Poached Eggs with Garlic Yogurt Dressing and Spinach

Alright, today we're going to cover a tasty egg dish.  Most people either love eggs or hate them, and after much soul-searching, I've realized that I fall into the former category.  Eggs can be rather obnoxious if done incorrectly, but when done properly they are delicious to be sure.  Also, while the jury is not quite out on the health benefits and risks of eggs, it's clear that even buying organic (and I recommend that you ALWAYS buy organic eggs - it's worth the price), eggs are an inexpensive source of easy to digest protein, and are packed with vitamins and minerals and other valuable additions to your diet, such as choline.


If you've never poached an egg before, don't worry, it's easy!  The secret is to not mess with them too much - and of course, to be sure and use the vinegar in the recipe to assure that everything firms up and stays together nicely.  This dish makes a delicious breakfast for 4 people, and can be whipped up in about 20-25 minutes from prep to table!

You will need:

1/2 cup of nice thick yogurt.  You can use FAGE Greek yogurt or regular plain Dannon.
1 Clove of garlic, crushed or grated with a microplane zester.
1 Tbsp of snipped fresh chives.
1 Package or one bunch of Baby spinach leaves.  WASH THEM, especially if they're packaged.
1 oz of Butter.  Do not use olive oil or other fat - use real butter for this dish
4 Nice tomatoes, cut in half.
1 Tbsp white vinegar
8 Organic eggs.  Don't skimp, get the organic eggs.  Your health and your taste buds will thank you.
1 loaf of quality rye bread, cut into 8 thick slices.


Directions:

1) First things first, make the dressing.  Mix the yogurt, garlic and chives.  This should sit for a little while so the flavors can meld.

2) Wash the spinach and then wilt in in a pan.  Do this by putting just a little water in the pan - you can even just leave the spinach wet from the washing.  Then cook it over low heat for 3-4 minutes.  Add in the butter, and season with salt and if you happen to have it, a little bit of white pepper.  Don't use black pepper, it won't look attractive in the final dish.  Put the leaves aside and keep them warm.

3) Broil to the tomatoes for about 5 minutes until they're softened and have a bit of char on them.

4) Fill a large pan about 75% full of water, and add in the vinegar and some salt.  This will keep the egg whites from spreading too much when you crack them into the water to poach them.  Bring the water to a simmer.  While the water is heating up, crack each of the eggs into a bowl.  Be careful, don't break that yolk!  When the water is simmering, slide each of the eggs into the pan.  Cook for about 2 minutes or until each egg is set.  Remove with a spatula or slotted spoon and drain.

5) Toast the bread.  Once toasted, top each slice with the spinach, one egg, and some of the dressing.  Serve with the tomato halves on the side.


It's that easy.  This serves 4 happy people a delicious tasty breakfast.





Enjoy!