Poached Eggs Over Roasted Vegetables

I have a confession to make. I'm obsessed with reading menus. Sometimes when I’m bored, I will sit at my computer and read them online – one after another, like a menu-studying zombie. When I go to a restaurant with friends, I look up the menu online beforehand, just to save them from watching me dissect each and every selection. I’m also that annoying diner who thinks that I can piece together different menu items to build my own personal dish. Who do I think I am? Why don’t I just make it at home myself? I know, I know. It’s a control issue. I’ll work on it. Until then, if you are a server at a restaurant and see me walk through the door, ask for me to be sat in someone else’s section.

I committed that cardinal restaurant sin recently at brunch, where I felt the need to rearrange the menu selections. I wanted one menu item simply because it had roasted brussels sprouts, while another entrée featured poached eggs. When the server approached us, I performed my usual I-feel-so-bad-but-can-you-guys-make-this-instead act. “No problem,” the server graciously replied. Thankfully, I felt absolutely no shame for being such a crazy controlling bruncher.

That’s what I love about living in Colorado. All the people out here are macrobiotic, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, etc., so diners, for the most part, are free to play around with the menus to fit their needs. (Sometimes I pretend that I’m a vegetarian to make myself feel better about my selective menu ordering, but that’s just between you and me.) That Sunday afternoon at brunch, I ended up having poached eggs over the chef’s selection of roasted market vegetables, which was so delicious that I decided to remake it at home. This meal is a perfect dish for any time of the day. Scaring away servers, playing make believe, and controlling behavior need not apply. Go crazy with your vegetable selection and enjoy!

Poached Eggs Over Roasted Vegetables
Serves 2

Ingredients

Use any vegetables that you would like, but I chose to roast:

Brussels sprouts
Carrots
Onions
Cremini mushrooms

Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 eggs

Method

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Halve the brussels sprouts and cut all vegetables into 1 inch pieces. Combine all vegetables in a bowl, coat with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread vegetables on a baking sheet in a single layer, being careful not to crowd them. Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning them halfway through.

Pour a few inches of water into a pot. On the stovetop, bring the water just to a simmer, where tiny bubbles begin to form. Using a spoon, make a whirlpool in the water. This helps the whites surround the yolk, making the egg more compact. Carefully crack an egg into a small bowl and then slide the egg into the water. Scoop the whites over the top of the egg with your spoon to help it out a bit. After 3-4 minutes, take the egg out with a slotted spoon. Repeat the process for the other egg. Place the eggs over the roasted vegetables. Garnish with more pepper, herbs, or some Parmesan cheese and enjoy!