The Other Days

Posted: March 29, 2010 | Author: Johanna | Filed under: Johanna | 4 Comments »

Some days, we all look in the refrigerator, or the cabinets, or wherever, and know exactly what we’re going to make. Ingredients and ideas jump out at us, and it seems like there’s not enough time to make everything from what you see. There are other days, however, when we all look in the fridge, or the cupboard or whatever, and say “Man, I wish I’d gone shopping 2 days ago”. Or we say, “How many more ways can I make pasta with butter??” Or…. most eloquently, sometimes we just say, “Shit”.
For those days, the days when all you can say is “shit”…. I present, Baked Eggs:

Sure, it may not look like much, but when you’re staring into your refrigerator wondering what the heck to make out of what’s in there (and still good), this dish is a life-saver. Do you like omelets? Or hash? Or heck, things getting covered in cheese sauce and having egg yolk dribbled in around them?
I promise, you will like baked eggs.

The place to start is deciding what you would like UNDER your eggs. Upon searching my fridge and freezer, I realized that I had the leftovers of a bunch of green kale (and if you’ve been noting my nightly chronicling of what I eat for dinner, that shouldn’t shock you), half a small red onion, and a package of sliced honey turkey breast that I’d largely forgotten about in the freezer. So! I defrosted the turkey, tore up the kale and diced the onion. I ALSO preheated the oven to 375.
I sauteed the onion in a teaspoon or so of butter, and then added the kale along with a splash of olive oil. Kale loves salt, so make sure to add plenty of salt and pepper, and some garlic powder if you’d like. Also, this could be made with spinach, or broccoli, or tomatoes or whatever vegetables you have lying around. Think of it as an omelet you don’t have to flip, and go to town! Potatoes would be nice, or peppers and onions, and it certainly doesn’t have to contain meat, but if you’re looking for some extra protein, lunchmeat is always nice here, as is leftover roast chicken.

Once the kale was starting to soften, I added in a couple pieces of sliced turkey, which I had rolled into a cigar shape and cut into pieces. I also added several splashes of hot sauce, because the turkey is sweet, the kale is bitter, and the hot sauce makes it all taste perfect together.
While the kale and turkey were cooking together, I put together a quick bechamel as well — and I do mean quick. 1 teaspoon of butter, 1 teaspoon of flour, cooked together for a minute at most, and a half-cup of whole milk stirred in. When it thickened (2-3 minutes on medium) I added salt, pepper, and Old Bay seasoning, and grated in about 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.

To assemble the dish, I took 2 ramekins, and layered the bottom with the kale and turkey mixture, and a small portion of the bechamel. I made 2 small divots in the kale, where I cracked the eggs. I topped the whites with more bechamel, and put the ramekins on a cookie sheet and into the oven.

The eggs baked for 10 minutes, and the yolks and whites were still runny, so I put them under the broiler for 2 minutes. If you like your egg yolks runny, and boy do I, I would suggest 1 minute under the broiler, instead of 2. If you happen to be like the Triple Threat, and like a much more set fried egg, I would go with 2-3 minutes, just to make sure that the white and yolk are to your liking. Definitely keep checking throughout the time, so that they come out the way you like them.

Baked eggs feel a little nicer than eating plain old fried eggs and toast for dinner. And they feel more “dinnery” than an omelet. And sometimes 4 eggs do not make a big enough omelet for 2 people, but they make 2 perfect servings of baked eggs. And when you need to clean out the fridge, or you’re not sure there’s actually anything in there worth eating, as long as you have eggs, butter, milk, cheese, and one other item to use as a base, you’re all set.