poached eggs w/ spinach, mushrooms, and walnuts

added by
4 servings
ingredients
all
8 cups water
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
10 oz baby spinach
about 1 small bag, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
minced
3 whole shallots
vertically sliced
8 oz cremini mushrooms
about 1 package, quartered
1 tbsp fresh sage
chopped
3/4 tsp fresh thyme
chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
3/4 cup walnuts
chopped
2 oz gruyere cheese
shredded, could also use swiss
4 whole eggs
large
reserved thyme and walnuts
black pepper
freshly ground
We honestly didn't think this recipe was going to be amazing. It just made its way into our kitchen because it made use of lots of leftover ingredients that we had on hand. While cooking it, we started get wary as it involved a whole lot of prep, and it started to feel like a lot of work. But all the work was well-worth it in the end; it all came together quickly after prep. We ended up with a tangy, meaty, and filling vegetarian dinner. Leftover spinach filling made its way into an omelet the next morning. Yay! :)

Adapted from the March 2012 issue of Cooking Light.
1
Fill the saucier 3/4 high with water, add the white vinegar, and heat the mixture until it simmers. Preheat the dutch oven and olive oil over low heat while you prep.
2
Wash, chop, and process all the fresh ingredients. Be sure to reserve some thyme and walnuts for topping at the end.
3
Prepare the spinach and mushroom base. Bump the heat up on the dutch oven to medium-high. Add the spinach and sauté for 2 minutes. Remove the spinach, drain, and cool. Then squeeze the excess liquid.
4
Add more olive oil to the dutch oven and add the shallots and garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes.
5
Add the sage, thyme, pepper, salt, and mushrooms. Sauté for 7 minutes.
6
Stir in the red wine vinegar and deglaze. Mix in the cooked spinach, walnuts, and cheese. Cook for 30 seconds.
7
With the water and vinegar simmering, break each egg into a small bowl and glide the egg into the water. Cook each egg for 3 minutes then remove it from the water with a slotted spoon. Rest the slotted spoon over the paper towel.
8
Divide the spinach-mushroom base across 4 plates. Top each with a poached egg. Sprinkle reserved thyme and walnuts. Finish with pepper.
source: an old clipping we had from Cooking Light magazine