Scrambled, boiled, fried or poached- whatever the cooking method, it is no doubt that eggs are a nutritious, affordable and convenient protein food. Eggs are very versatile too because you can mix them in either savory or sweet recipes and they will hold up well.

 

Lara is a client of mine who makes sure to incorporate eggs in her diet. After her weight loss surgery, eggs were her soft food of choice. She would place different herbs and spices on her eggs to make them palatable and so she would not get tired of the texture and the taste. She would also use egg yolks for sugar free custards and egg whites for frittatas too.

 

One of her favorite egg recipe is the humble poached egg. She would eat it with smoked salmon or on its own topped with a sprinkle of fresh herbs. She loved the soft mouth feel of poached egg and how it seamlessly compliments other flavors.

 

However, one time while she was poaching eggs, she was distracted so she accidentally dropped the egg on a bowl of Marinara sauce instead of on the pot of water on the stove. At first, she was aghast at what happened. Because of her distraction, she ruined two dishes! She was still deciding on what to do when she noticed that the egg was actually poaching in the sauce so she let it play out if it will indeed cook. She thought she had nothing to lose so why not see if it will work out.

 

Lara let the egg sit and cook in the sauce, and when the egg looked firm enough, she scooped it out and was surprised that it actually added an amazing flavor to the egg. She refined this cooking method by scooping out a “well” in the marinara to have the egg sit in that well while cooking.

 

It’s amazing how this quite funny accident turned to be such a delicious eggs-periment in the end!

 

 

Italian Poached Eggs

 

You’ll Need:

 

16 oz Marinara Sauce lowest sugar available

3-4 pieces jarred roasted red pepper, sliced

4 eggs

pinch each salt and pepper

4 leaves fresh basil, torn into small pieces

Cooking Method:

Heat a large, rimmed skillet to medium high heat.

Add marinara sauce and sliced red peppers.

Use the back of a spoon to make a “well” and crack one egg into the well. Repeat this with the three other eggs.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Let cook for about 12 minutes or until eggs look firm when you shake the pan a bit.

Remove from heat, sprinkle with torn basil and scoop onto plate or bowl.

 

 

Nutrition:

If prepared as listed above each serving will yield an estimated 8 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrate and 6 grams fat; although much of the marinara sauce is not eaten and carbohydrate content is likely less than this calculated amount.