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You can take the girl out of med school (and make her a PhD candidate (!!!) – hell YEAH I passed :P), but you can’t take the med student out of the girl.

And I have these vegetable eggs benedict to prove it.

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Try as though I might to paint myself as the opposite of your typical type A neurotic psycho premed. (I mean, I have a blog that I spend almost all my waking {and occasionally dreaming} time on.  And it’s not about neuroanatomy or how to co-immunoprecipitate proteins with weak interactions when you have no positive control.  Although I’m pretty sure my thesis committee would much rather it be about the latter. But seriously, how un-med student is that?)

There are just some times you can’t quell your inner psyche’s demand for perfection. And that’s that.

Take eggs, for instance. I am admittedly subpar in the egg-making category.

I can’t flip an omelet to save my life, I break over easy eggs 8 times out 10 as I try to flip them and, before this, I’ve never even attempted a good honest poach.

Outwardly, I’ve accepted this as a fact of life. But my subconscious…not so much.

You see, in it’s January issue, Bon Appetit made a list of projected food trends for 2013…and of course cooking eggs was on it. And of course, ever since I happened to flip through that issue, all I can think about is eggs and how to incorporate them into every meal of my day.

Just last week in fact, I was sick for exactly 24 hours and for some reason, spent most of that time craving scrambled eggs like a crazy (or pregnant) person.  (I’m not, don’t get excited mom.)

And this is coming from a girl who would normally choose a runny yolk over almost anything else any day.  It was weird.  Really weird.

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But that’s how you know that deep down as much as I like to pretend that I’m totally cool with my imperfections, there’s some kind of innate part of me that’s all like “PSHHH girl, not on my watch”.

Honestly. She scares me.

Which is why I made these eggs benedict.  So I could say to her, “Hey now, crazy girl who lives inside me, I just learned how to make a crazy awesome poached egg.  Take that, b****.”

Well, and also because they just looked like they would be damn awesome.  And they were.  So there’s that.

Eat.Live.Be. Week 2!
Did we all stick to our resolutions/goals/intentions this week?  Are we all totally irritated that our gyms have been overrun with newcomers who will be gone in a month, so really, why even come now, at all?  (I am mean and cynical when it comes to my gym territory…I know this. I’m working on it.)

Anyways, this week I started running again! I didn’t write about it much her on the blog, but after the Philly Marathon I was having some IT band issues so I took some time off from running to heal and recuperate and refresh.  I attempted to start again by running a 5K in Boston a few weeks ago and while the first two miles were awesome, the last was eh. Very eh.  So I took more time off.  Then, upon realizing that I’m supposed to be running a half marathon in six weeks (Katrina and I are running the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in New Orleans together WOOT WOOT)…I gave it another shot.  And ran 7 miles on Saturday.  And felt 99% okay.  There were some times when things started to feel tight so I stopped and walked and stretched, and when I ran again last night things still felt tight overall, but not specifically in my IT band area.  So I think that as long as I stretch and become BFF with my foam roller…all will be okay.  And truthfully…being able to run again feels like a breath of fresh air.  I didn’t realize just how much I missed it, but I did. I really did.

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Vegetable Eggs Benedict
Serves 3, adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 4 oz soft goat cheese
  • 1/4 cup almond milk, slightly warmed
  • 1 1/4 cups roasted bell peppers, chopped
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • splash of hot sauce
  • sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 lb string beans, trimmed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 5 cups fresh spinach leaves
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 6 eggs
  • 3 whole grain English muffins

Instructions

  1. Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 500.
  2. In a food processor, combine the goat cheese, milk, roasted peppers, lemon juice, mustard, hot sauce and a pinch of salt. Pulse until smooth. Cover and set aside.
  3. Toss the string beans with 1/2 tbsp olive oil, salt, and a pinch or two of pepper. Spread across a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until slightly blistered, about 8 minutes.
  4. Warm the remaining 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the lemon zest, a pinch of salt, and pepper.  Add the spinach and saute until just wilted, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and leave the mixture in the pan.
  5. To poach the eggs, in a saucepan, bring the water and vinegar to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to a very gentle boil. Break 1 of the eggs into a small ramekin and gently slip it into the water. Repeat with 1 more of the eggs. When the white of the egg spreads, push it back toward the yolk with a spoon. Poach for 1 to 2 minutes or until desired doneness is reached. Remove with a slotted spoon. Repeat with remaining 2 eggs.
  6. Toast the English muffins. Arrange the two muffin halves on a plate cut side up. Top with a spoonful of the roasted red pepper sauce, a third of the spinach, a third of the string beans, two of the poached eggs, and another spoonful of the sauce. Repeat with remaining ingredients and serve warm.

