Eggs Florentine with Avocado

I woke up this morning with the worst craving for eggs.  Probably because it's the weekend, and I've got brunch on the brain.  Alas, going out for brunch was out of the question -- I just got back from a spring break cruise and can't afford to be spending any more $$$.  Fortunately, eggs and spinach are cheap, so one short trip to Safeway later, I was ready for breakfast.

This was my first time poaching an egg.  I've scrambled, boiled, fried, deviled and omelette'd the suckers, but poaching always seemed beyond my culinary powers.  When I finally worked up the courage to google "how to poach an egg," I was surprised by how fast and simple it actually was.

Technically Eggs Florentine = poached eggs with spinach on an English muffin, but I had some avocados getting too ripe in the fridge, so I decided to slice them up and eat them with my eggs. Hence, Eggs Florentine with Avocado.  Fact: avocados taste great with everything.

Mmm, look all that avocado. A feast for the eyes and mouth -- definitely a hearty and healthy breakfast.

Every recipe I found for Hollandaise sauce called for 4 egg yolks and a stick of butter.  I didn't want to eat an entire stick of butter for breakfast or die from high cholesterol, so I cut the recipe down to 2 egg yolks and half a stick of butter.  Unfortunately, I forgot to also reduce the amount of lemon juice, so my sauce turned out a little tangier than I expected.  But mainly it was buttery and delicious.

I got a little carried away with taking pictures, so by the time I got around to eating, my eggs were cold. Still tasty, but note to self for next time: less picture taking, more eating.

Eggs Benedict with Avocados

Ingredients:

- 2 eggs
- pinch of salt

- 1 tbsp white vinegar

- 1 cup spinach

- 1/2 large avocado, sliced
- 1 English muffin, toasted

- 1/2 stick of butter
- pinch of salt

- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

- 1/2 tbsp hot water

Steps:

(1) Fill pot with about 2 to 3 inches of water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat until water has tiny bubbles, but is no longer boiling.

(2) Add vinegar and salt to the water and stir to create a funnel in the water.

(3) One at a time, crack eggs into a plate or shallow bowl. Gently ease the eggs into the funnel in the water. Use a slotted spoon to gently wrap egg whites around the yolks, if necessary.

(4) Cook for 2-3 minutes, then use slotted spoon to lift eggs out onto paper towels. Gently pat eggs dry.

(5) Stir fry spinach with a little oil and salt to taste.  Cover each half of a toasted English muffin with the cooked spinach, and sliced avocados. Top with poached eggs.

(Sauce)
(6) Melt butter in saucepan on medium heat until butter is foamy. Lower heat.

(7) In a small bowl, mix lemon juice, egg yolks, and salt.  Gradually add melted butter to mixture, whisking constantly (or else eggs will scramble) until thick.

(8) Add water and whisk -- this will thin out the sauce.

(9) Return mixture to saucepan on low heat, and stir until sauce gets thick again. Serve immediately.