Eggs Italiano

My friend Kimberly gave me a subscription to the magazine Eating Well, which has recipes that are good for you but look and taste good too. I have really enjoyed going through some of them.

I have never made poached eggs before, well I should say I have never made them successfully. I did attempt once six years ago but it was a failure and I haven't done it since. I followed these directions and it was so easy and everything came out perfectly.

This dish is quick but definitely needs two pans simultaneously going on the stove for everything to be ready a the same moment. And if you don't care for zucchini like my husband doesn't, you can substitute. I used green beans instead, and cherry tomatoes instead of plum, since that was what looked best at the store.

Eggs Italiano (Eating Well April 2007)

1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound zucchini (about 2 medium, diced)
12 oz plum tomatoes (3-4), diced
3 tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil, divided
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 large eggs
4 whole-wheat English muffins, split and toasted
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Fill a large, straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven with 2 inches of water; bring to a boil. Add white vinegar.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in zucchini and tomatoes and cook, stirring occassionally, until the zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in 1 tbsp basil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

3. Meanwhile, reduce the boiling water to a gentle simmer; the water should be steaming and small bubbles should come up from the bottom of the pan. Crack each egg into a small bowl and slip them one at a time into the simmering water, taking care not to break the yolks. Cook for 4 minutes for soft set, 5 minutes for medium set and 8 minutes for hard set. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to a clean kitchen towel to drain.

4. To serve, top each muffin half with some of the vegetable mixture, an egg, a sprinkling of cheese and the remaining basil.

Makes 4 servings.

Thoughts - This is a basic process that could work with any number of vegetable and flavor combinations. I do like this one because the flavor was intense enough and well-balanced to not leave the consumer wanting more.

Categories: Basil, Eggs, Green Beans, Tomatoes