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You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
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87 Responses to Vegetable Eggs Benedict {eat.live.be}

  1. Congrats again! I’m so proud 🙂

    And I’m also proud of your egg-making abilities 😉

  2. These sound so interesting, a new take on a classic! I love the colours and well done for passing!

  3. Wow, these look amazing! Poached eggs are my FAVORITE way to eat eggs. I <3 this recipe.
    And congrats!!!! 🙂

  4. HAHAHA! You crack me up! I’m really enjoying the process of learning how to make eggs. It takes a surprising amount of focus to do it properly. Poaching is probably my favorite method now. I have started doing a veggie eggs benedict as well, but I’m going t have to try your recipe out!

  5. Karis says:

    Poached is one of my favorite ways to have eggs. Probably because I grew up eating poached eggs on a toast for dinner…single mom on a budget 🙂 My husband loves eggs benedict, so I’m looking forward to trying this recipe.

  6. Simply Life says:

    congrats!!!!!!!! and I’m still not quite sure how you do it all… 🙂

  7. Foodycat says:

    Congratulations!

    These eggs look great – that sauce sounds like a really tasty (and less calorific) alternative to hollandaise.

  8. Congrats! And these look AMAZING… perfect way to celebrate!

  9. Patsy K says:

    I’ve never poached an egg, but it’s on my list of things to attempt! If I had this dish waiting for me in the mornings, I’d never miss a breakfast again!

    Glad to hear that you are feeling better and ready to run again! I’m heading back to the gym starting tomorrow (have a dr appt that will prevent me from using my lunch break today to get there… grrrr!).

  10. london bakes says:

    This sounds ridiculously tasty!

  11. Congrats on passing!! This post really does baffle me…everything you cook looks amazing, your pictures are fantastic, you are a former med turned phd student, you run marathons, BUT you struggle with making eggs. Usually people can master a sunny-side up before doing any of those other things. 🙂

    So really–please enlighten us on how you do it all?! Kudos on the poached egg, looks delicious as always.

    ~Alyssa

  12. Victoria says:

    Sigh. I love anything Benedict. This is way healthier than what I usually do. So proud of you for conquering your egg cooking fear. Poaching is pretty easy once you try it!!

  13. SallyBR says:

    Congrats on passing! I knew you would ace it, of course!

    I had IT band issues and they are not fun, but trust me, they are easier to recover from than knee problems. So, foam roll it away and run on!

    great recipe, I eat a ton of eggs each week, my favorite is a runny yolk sunny side up, but lately I’ve been enjoying creamy scrambled at lunch. Love my protein, and since my cholesterol is extremely low, I don’t need to worry about my passion for eggs. Lucky me!

  14. bellini says:

    Love the goat cheese sauce. THis would work even without the egg which is how I eat all my eggs benedict.

  15. kelsey says:

    oh my-you’ve outdone yourself with this one.

  16. Danielle says:

    Congratulations!!! I am craving those eggs right now.

  17. Amy says:

    Ya, you passed! AS IF there was another outcome. Paleeezze. My love for a poached runny egg knows no bounds. That is a work of beauty!

  18. I crave eggs regularly and I’m definitely not pregnant haha. I am going to New Orleans for the first time in April and I’m already counting down the weeks! Not to race though, just to… drink 😉

  19. This is a sign of great things to come, Joanne: awesome PhD, more running and fabulous food. I love the vege-centric sauce! That cookbook is awesome! 🙂

  20. Jessie says:

    CONGRATS, Joanne! Of course, I had no doubts, but it’s nice to have confirmation all the same 🙂 And I’m so glad you’ve been running again! I hadn’t heard that eggs are a trend, but I’m all for it – cheap protein source, so easy to make (most of the time 😉 ), delicious! Loving this veggie benedict!

  21. elly says:

    Congrats, Joanne!! These eggs look awesome. I’m actually not a hollandaise fan (I know, I know) so this veg version sounds a million times better to me.

  22. This really looks delicious Joannne. I would love this for brunch with a hot, steamy cup of coffee!

  23. Congratulations…that is terrific. Your eggs sound terrific as well.

  24. Gloria says:

    OMY Joanne this is georgeous and I love benedict eggs!!
    I congrats you too!

  25. Pam says:

    You crack me up. I always poach my eggs in a custard cup because I am too scared to try it the other way. This benedict looks FABULOUS!

  26. congrats on passing!!! i’m terrified to poach an egg, but i so want to try. this version looks gorgeous 🙂

  27. I’ve never made true Eggs Benedict with the poached eggs + Holl Sauce. I’ve made them both separately but should probably put this on a bucket list. Yours are gorg!

  28. Pam says:

    Congrats!!!! And, those eggs look pretty good for a non expert!

  29. iscribbler says:

    Congratulations on passing! I’m so excited! 🙂 You definitely deserve it. And to toss in running again – it’s like Christmas! lol I know what you mean about running – I love to do a run here or there weather permitting, and it feels so good to just be outside.

