Poached Eggs with an Artichoke Sauce

I know, I make poached eggs a lot.  I make them at least once over the weekend because they are Charles's favorite.  I also think that they are fun to make, and I like experimenting with different sauces to serve them with.  Usually the sauces are simply made out of whatever I find in my fridge.  We both really liked the artichokes in this dish, they went well with the sauce.

Serves 2
Total time: 15 minutes

You will need:
4 eggs
4 teaspoons pesto
1 tablespoon creme fraiche
1 tablespoon ricotta
1/4 cup Parmesan
1/2 can of artichokes, chopped
Water
2 tablespoons White Vinegar

Step 1:
Add the pesto to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat.  Then add the creme fraiche, ricotta, and Parmesan.  Mix together and heat until the cheese has melted.  Then add the artichokes.

Step 2:

Poach the eggs.  Add 2 inches of water to a skillet, add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and bring to a slow boil.  Then crack an egg into a small bowl - make sure the yolk does not break.  Once the water has boiled, gently lower the egg into the water.  If the egg white spreads out too much you can pull it back together with a spoon.  Repeat putting up to 4 eggs in one pan.  After 2 minutes carefully make sure that the egg is not stuck to the bottom of the pan and roll the egg over.  Cook for 3-4 minutes total depending on how runny you like your eggs.

Step 3:

Remove the eggs from the water and top with the sauce.

Poached Eggs with Parmesan Pesto Sauce and Turkey Bacon

This breakfast might look fancy, but I promise you that showering, changing, and walking to brunch would have required more effort.  Poached eggs are simple to make, and if you have some cheese and pesto you can easily throw together a delicious sauce.  Perhaps the best part is that I only spent 15 minutes making this and I didn't even have to change out of my pajamas.

If you do not know how to poach an egg, I am re-posting a video with step by step instructions below the recipe.

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2

You will need:

2 tablespoons Pesto (I use low fat)

1 teaspoon Flour

1/2 cup Milk

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons Ricotta

4 Eggs

Water

2 tablespoons White Vinegar

4 slices Turkey Bacon

Tomato, thickly slices

Step 1:

Cook the turkey bacon until crispy, using either a skillet or a griddle.  Turkey bacon takes longer to cook than regular bacon, but it is a very tasty low fat substitute for normal bacon.  It look about 10 minutes for my bacon to crisp up.

Step 2:

While the bacon is cooking, make the sauce.  Using a small saucepan or a small skillet heat the pesto over medium heat.  Then stir in the flour.  Add and milk and heat until it bubbles and thickens.  It should thicken after about a minute of boiling.  Then add the ricotta and parmesan.  Keep on the heat and stir until the cheese is melted into the sauce.

Step 3:

Poach the eggs.  Add 2 inches of water to a skillet, add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and bring to a slow boil.  Then crack an egg into a small bowl - make sure the yolk does not break.  Once the water has boiled, gently lower the egg into the water.  If the egg white spreads out too much you can pull it back together with a spoon.  Repeat putting up to 4 eggs in one pan.  After 2 minutes carefully make sure that the egg is not stuck to the bottom of the pan and roll the egg over.  Cook for 3-4 minutes total depending on how runny you like your eggs.

Step 4:

Assemble.  Stack the bacon on top of the tomato.  Then place the poached egg on top, and spoon the sauce over.  

Mascarpone Alfredo Eggs with Asparagus

I woke up really hungry this morning.  I looked in the fridge to see what I could put together for breakfast.  I thought about scrambling eggs, but Charles wanted poached eggs.  So I decided to use the leftover ingredients from the Mascarpone Alfredo I made the other night to make breakfast.

Charles thought that the sauce went really well with the eggs and the asparagus.

You will need:

Eggs

Water

2 tablespoons White Vinegar

Asparagus

1/2 teaspoon Butter

1/2 teaspoon Flour

1/2 cup Milk

2 tablespoons Mascarpone

2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese

Step 1:

In a small pan melt the butter.  Add the flour and mix together.  Then add 1/2 cup milk.  Mix and slowly bring to a boil.  Let boil for 1 minute, while stirring.  Then add the 2 tablespoons Mascarpone and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.  Mix until completely incorporated.  Then set aside.

Step 2:

Cut bottom inch off the Asparagus and throw away.  Then cut the Asparagus in half and add to boiling water.  The Asparagus takes about 5 minutes to cook.

Step 3:

Poach the eggs.  Add 2 inches of water to a frying pan, add 2 tablespoons vinegar and bring to a slow boil.  Then crack an egg into a small bowl - make sure the yolk is not broken otherwise this will not work.  Once the water has boiled, lower the egg gently into the water.  If the egg white spreads out a lot you can pull it together with a spoon.  Repeat putting up to 4 eggs in one pan.  After 2 minutes carefully make sure the egg is not stuck to the bottom of the pan and roll the egg over.  Cook for 3-4 minutes total depending on how runny you like your eggs.

Here is a video explaining how to poach an egg:

Caprese Benedict

On weekdays I am not a fan of breakfast. Most mornings I skip it or just have a couple handfuls of Cheerios. But weekends are another story. I love brunch and recently I decided to start cooking brunch on a regular basis.
Poached eggs intimidate people but they are surprisingly easy to make. You can also make poached eggs ahead of time (up to 24 hours before eating, cook a minute less, store in a container filled with cold water, refrigerate). Last month I successfully made this breakfast for about 20 people at my friends apartment. I poached eggs ahead of time, and just reheated them in boiling water for 2 minutes.

You will need:
Eggs (the fresher the better)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
Sliced tomato
Sliced mozzarella
Pesto (I use reduced fat)
A pinch of parmesan
Optional: toasted English muffin

Step 1
Fill a frying pan with 3 inches of warm water. Add the vinegar and bring to a slow boil.

Step 2
Crack the first egg into a small bowl. Once the water has boiled, lower the egg gently into the water. Please note that if the yolk breaks you need to start over with another egg. Repeat putting up to four eggs in one pan. After 2 minutes gently roll the egg over and gently make sure it isn't stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Step 3
Stack mozzarella and tomato. Place on toast if you like.

Step 4
After cooking the eggs for 3.5 - 4 minutes remove from water with a slotted spoon and place on top of tomato and mozzarella. Place a 1/2 teaspoon of pesto on top of the eggs. Sprinkle with Parmesan.