Tag Archives: eggs

Poached Egg and Arugula Salad Bruschetta

This might be a little embarrassing for me to admit but I’ve never poached an egg before. The primary reason for this, as I’ve mentioned before, is I didn’t start eating runny yolks until recently. Now that I’m really starting to understand the runny yolk goodness (or dippy egg as my friend calls it), there was no longer a reason to not attempt the poached egg. I really love Eggs Benedict but it’s the hollandaise sauce, not the poached egg, that makes me weary about making it at home. This Poached Egg and Arugula Salad Bruschetta is a perfectly simple recipe for a first-time egg poacher to try at home.

Fresh arugula is tossed with a simple shallot/Dijon mustard/white wine vinaigrette, draped over browned baguette slices and topped with crispy, crumbled bacon and a perfectly poached egg. The vinaigrette is light and the arugula’s peppery flavors pair so perfectly with the creaminess of the runny yolk and poached egg white. The bacon (I used turkey bacon) adds just another layer of flavor but vegetarians will be just as impressed with this even without the bacon. I’m a big brunch person and a big egg person but I honestly didn’t expect to love this dish as much as I do. I could easily eat this for brunch every weekend, hands down.

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Combine shallots, oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk.

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Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat (or pre-heat broiler). Lightly coat both sides of each bread slice with cooking spray. If using grill, add bread to grill pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until toasted. If using broiler, place bread on sheet pan and broil both sides until desired brownness (about 3 minutes each side).

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Add water to a large skillet, filling two-thirds full; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; add remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar to pan. Break eggs into custard cups. When water cools to a simmer, gently pour eggs into pan; cook 3 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Carefully remove eggs from pan using a slotted spoon.

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Place 2 toast slices on each of 4 plates. Add arugula to oil mixture; toss. Arrange about 1 cup arugula mixture on each serving; sprinkle evenly with bacon.

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Top each serving with 1 egg. Serve immediately.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Turkey bacon

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source: Cooking Light magazine

Baked Eggs with Spinach and Tomato

Ahh, eggs.  I swear I could eat them everyday.  And I almost do.  Until recently, I wouldn’t eat any egg that had even a hint of a runny yolk.  As in no over-easy eggs, no “dippy” eggs (aka sunny side up), no eggs Benedict.  Then all of a sudden, I became obsessed with vegetarian eggs Benedicts.  So now, I’m no longer grossed out.  Well, I am a little.  But I’m getting over it quickly.  Because of this new revelation, I am now suddenly even more drawn to eggs than ever because now I have so many more options (how many times can you eat fried, scrambled, or deviled eggs?)!  These Baked Eggs with Spinach and Tomato are slightly dippy in the middle but filled with tons of other flavors making this a not-so-standard breakfast.

Onions, spinach and tomatoes are mixed together with spices before being spooned into ramekins, topped with a fresh egg and feta cheese and baked.  This dish is filled with flavor and puts plain old scrambled eggs to shame.  Serve this with a side salad and you could have this for lunch or dinner.  I left mine in the oven a little longer than the recipe said but not because of the runny yolk, but because I wasn’t sure if the whites were cooked fully.  I haven’t quite mastered the “baking” of eggs yet so I never quite do it right.  But this is a really fantastic alternative to eggs which would be festive for a holiday breakfast one day this week.

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The ingredients:

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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat  oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add  spinach and sauté until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from  heat.

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In a medium bowl, stir together tomatoes, cumin, salt, pepper,  paprika, and, if desired, hot sauce. Add onion-spinach mixture  and stir to  combine. Divide among 4 oiled 10-ounce ramekins.

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Crack an egg into the center of each ramekin, then sprinkle on feta.

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Bake until whites are set but yolks remain soft, 12 to 15 minutes.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Reduced-fat feta cheese

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Country Living magazine

Spinach and Parmesan Soufflés

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.

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The ingredients:

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Serve immediately.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

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