pantry (I am the leftovers queen). I am a HUGE foodie, and strongly believe that a delicious meal is worth all the time and effort. I’m continuously surprised by how often people will reach out about the pictures of food that I post on Instagram (yes, I am that basic bitch), so I figured I would share my “recipes,” if you will, to spread the wealth! Enjoy!

Soft-Boiled Eggs

I absolutely love eggs because they are soo yummy and versatile! Growing up, my mom would make soft-boiled eggs for breakfast, just like her mom did. She served them in a little egg cup and a tiny spoon to eat the egg right out of the shell. It’s a tradition that I’ll always remember, and it makes me so happy to be able to continue to experiment with this “recipe.”

The different possibilities are endless, and preparing soft-boiled eggs takes under 10 minutes! I’ve always heard that the perfect soft-boiled egg cooks in 6 minutes, but after some trial and error, I’ve determined that 7 minutes is the perfect time for the consistency that I like.

7 minutes, 7 steps:

Fill a small pot with a few inches of water and put it on the stove with high heat.
Wait for the water to boil, and turn the heat down to medium-low (simmer). You should see small bubbles, but reduced from a full boil.
Using a spoon, carefully lower your eggs into the water. If the entire egg isn’t submerged, that’s fine!
Cover the pot with a lid and set your timer for 7 minutes.
After 7 minutes, take the pot off the stove and run the eggs under cold water for about a minute. You can also leave the eggs in the cold water for a minute to be sure to stop the cooking of the yolk.
Gently crack the eggs on a hard surface, and peel the shell off (this is easier to do if the egg and your hands are wet).
Serve however you want, or eat them alone!

Here are some ideas of how to serve your soft-boiled eggs:

All alone, seasoned with salt, pepper, and cayenne powder.
Cut into slices, on toast. You can also add things like avocado, cheese, leafy greens, tomatoes, etc.
In a sandwich! Make it a BEC with some bacon and cheese.
Mixed with cooked veggies like mushrooms, onions, leafy greens, etc.