  30. Sara says:

    These look so tasty! I love eggs benedict, and it’s so fun to play around with variations. 🙂 A vegetarian restaurant near me does it with tomato and avocado, also really tasty…this version looks so good too!

  31. Congrats! So exciting. And I love the sound of the sauce on this benedict. I don’t think my vegetarian boyfriend has ever even tried eggs benedict (he obviously doesn’t eat the ham, and was never really into hollandaise), so I’m going to have to try out this version on him!

  32. eggs! a trend! shoot. I got frittatas down pat because you don’t have to do anything whatsoever once you put them in a pan. We’ve got work to do. I am going to try this this weekend to start my homework.

  33. Congrats on passing and returning to running!

  34. Natalie says:

    I never cook egg’s because I don’t eat them surprisingly but when I do attempt to make them for someone else i always mess it up. Your pics look wonderful though 🙂

  35. The red pepper sauce looks amazing on these eggs. What a fab idea. I’m going to have this for breaky tomorrow!

  36. Ph D candidate?! CONGRATS! I’m so happy for you! And I’m in love with these eggs benedict! I could eat maybe 2 servings. And I know Jason will love these too! I just won’t tell him these are meat-free 🙂

  37. Suzie says:

    Congratulations! That is terrific news 🙂 I can’t make an omelet to save my life girl. I know what you mean. I didn’t even try poached eggs until about a couple months ago and yay! they turned out too. These look absolutely perfect, the entire recipe does!

  38. Dining Alone says:

    poached eggs are something I have always wanted to attempt as well, this looks super tasty. And more importantly, CONGRATS!!!

  39. Pam says:

    Woo hoo! This looks great, Joanne! I haven’t made poached eggs in ages and have to try this! Glad you’re up and running again! My DIL is getting ready for a marathon soon, she can hardly wait.

    A big congrats on being a PhD candidate!!! Good job, my friend!!!

  40. Donna says:

    I am a dedicated NON runner – I only run if someone is chasing me with a large knife. . . But. Veggie Eggs Benedict – now that is something I can be devoted to!

  41. Hotly Spiced says:

    Congrats on passing your nerve-wracking power point presentation. And you’re running again! I’m super impressed and wonder how you manage to fit so much into your life. I love Eggs Benedict – it’s my most favourite breakfast and this vegetarian version looks stunning xx

  42. Congrats!!!!! You are a rock star!

  43. Congrats on passing! I’m always amazed at how much you accomplish – school/research, running, cooking real and yummy food and blogging about it. I’m still trying to fit in cooking regularly with nursing school, running and research/work. Kudos on everything – I always look forward to reading your posts and love your recipes!

  44. Eileen says:

    Congratulations! PhD ahoy! And, of course, these eggs look fantastic. I love the idea of making a benedict with something other than hollandaise (which I flatly find gross). Super vegetable egg stack to the rescue!

  45. polwig says:

    CONGRATULATIONS !!!! YEAH !!!! The food is amazing as always but I am so happy for your new PHD route.

  46. Congrats again!! The eggs Benny looks amazing! I have good poaching days and bad poaching days. Every so often a couple eggs have to be sacrificed. Poaching is so inconsistent for me… but it’s my favorite egg preparation.

  47. Reeni Pisano says:

    Congrats! On both accounts! I hardly go a day without eating an egg or two – I get crazy cravings for them so this looks amazing! I have never tried poaching. Need to. Love runny yolks.

  48. Candace says:

    Congratulations! I knew you would be awesome! Those are some seriously beautiful Benedicts. I have been craving eggs like a crazy woman lately. I can only boil or scramble them though. Thank God for an indulgent husband who is not egg challenged. He’s been hooking me up. Maybe he would make these for me this weekend if I’m extra sweet to him. I need to get on that. 🙂

  49. Yay!! Congratulations lady! And can I just say, though I’m a staunch lover of regular eggs benny – this looks beyond FABULOUS. Y to the U to the M.

  50. Katie says:

    What fantastic news all around! Poached eggs, running again and a PhD candidate! Congrats. It looks like 2013 will be a great year!

  51. OohLookBel says:

    Eggs benedict are what I always order for weekend breakfasts, now I wish someone would serve them up like you have. Delicious! And is it too soon to call you Dr Joanne?

  52. That Girl says:

    Congratulations on passing!

  53. Kari says:

    Congratulations! And yay to running…and perfecting eggs (or anything 😉 )!

  54. Maybe there is something wrong with me but I have never liked hollondaise sauce… I’ll trade in for this version of eggs benedict every single time! Oh, and you are going to rock that New Orleans half, I just know it.

