Serve Up Comfort With Pizzazz
(NUI) - Some days, you long for the comfort of familiar foods. Other days, you crave a new and exciting dining experience. Occasionally, you really don't know quite what will hit the spot. On those days, you might be pleased with a dish that starts off soothingly but has just a little touch of something new.
For those in-between moods, poached eggs make a good start. Soft poached eggs go down easy and are also quick and easy to make. The eggs provide high-quality protein and a wide assortment of vitamins and minerals for comparatively few calories. Plus, poached eggs are made with no added fat, making them a good choice for dieters. If that isn't already enough, the unimposing flavor of poached eggs allows you to combine them with almost any other favorite food.
Straddling the gap between unassumingly mild and boldly zesty, Quick 'N' Easy Eggs Florentine relies on convenient frozen creamed spinach, the combined flavors of easy-to-use dehydrated veggies and crunchy croutons to lift the eggs out of the ordinary. If you have some on hand, you can add some chopped cooked lean ham, turkey ham, chicken or turkey to the spinach mixture. For breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner, it takes very little time to serve this simple entree - about 5 minutes for preparation and 10 to 15 minutes for cooking. All you need to add for a full meal is bread of some kind - maybe store-bought muffins or scones - and fresh fruit, topped with yogurt, if you like.
See www.aeb.org for step-by-step instructions for poached eggs and ideas for other fast dishes, from comforting through exciting.
Quick 'N' Easy Eggs Florentine
4 servings
- 2 packages (9 to 10 oz. each) frozen creamed spinach
- 2 tablespoons dehydrated vegetable mixture (soup greens)
- water
- 4 eggs
- 2 tablespoons croutons
- paprika, optional
Remove spinach from cooking bags. Place in medium saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat about 2 to 4 minutes. Break spinach apart with fork. Add dehydrated vegetable mixture. Cover. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until heated through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Keep warm while poaching eggs.
Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan or deep 10- to 12-inch omelet pan or skillet, bring 2 to 3 inches of water to boiling. Reduce heat to keep water gently simmering. Break cold eggs, 1 at a time, into medium bowl. Holding bowl close to water's surface, slip eggs, 1 by 1, into water. Cook until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard, about 3 to 5 minutes. With slotted spoon, lift out eggs. Drain in spoon or on paper towels and trim any rough edges, if desired.
Spoon reserved warm spinach mixture onto platter. Sprinkle with croutons. Top with poached eggs. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.
Nutrition information per serving of 1/4 recipe using plain croutons without optional paprika: 204 calories, 14 gm total fat, 236 mg cholesterol, 688 mg sodium, 62 mg potassium, 11 gm carbohydrate, 10 gm protein and 10% or more of the RDI for vitamins A and C, riboflavin, calcium, iron.