I’ll admit, I used to be so scared of poaching eggs at home. I had many misses before I finally perfected my technique. Putting a poached egg on top of certain dishes adds a luxury to it and can really bring a meal together. This morning I wanted to use up some of the veggies I had in my fridge from when I made the stir fry earlier this week so I decided to make an easy veggie hash and top it with these poached eggs. I always find that I have leftover vegetables and herbs from meals I make throughout the week and too often I end up tossing them because they go bad. This is a great way to use up whatever is in your fridge and create a really nice breakfast or brunch dish. Great start to a Saturday!

What you’ll need:

• 1 large shiitake mushroom, roughly chopped
• 3 asparagus stalks, trimmed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 of a red bell pepper, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 green onion, sliced (separate the whites and greens)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 T white vinegar
• Hot sauce

Directions:

• Fill a medium saucepan with water and put it over high heat. Let it come to a boil while you cook the vegetables.
• Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook until the juices are released, about 2-3 minutes (they will soak up most of the oil but that’s okay, don’t add more!). Add in the asparagus and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add in the bell pepper, garlic, thyme, and whites of the green onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook an additional 2 minutes. Turn off stove and cover skillet to keep veggies warm while you cook the eggs.
• Add a tablespoon of white vinegar (or whatever you have on hand that’s light in color) to your pot of boiling water. Crack the eggs separately into small dishes. Take a spoon and stir the water to create a cyclone effect. Drop an egg into the center of the cyclone and let it simmer in the bath for about 45 seconds (let it sit longer if you use XL eggs). Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove the egg from pot and place on a plate lined with paper towels to dry off. Repeat with the other egg.
• Place veggies in a shallow bowl and top with poached eggs. Crack some sea salt and pepper over the top and sprinkle the sliced green parts of the green onion to finish the dish. Serve with hot sauce.

TIPS:

• You’ll find that a sort of egg white scum forms when you poach the eggs. For the sake of appearance I separate this from the rest of the egg and feed it to my dog :). It’s edible, but it’s kind of tough and ugly.
• I suggest you use a light vinegar like distilled white vinegar but truthfully any type will work. The vinegar helps the egg whites bind together immediately when it hits the water, keeping the egg intact while it cooks. If you use a darker vinegar like red wine vinegar you’ll see that it can color the egg a little bit. Avoid using balsamic.
• Like I said in the intro, this is a great way to use up any leftovers. This would be perfect with winter root veggies like parsnips, turnips, potatoes or add some dark leafy greens like kale or chard to the party too. Really, you can use anything!
• I had leftover thyme in my fridge but you can use whatever you have on hand for this component too. I hate how much I waste herbs because you have to buy such large packs of them at the store. Toss in whatever you have on hand! Why not!