Eggs and Creamed Spinach

For an easy-peasy brunch that is beautiful as well as delicious, look no further! I love making creamed spinach because it is dead easy but you can make any adjustments for what is in the fridge. I added tomatoes to this version because there were a couple kicking around that I needed to use and I thought it might calm the dandelion greens. A tip for the dandelion greens, they are quite tough and one of the more bitter greens so I definitely advise blanching them first (particularly if you are using its softer cousin, spinach) and use a 3 to 1 ratio of spinach to dandelion greens. This recipe works well with some serious improvisation, so have at it and have some fun!

Perfect! That yolk is like soft butter inside and the white is firm.

The Recipe

3-4 handfuls baby spinach

one handful blanched dandelion greens

one tomato, diced

2 tablespoons soft cheese (like chevre or my new obsession, quark)

half onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper

white wine, orange juice

one egg per person

1. Heat olive oil in pan and add onion and garlic. Soften and let the flavours mingle and the juices release.

2. Add the spinach, a handful at the time. Alternate with your dandelion greens. You want enough to cover the bottom of the pan, about an inch thick and that is with the cooked spinach. Add the spinach slowly and wait for it to wilt down before adding more, otherwise you'll have spinach everywhere.

3. Mix in the cheese and allow to cream/melt into the mix.

4. Spread the cooked spinach across the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the diced tomato on top and make shallow "pots" for the eggs. Gently place the egg whole in their little spots.

5. Add a dash of white wine or orange juice (I've even used the juice from pickled beets!) to act like a steam. Sprinkle the whole thing with salt and pepper. Cover and reduce the heat to low to allow the wine to cook off and the eggs to cook. I like the yolk soft and the whites completely cooked.

I have not timed it because I'm terrible at writing recipes for other people and I'm an instinctual cook but I watch for the egg whites to be cooked fully and a light sheen over the top of the egg yolk. This is the equivalent of soft boiled eggs. I'm daring to say it takes around 8 minutes but don't set that in stone!

Creamed spinach is particularly yummy served with quinoa for a light dinner or fruit and toast and brunch. You can even get daring and add hollandaise for decadence. For the adults I usually crack a little pepper on top of the yolk for a little bite.