Since we used to be vegetarians (and Jason was even vegan for awhile) we are not afraid to eat a lot of meals that don't center around meat. A lot of people have recently started trying to have meatless Mondays or are trying to give up meal for 1 meal a week. We think that is a really great effort and really applaud anyone who is willing to try it. There are so many really delicious meatless meals out there too many people are missing because they think it HAS to have meat to be a "real" meal. We really recommend to everyone to really give it a fair chance and you may find that you actually like (possibly even love) plenty of vegetarian dishes. Just remember that not every dish is suited for every palate and not every cooking technique will be liked by every person. So if you try something and aren't thrilled with the results don't give up. Keep trying!
While perusing the Cooking Light website not to long ago we came across this wonderful looking dish that we knew we just had to try. It looked super easy and really tasty. Plus we just love to use eggs in our dinners. They are a very healthy and really cheap source of protein. Even if you buy pasture raised eggs and a dozen runs you closer to $4 than to $2 you can still get a lot of good meals out of that dozen eggs.
Italian Eggs over Spinach and Polenta
Adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 4 servings
1 16 oz. tube of polenta, cut into 12 slices
cooking spray
2 c. tomato basil pasta sauce (fresh or store bought)
1 5 oz. package of Fresh baby spinach, washed
4-8 eggs (depending on if you want 1 or 2 per person)
2 oz. Parmesan
Fresh basil, shredded for garnish
1) Preheat your broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray polenta rounds with cooking spray and place them on the baking sheet. Broil for about 3-5 minutes until heated through and begin to get crispy on top. Set aside.
2) Meanwhile bring your sauce to a simmer in a large skillet. Add the spinach. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes until the spinach has wilted. Make 4-8 (depending on how many eggs you are using) indentations in the spinach mixture with the back of a spoon. Carefully crack an egg into each indentation. Reduce heat a little and cover. Let eggs cook about 5-7 minutes till they are the desired doneness. Serve by placing 3 polenta rounds in a dish. Spoon the spinach mixture over each round and top with one or two eggs. Sprinkle with Parmesan and basil and serve.
This looks wonderful!