My Love Affair With Poached Eggs

There's nothing I like more than a good egg! It's quick to make, cheap to buy, and full of nutrients and protein to keep me full for hours. A serious triple threat! At 70 calories with 6g protein and 5g of healthy fat, I get all the nutrients I need. And for about $2 a carton its way within my budget!

 But what I love most about eggs is its versatility. It goes well with essentially everything and anything; a food that never bores. Whether wrapped it in a tortilla, baked in the oven, or poached in hot water, I'm always trying to reinvent that staple item in a creative and tasty way. Recently I've been very keen on poaching. To poach an egg I simply heat about a 1/2 pot of water and delicately place eggs in pot once the water begins to boil. It only need about 30 seconds to a minute to cook. No need to stir, the yoke will disperse when you first drop in the eggs, but once they begin to cook, they take form back together again. 

Quick, Simple, & Low Calorie Options:

Autumnal Poached Eggs

- 5 halved Brussel sprouts

- 1/2 cup cubed butternut squash

- Salt & Pepper to your liking

- 1 egg

- 1 to 2 cups well-massaged kale

- 1/2 oz goat cheese

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Pour 1 tsp of olive oil to baking pan/sheet and add brussel sprouts and butternut squash with salt & pepper. Mix the ingredients so they are evenly coated with olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes or until squash is tender and brussel sprouts crispy. Rinse kale in a colander and gently massage kale until it softens to your liking. Place in a bowl. At around the 25 minute mark of your vegetables roasting, boil a pot of water and poach one egg as instructed above. Remove vegetables from oven and place over kale while vegetables are still hot. Remove your egg from the boiling water before yoke hardens. Place over your roasted vegetables. Incorporate crumbled goat cheese atop of the hot egg and warm vegetables to melt the cheese. Break open the yoke with your fork to act as a dressing and enjoy!

Quinoa & Poached Eggs:

- 1/4 cup dry quinoa

- 1 cup chicken broth

- 1 cup water

- 1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes

-  1 oz cinnamon cranberry goat cheese

- 1 cup chopped kale

- siracha (optional)

Similarly to recipe above, place massaged kale, cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper, and goat cheese in a bowl. Boil 1 cup water and 1 cup chicken broth. Pour in quinoa and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Once water and broth is fully absorbed turn off heat but keep lid on for about 3-5 minutes so the quinoa can absorb the steam and continue puffing. Place quinoa into bowl and add poached egg.

Roasted Vegetables, Quinoa & Parmesan Cheese

This recipe is one of my favorites when I have vegetables to use before I have to throw them out. Whether its carrots, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms or broccoli or any other vegetables in your fridge, parmesan and eggs go so well all together! To roast vegetables just coat with olive oil and stick in the oven until they begin to blacken. In the summer use a grill for a beautiful char.