  55. This is stunning!!! Your post is lovely – this recipe is fantastic!!!! Yey you for figuring eggs out so brilliantly!
    Mary x

  56. Johanna GGG says:

    Not being an egg eater I often find it strange that a test of whether people can do a thing in the kitchen is if they can boil an egg – what is it with needing to be perfect at eggs – I can’t say I will be following egg trends but I will be drooling over your photos anyway because they look like amazing eggs that I would feed to all my egg loving friends

  57. I really love eggs Benedict. This version looks really interesting and nice with all the veggies. I made it once with a roasted yellow pepper sauce and asparagus and it was really great!

  58. This looks spectacular, Joanne. One of the BEST egg benedicts I have seen.

  59. You passed!!! HOORAY!!!! Also, these are BEAUTIFUL eggs. I can’t poach eggs if my life depended on it, and these are just stunning. Plus, extra points for putting a veggie eggs benedict up here — i love it with the meat, and now must try it with the veggies! <3

  60. Big congrats, Joanne! I’m still trying to learn to love runny yolks, but your spin on eggs benedict might be just what I need to get over it. Looks delicious.

  61. I’ve had eggs benedict on my “to-make” list for a while now, and really need to get on that!! This looks fabulous.

  62. Ashley Bee says:

    OMG. This looks so good! All my favorite veggies and an AWESOME sub for that crazy-calorie’d hollandaise! I hope to soon have all these veggies on hand so I can make it myself 🙂

  63. Katerina says:

    They look amazing Joanne and congratulations to you for passing!!

  64. Yay, Joanne, congratulations! That must be the most amazing feeling! I love this dish too, mouthwatering!

  65. Karen says:

    That sauce looks amazing. Congrats to you, Joanne!

  66. Blond Duck says:

    I’m not the same when I can’t run.

  67. I have to admit, I’ve never stopped loving eggs! Poached – on toast is my all-time favorite breakfast. These days, I will buy ‘better’ eggs for that runny yolk 🙂 This looks awesome, Joann!

  68. Nina says:

    I have to say, am not good with poached egg too….never been successful till date:).Your dish looks stunning Joanne:)

  69. I don’t think I’ve ever made a pretty poached eggs but yours look perfect! Congrats on those but bigger congrats on passing!

  70. Hannah says:

    Yeah, I knew you’d pass! Didn’t worry me one bit. 🙂 Hope you plan on celebrating and treating yourself to something extra-special this weekend!

    The poached egg is probably the main point to this assembly, but I would gladly take the super flavorful veggie sandwich by itself. That sounds great.

  71. Christine says:

    Kudos on passing Joanne! Way to go! Glad to hear you’ve healed so running’s fun again.
    These look delicious, love any eggs with runny yellows and Eggs Benedict. This is a great lower calorie version which I appreciate. And…I’ve been looking for a red pepper sauce to use on crab cakes. Will have to try this.

  72. Ashley says:

    First of all…COGRATS!!!! That’s awesome! Secondly, THIS looks awesome. I would eat this any time of day. Yummm! Thirdly…do you ever venture up to Westchester? I rarely get to NYC any more, and we are so overdue to meet up and eat some yumminess 🙂

  73. Chris says:

    Hmmm so scoring “below par” is a great thing in golf but being “subpar” at cooking eggs is not.

    I like Eggs Benny in many versions. The original is great but variations like this one and the one I did with a Bearnaise are a little more fun, don’t you think?

  74. Congrats Joanne! I don’t know how you make such delish meals and keep up with med school. Great Job!!

  75. umm, yes on all accounts!! this looks awesome, and congrats on passing your exam! i should get off my butt and foam roll… but i’m going to catch up with your latest post first 😉

  76. Holy cow, this made me stop dead in my tracks. This looks so good!

  77. Dana says:

    I have so missed reading your blog! So much amazing food coming out of your kitchen! Love these. I cannot turn down a perfectly poached egg and you did a great job on this one. Congrats on getting back to running and the PhD news is terrific. Miss you!

  78. Lora says:

    Congrats! And this poached egg dish looks so healthy and delicious.

  79. YAYYYY Congratulations!!!!!!!!! Oh and well done on your egg poaching skills too 😉

  80. Laura says:

    I was just reading about how to poach eggs and thinking I just try it. The truth is, it is hard for me to get preferring it over frying it in good olive oil, but hey, I’m game! These look delicious!

  81. Kevin says:

    With goat cheese and roasted red peppers these would be a great way to start the day!

  82. This looks delicious! I love all the veggies for breakfast. I cannot poach an egg very well, but I keep trying.

  83. […] Vegetable Eggs Benedict – Eggs were predicted to be super cool in 2013 (and will continue to be totally rad in 2014…you heard it here first) so we learned how to poach them! And benedict them, veggie style. […]

  84. […] Vegetable Eggs Benedict (via Joanne Eats Well With Others): Proving that it doesn’t have to be all about the ham or bacon, this veggie version features a goat cheese and roasted red pepper Hollandaise. Being naughty never looked this healthy before. […]

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