My “Saucy” Eggs Benedict with Avocado, Spinach and Lox
Is there anything better for brunch than great Eggs Benedict? The only thing better is my variation: a sauceless but yet still saucy Eggs Benedict. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good hollandaise sauce, but when you have a poached egg done correctly the soft runny yolk is enough sauce for me.
As far as what goes between the English muffin and the poached eggs, the options are endless. My recipe here takes my favorite flavors and combines them all together into a taste explosion. Starting with a lemony smashed avocado, then garlic spiked spinach and lastly a layer of good lox (the lox can easily be left out to make this vegetarian).
On Monday evening, I hosted my first live cooking Twitter session. It was a great success — I got to meet new people and share tips while sipping wine and cooking this amazing meal. There will be more events like this in the future so make sure you follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Sunday is Mother’s Day and my Eggs Benedict is the perfect brunch meal to serve. My Simple Roasted Asparagus is a great accompaniment and I love to sauté up some fresh morel mushrooms as an extra added treat.
- 8 ounce package of baby spinach
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- olive oil
- 1 large ripe avocado
- 1 lemon
- lox
- 8 eggs, cracked individually into small bowls or measuring cups
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 4 English muffins
- Start by mashing the avocado in a bowl with the juice of ½ lemon, set aside.
- Next, over medium heat, sauté garlic in 1 teaspoon olive oil until is slightly browns and you can smell the aroma; add the spinach. Let it wilt down. Once the spinach has wilted, squeeze ½ of the lemon into the pan so you can deglaze the bottom of the pan and remove from heat.
- Toast the English muffins to desired crispiness.
- Fill a sauce pan with about 2 inches of water and add the vinegar. Bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium heat. You want it so that the water just starts to get large bubbles.
- Gently lower the eggs one at a time into the water and cook for 4 minutes.
- While eggs poach, assemble the muffins. start by dividing and spreading the smashed avocado amongst the 8 halves. Next, divide the spinach evenly over each muffin. Layer a slice of lox on top of the spinach.
- Once the eggs are poached, use a slotted spoon to remove from the water and gently place on egg on top of each muffin stack. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve!
