As I mentioned the other day, I’m a big breakfast fan and will eat it for any meal.  Eggs are one of my favorite foods to make but I’m usually either a simple fried egg or scrambled egg girl (I’ve only recently started eating runny yolks).  So when I come across a recipe like this one for Spinach and Parmesan Soufflés, I get a little excited to make something new, something that might become another breakfast favorite in my book.  Soufflés seem intimidating but I was up to the challenge.  And I was prepared to eat these whether they were puffy or floppy.

Spinach is mixed with thickened milk, cheese, and egg yolks before being gently combined with whipped egg whites.  Once baked until golden brown, they become puffy and are a true picture (although I didn’t take the picture right away and they had deflated by the time I was ready to snap…boo).  The result is a light, healthy, nutritious breakfast sure to impress everyone.  Don’t like spinach?  Swap it out for broccoli or green peppers.  Serve this with some toast, a little fruit or as a complement to any meat.  And don’t be afraid of or intimidated by soufflés.  They really aren’t hard and even if they lose their puff, they’re still good.

The ingredients:

Place a baking sheet in the oven. Preheat oven to 425°F.  Coat 4 (6-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs, tilting and turning dishes to coat sides completely.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add spinach; cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, tossing constantly. Place spinach in a colander; let stand 5 minutes. Squeeze excess liquid from spinach. Coarsely chop spinach.

Combine 2/3 cup milk and the next 4 ingredients (through black pepper) in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cook for 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Spoon mixture into a large bowl, and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in spinach, cheese, and egg yolks.

Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl, and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Beat with a mixer at high speed until medium peaks form (do not overbeat). Gently stir one-fourth of egg whites into spinach mixture, and gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

Gently spoon mixture into prepared dishes. Sharply tap dishes 2 or 3 times on counter to level. Place dishes on preheated baking sheet; return baking sheet to 425° oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 350°; bake soufflés at 350° for 21 minutes or until puffy and golden brown.

Serve immediately.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine