Baked Eggs with Spinach

I know a chef who says that brunch is one of his least favorite meals to prepare. In fact, he says with gusto that is is one of his least favorite things to do (somewhere up there with filing his taxes). As front of house in a restaurant, I agree that brunch is never any fun. Customers tend to be cranky, needy, hungover and/or still asleep. I will fully admit that until I have at least one cup of coffee and a bite to eat, I am not worth talking to in the morning. 

However, I LOVE  to prepare brunch when I'm at home. It's an entirely different atmosphere- one that's relaxed, slow-paced, and comfortable. I can shuffle blindly around the kitchen while I sip my freshly-brewed coffee and look around the fridge for ingredients. Another great thing about brunch is that it can really be a "left-overs" kind of meal. You can mix just about anything that you have lying around the fridge with eggs and call it a day. Mix most anything from the pantry with pancake batter and 'voila'... banana walnut oatmeal pancakes. When else do you get to eat both sweet and savory foods? It's heaven. 

This past weekend I felt inspired to make something warm, earthy, and fresh. I decided to make a version of Baked Eggs with some added spinach and asiago cheese. The spinach adds all of those great vitamins (A, C, E, K, Folate, and several B vitamins) as well as fiber. As for the cheese, it adds a nice earthy bite to the eggs. If I can't find a low-fat asiago, I can add some low-fat mozzarella (and maybe some extra herbs like rosemary or basil). Try serving this dish fresh out of the oven with some wheat toast and Melon and Prosciutto Salad (see upcoming post). You'll never say no to brunch again!

Baked Eggs with Spinach

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped spinach, steamed

4, 1/4" slices of asiago cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Methods

1. Preheat the oven to 300F. Spray the two ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.  

2. Spoon half of the steamed spinach into each ramekin. On top of the spinach, place two slices of asiago cheese in each ramekin.

3. Crack a fresh egg onto the top of each ramekin. Place in the center of the oven and bake for about 8-10 minutes, depending on the oven. The eggs are done when the whites are firm but the yolks are still loose and runny when pricked with a fork. 

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve with some crusty wheat bread and fruit. Enjoy!