Poached Eggs and Brussel Sprouts

This is what nightmares are made of. For kids. Runny yolks and mini cabbages. Ever since I started making  brussel sprouts this way I literally cannot stop. I have had them 1-2 times a week for a month. I recently added the poached egg for a great little lunch. I really need to invest in an egg poacher....because as you can tell from the picture....not my best performance. 

Speaking of performances I did a workout today that was the bee's knees. I will post it below this recipe!

Poached Eggs and Brussel Sprouts

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 shallots, thinly sliced

3-4 cups brussel sprouts

1 tablespoon butter

Salt and Pepper

2 lemon wedges

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vinegar

Makes 2 servings

In a large pan melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft.

While garlic and shallots are cooking, peel off any damaged leaves of the brussel sprouts. Cut off ends, and then slice as thin as possible. If you have the slicing attachment for your food processor this works great too. Add sliced brussel sprouts to pan and stir. Cover and cook for 1 minute, then stir. Repeat 6-7 times, always stirring after a minute to prevent burning or sticking. Once the brussel sprouts have softened, season with salt and pepper and set aside. 

You can poach your eggs however you please. If you have the old fashion tools, bring water and vinegar to a simmer in a small pot. Slowly crack eggs into the pot, using a slotted spoon to help keep their shape. Cook for 2-4 minutes, depending on how runny you would like them. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and drain. 

Place a heaping spoonful of brussel sprouts on a plate, create a small crater with the back of the spoon and place egg inside. Squeeze a lemon wedge over egg and enjoy!

Thursday Burpee Pyramid

For this workout there are no breaks. You move from one exercise right into the other. I think that is why I almost puked felt amazing. The only pyramid part are the burpees, everything else is always a set of 10. 

10 burpees

10 squats

10 push-ups

10 box jumps

10 calf raises

9 burpees

10 squats

10 push-ups

10 box jumps

10 calf raises

8 burpees......

and so on down to 1 burpee

Death by burpees!

Eggs in a Basket with Havarti & Cherry Tomatoes

I don't know if I have ever had eggs in a basket. I have definitely seen them before. Super cute. But while white bread with a fried egg in the middle may cut it for a kid, not going to cut it for me. Or you. Unless you are really advanced 5 year old who is super awesome and reads my blog.

I decided to try and make an eggs in the basket adult version. By adult I don't mean not suitable for children under 18, in the back of the store, late-night adult eggs in the basket. Too much? LOL anyways, I mean a delicious breakfast dish that will leave you full and ready to start your day! Fresh herbs, tasty vegetables, and not-so-cheddar cheese make this dish suitable for any breakfast lover, who has had one too many bowls of cereal.

Eggs in a Basket with Havarti & Cherry Tomatoes

1 loaf of fresh artisan bread

4 eggs

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

1 cup cherry tomatoes

4 slices of Havarti cheese

Sea Salt

Pepper

Butter or Oil to grease the pan

Slice bread into thick 1 inch slices, then using a sharp knife cut a 2 inch hole in the middle of the bread. In a large pan heat butter or oil over medium heat. 

Place bread in the pan, and crack egg into the hole. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then place under broiler for 4-5 minutes.  Remove from oven and lay sliced Havarti (I used tomato basil Havarti) over top. Place under broiler for 1-2 minutes, or until egg is cooked and cheese is melted and bubbly.

While egg is under the broiler, cut cherry tomatoes into quarters. Place in a small bowl. Roughly chop parsley and add to tomatoes, along with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and set aside.

Remove egg and bread from oven and transfer to a large plate. Top with heaping spoonful of tomatoes and then feel really grown-up eating your breakfast.

Vegetarian Eggs Benedict

I know this is a bit of a contradiction. Some vegetarians don't eat eggs, because I guess technically they are unborn baby chickens. But not really. They are delicious and a great source of protein :) I eat eggs a lot and eggs benedict is probably the least healthy way to have them. But this hollandaise sauce was just too easy to make for me to not enjoy the egg-y butter-y goodness. It is a great way to get vegetables into your breakfast though. Switching out ham for asparagus is pretty easy too, for all of the meat lovers our there!

Vegetarian Eggs Benedict

2 english muffins, split

8 stalks asparagus

4 eggs

1 tablespoon vinegar

3 egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

splash of hot sauce

1/2 cup butter

Start by cutting your asparagus in half, and then slicing the bottom half length-wise. This will ensure even cooking, and is a little easier to cut in the final product. Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil. Add asparagus for 3-4 minutes, just until tender. Remove and run under cool water to stop the cooking process. Set aside. 

 Split your english muffins and place face side up on a baking sheet.  Place under the broiler for abour 2-3 minutes until nice and toasted. You can turn off the broiler and leave in the oven to stay warm. 

Next is the hollandaise sauce. I found a great recipe for hollandaise sauce that is made in a blender, and basically fool proof. First separate your egg yolks. I kept the whites in the fridge until the next day for egg white omeletts :)

1.) Add your egg yolks, lemon juice, hot sauce, and dijon mustard to a blender. Blend for a minute to scramble up the eggs and combine everything else. 

2.) Melt the butter in a microwave safe dish, that is easy to pour out of. With the blender on high, slowly pour the hot butter into the eggs. It will immediately thicken and *voila* perfect hollandaise! 

I will never try and make it the old fashioned way again.... this was just too easy. You can place the blender in a pot with hot water to keep it warm and liquid. 

Next you need to poach your eggs. Which I still have yet to master. You basically bring a pot of water to a simmer, add the tablespoon of vinegar then slowly crack an egg into it. They take about 3 minutes to cook. Mine were not pretty, round perfect poached eggs. There has to be a better way! Right?

To assemble remove a hot english muffin from the oven and top with a few asparagus spears. Add your poached egg, and then spoon a generous helping of hollandaise sauce on top. You can sprinkle with cut chives or paprika to brighten it up.