Greek Eggs Florentine

I got this idea from my aunt, this holiday season, who had whipped up a batch of special "healthy greens" Spanokopita (Greek spinach pie) in no time, telling us she keeps a batch of this mixture in her fridge to make Eggs Florentine with. I had to try it myself. She told us she added more eggs to the mixture to make Spanokopita with, but, without getting her recipe, I decided to just have a go of it on my own. Thanks Auntie Fay!

Chard, Kale, and Spinach & Feta Warmed Salad

1 large onion, halved and chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch of swiss chard, with stems removed, chopped

1 bunch lacino kale (the dark green, almost black, kind with a flat leaf), chopped

500 g (one package) frozen spinach (chopped or whole leaf), thawed and drained

2-3 tsp (a splash) of lemon juice

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

3/4-1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F on broil.

2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large (oven safe) sauté pan on medium heat. Add the onions and sauté them until they begin to be tender. Add the garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent.

3. Add the swiss chard and lacino kale and stir. Cover the pan for 5-10 minutes until the chard and kale are cooked down.

2. Stir in the spinach and season with the lemon juice, the remainder of the 1 tbsp olive oil, and the salt and pepper. Continue to sauté for around 5 minutes until the spinach begins to cook. You'll smell it.

3. Stir in the beaten egg. Continue stirring for 3-5 minutes until egg cooks in.

4. Stir in the feta cheese. Continue stirring for 2-3 minutes until cheese distributed.

5. Put pan in oven for 5 minutes to broil. Watch closely. You just want the mixture in the oven long enough for the cheese to begin to melt, while adding a bit of a golden brown colour. You can turn down the oven temperature and keep the mixture in there to stay warm, while making other preparations.

This makes enough for at least 12 people. You'll have lots of leftovers! I'll give you some ideas for what to do with them below. For anyone who has made Greek Spanokopita, you'll notice that this bears a striking resemblance to the filling... You can substitute a 500 g package of frozen spinach for the chard and kale bunches.

Poached Eggs

2 eggs per person

3 tsp white vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1. In a saucepan boil water on high heat. Once boiled, reduce the temperature to medium, so that the water is still at boiling temperature, but no longer boiling rapidly.

2. Add 3 tsp of vinegar and a pinch of salt to the water.

3. Crack eggs individually into a small bowl and slip them into the water one at a time. If you do this carefully and the water is hot enough (just below boiling temperature so that it is still), you should not need to coach the egg with a spoon. But, if your egg starts to go for a swim, just direct it lightly with a spoon. It's easiest if you put the eggs in one at a time so that they do not run together.

4. Cook each egg for around 6 minutes, or a little longer if you like it firmer (around 3-4 if you like your yolk really runny).

5. To remove your eggs, scoop each one out with a serving spoon. You can use another serving spoon to hold back the egg and drain excess water off, as if you were using a pot lid to drain a pot of pasta.

Toast

You'll need 2 slices of bread per person. I use rye or pumpernickel bread from the local bakery, but you can also use English muffins, or ciabatta or French loaf. You can brush slices of bread with olive oil and place them on a cookie sheet under your already warmed broiler, moving the spinach mixture to the bottom rack, or taking it out of the oven, and putting it back in for a moment before assembling the plate. Or, you can just use the toaster...

To assemble

Layer the spinach mixture onto your bread slices, about two generous tablespoons each. Place a poached egg on top. Sprinkle some fresh Parmesan or another hard cheese, and season with salt and pepper. You can also sprinkle finely crumbled feta instead of Parmesan. The runny yolks act as their own hollandaise sauce.

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Other variations

Leftovers keep in the fridge really well, especially if you pack the spinach mixture into mason jars while warm, because they vacuum seal themselves once you put them in the fridge. I've been eating this mixture on its own, simply heated up, as a warm side dish. I also layered it on my sandwiches, both heated and cold, as a flavourful spread that added a bit of green.

I also took it for lunch as a chilled eggs Florentine salad: I layered a few tomato slices at the bottom of my tupperware, spooned some of the Florentine mixture on top, and, for a bit of protein, layered a sliced poached egg on top. I whipped up vinaigrette with lemon juice, honey, olive oil, salt, pepper, and basil to drizzle on top. I've also eaten it plain, and I've also used a small drizzle of a store bought fig-balsamic-olive oil dressing. You could easily make this into a sandwich by putting it in a tortilla wrap, or between two slices of yummy pumpernickel bread.

Like my Auntie Fay, you could add 2-3 more beaten eggs to the mixture, dolloping it onto rectangles of phyllo pastry, and folding into triangles. Make sure to use lots of olive oil or butter to brush your pastry. You would need to bake it for around 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.