Green Eggs and Ham

Perfectly done poached eggs with yolks oozing over spinach, slices of ham steak, and toasted bread. Topped with a slightly lemony and garlicky avocado cream sauce, this is a healthy twist to the classic Eggs Benedict breakfast.

I’ve been dreaming of Green Eggs and Ham for weeks now. Does that sound strange? What’s weirder, it’s not even my favorite Dr. Seuss book!

Technically, this is a “Spinach and Ham Eggs Benedict with an Avocado Cream Sauce,” or maybe “Avocado Hollandaise Sauce,” recipe, but Green Eggs and Ham might just be catchier. What do you think?

In general, Eggs Benedict are my favorite dish for breakfast. If I go out for breakfast or brunch with friends, this is usually what I order. I’ll only hesitate if I ordered it the day before. And that’s only because I know what goes into that hollandaise sauce. But I don’t mind the splurge every once in awhile. How can I resist that runny egg yolk? I really can’t…

Eggs Benedict usually consists of poached eggs with a runny center that oozes out over an English muffin or toast. The eggs are usually covered with a deliciously creamy Hollandaise sauce. Sometimes these Eggs Benedict are accompanied with ham or bacon or spinach with a side of roasted potatoes or hash browns. Depends on what you order and definitely a complete breakfast.

Classic hollandaise sauce is usually made from egg yolks, butter, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. In this version of Eggs Benedict, I decided to create a different hollandaise sauce for two reasons. One, I used avocado to create the sauce so it’s healthier than butter and yolks, and two, my yolks always get scrambled and become separated from the butter. It’s very frustrating. So my solution is to make something different, and even better, because it’s mostly guilt free. =)

First, I made the avocado cream sauce. I added half an avocado, some olive oil, a little lemon juice, and a pinch of salt to the blender. Then I blended the ingredients until they became nice and smooth. Depending on how you like the consistency of your avocado cream sauce, you might want to add a little bit of milk. I thought the avocado was too thick for my taste so I added milk to thin out the sauce.

Next, find a small pot and fill it at least halfway with water. You want to make sure the water is high enough to completely submerge the eggs. Add about a tablespoon of vinegar to it. Vinegar is said to keep the egg whites white and the eggs intact, but you can leave it out if you want. Heat the water until it’s just simmering. If it boils, lower the heat.

While you’re waiting for the water to simmer, heat up the ham. I did mine on a skillet. Add the tiniest bit of oil and cook the ham until it turns brown on each side. Then I set it aside.

I saved the eggs for last because I wanted it nice and warm when it’s ready to be served. Crack the eggs that you’re using into small individual bowls. You want individual bowls so that the eggs don’t merge together. And you want the eggs in a bowl because it’s easier to pour into the hot water.

Once the water barely begins to simmer, when you’re just seeing bubbles forming in the water, lower the bowl close to the water and slowly drop the eggs in, one by one. Allow the eggs to cook undisturbed for about 4 minutes. The egg whites will turn from clear to solid. Use a spatula or a spoon with slots to retrieve and drain the eggs. You might lose some of the egg whites but the eggs should be mostly intact. If it’s a little messy the first time, don’t worry. This does take a little practice to get it perfect.

Toast your slices of bread. Top the bread slices with ham, a few spinach leaves, and the poached eggs. Add a dollop of the avocado cream sauce over the eggs. Sprinkle chopped parsley over your plate as garnish.

Serve the Eggs Benedict warm.

Enjoy!

I’ll be bringing this to Fiesta Friday over at the Novice Gardener. Head over there to find more recipes from other food bloggers.

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Green Eggs and Ham

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Perfectly done poached eggs with yolks oozing over spinach, slices of ham steak, and toasted bread. Topped with a slightly lemony and garlicky avocado cream sauce, this is a healthy twist to the classic Eggs Benedict breakfast. Author: Andrea Giang

Recipe type: Breakfast

Serves: 1 serving

Ingredients

For the avocado cream sauce:

• Half of a large ripe avocado
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ⅛ teaspoon salt, more to taste
• 3 tablespoons milk (optional)

For the Eggs Benedict:

• Half pot of water
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil or nonstick cooking spray
• 2 slices of ham steak
• 2 slices of bread or English muffins
• 2 large eggs, cracked into individual bowls
• ½ cup of spinach leaves, divided
• Chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:

Avocado Cream Sauce

1. Make the avocado cream sauce. Add the avocado, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and milk into a blender, and blend until the ingredients become smooth.

Eggs Benedict

1. In a medium sized but deep pot, fill water at least halfway, add vinegar, and heat the water until it begins to simmer, around when bubbles start to form.
2. While waiting for the water to simmer, add a little olive oil to a small skillet. Allow it to heat for a minute before adding the ham steak. Cook the ham until it becomes brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes each. Set aside for now.
3. Once the water starts to bubble, slowly pour the eggs into the water, one by one. Allow the eggs to cook for about 4 minutes until the egg whites have turned from clear to solid. Use a spatula or a slotted spoon to scoop the eggs from the water. Make sure the eggs are completely drained.
4. Toast the bread slices. Top the bread with ham, spinach, and the poached eggs. Add a dollop of the avocado cream on each egg. Garnish with finely chopped parsley.
5. Serve the Eggs Benedict warm.

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