I love eggs and use them all the time in cooking. I can make fried eggs, scrambled eggs, omelettes, boiled eggs, egg salad, etc. But I have only poached eggs a couple of times, and I always have to google “how to poach an egg” before I attempt it. I’ve heard that you need alot of water, I’ve heard you need very little water. I’ve heard you need some vinegar, I’ve heard you don’t need vinegar. So you can see where my frustration and hesitation with the poached egg lies. Toby has been asking for eggs benedicts lately (we used to go out for breakfast alot when we lived in DC (pre-baby), and one place we frequented offered like 10 different kinds of vegetarian eggs benedicts!), so I knew I needed to conquer the poached egg once and for all. And then I saw them: poachpod- a flexible silicone cooking tool for poaching eggs, baking and molding- floats in water during cooking. They come two in a package, and last night I finally gave them a try. The recipe I am posting I actually didn’t make, but rather used as inspiration.
I didn’t want to deal with dried beans (that is another hill I need to climb), so I made a soup with garlic, 2 cans of Great Northern Beans, a bunch of Swiss Chard, veggie stock, homemade croutons, and poached eggs. I put the croutons and poached egg in the bowl, then poured the soup on top. The verdict? The soup was good! And the poachpods? Could it BE any easier?? The directions are: To poach an egg: evenly oil the poachpod. Bring about 1 1/2″ of water to a boil in a saute pan, reduce to a simmer, crack an egg into the poachpod and float in the water. Cover pan with a lid and cook in simmering water 4-6 minutes or to desired firmness. Use a slotted spoon to remove the poachpod from the water. For oiling the poachpod, I just sprayed it with a little Pam. As for the time, I set my oven timer to 6 minutes, and the eggs were perfect! I am very picky about my poached eggs- I don’t like any runny white AT ALL, but the yellow can be runny. And that’s exactly what I got! I handwashed them afterwards, but it says they are dishwasher-safe. I got them at my grocery store (Bloom) for about $8. Love them.
rating: soup- 8
rating: Poachpod-9.5
Cellini Bean Soup
(from the May 2009 issue of Yoga Journal magazine)
1/2 pound dried cellini or cannellini beans, soaked (I used 2 cans of Great Northern beans)
water
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bunch green chard
salt
6 slices day-old hearty bread, cut from a large loaf, crusts removed
1/3 cup plus 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground pepper
4 poached eggs (optional)
1. Put the beans and their soaking water in a stockpot and add cold water, if needed, to cover the beans by 1 inch. Put the garlic on a piece of cheesecloth, gather the corners, and tie the bundle securely. Add garlic to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce the heat to low and slowly cook the beans, uncovered, until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Add water to pot as necessary to keep the beans submerged. Gently stir the beans once or twice.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Remove chard leaves from stems, reserving stems, and tear leaves into 1-2″ pieces. Slice stems on the diagonal into matchstick-size pieces. Generously salt the water, add the chard leaves,and cook until tender, 2-3 minutes. Remove leaves with a slotted spoon and drain. Repeat with stems. When chard is cool, squeeze gently to remove water and set aside.
4. Tear bread into small pieces and toss in a medium bowl with 2 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toast bread in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 350 degree F oven until crisp and golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Let bread cool in the pan.
5. When beans are tender, season with salt and pepper. Remove cheesecloth from pot and unwrap garlic. Process half the soup in a blender. Add the garlic cloves and 1/3 cup olive oil to the blender. Puree until smooth.
6. Adjust the liquid remaining in the pot for thinner or thicker soup. Add the pureed beans to the pot and set over medium heat. Add the chard and stems. Taste and adjust seasoning.
7. Serve in bowls. Sprinkle soup with the bread, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and season with pepper.

