Baked Green Eggs

I have a real love of vegetables. Their various shapes, colors and textures are as beautiful to me as a bouquet of flowers.  Eating them is simply a bonus!  As a girl who grew up in the heart of Bar-B-Que country, Kansas City, meat often took the center stage at my family's dinner table. To this day I still appreciate a thick n' juicy pork chop and hearty slab of ribs, however, why not make meat take a backseat to vegetables, nuts, eggs, and cheese every once in a while?  From my observations, the term "vegetarian" often scares people away from choosing such recipes out of fear that all meatless dishes are bland and unsatisfying. Plus, let's be honest, no one delights in peeling carrots or washing heads of lettuce... 

However, I have a marvelous little book that sits proudly on my cookbook shelf next to larger, meatier neighbors:

By Anna Thomas, Copyright 1972
ISBN 0-394-71784-8

I purchased this cookbook from a garage sale for $1 while I was an undergrad in college. The author supports ideas of sustainable gardening, meal sharing, and most importantly, enjoyment of food as a way of eating.  This little book, as "vegetarian" as it is, breaks down prejudices about meatless eating. Vegetables can be scrumptious, filling, and embraced at the dinner table as the main course.  

For example, my husband and I loved this creamed-eggs dinner, which I am calling "baked green eggs" since it contains a decent amount of leafy greens. This is so simple and satisfying!  I made it a modern twist to the book's, Eggs Florentine recipe.  See my recipes below. 

Sauteed greens and mushrooms are the casserole base.

First, sauté your greens of choice (spinach or even mixed salad greens) in some olive oil. I added leftover mushrooms cooked with Italian herbs from a different recipe. You can basically sauté any vegetables you think might be nice. Next time I will probably add thinly sliced yellow onions. Your veggies, mostly green in color, act as the foundation to this dish.

Add eggs and cheese!

The second step is to create little craters using a spoon to nest four raw eggs into. As you can see, I didn't really follow the rules. I cracked five in there!  Also, any strong cheese will work instead of parmesan. I, personally, adore a block of quality aged, hard parmesan that I grate as needed.

The magic sauce... Béchamel!

Pour your pre-made Bechamel sauce all over those cute little eggs and your casserole is ready for the oven!  In just 20 minutes, the sauce will solidify and create a slight crust at the edges of the pan. As for the eggs, the whites will be solid but the yolks will ooze out as a delicate gravy when your fork slices through its layers. I recommend serving a loaf of warm, nutty bread as a spongy utensil to help soak up the eggs and cream.  As a side, I served additional fresh mixed greens topped with Italian-inspired Marinated White Beans. 

Cheers to the meatless meek! 

Baked Green Eggs 

Adapted from "The Vegetarian Epicure"

Serves 4

1 lb. fresh spinach or mixed greens

1/2 cup sauteed mushrooms (optional)

3 Tbsp. olive oil

4 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp. butter

4 Tbsp. grated parmesan

1 cup Béchamel Sauce (below)

Wash your greens, roll in a tea towel and gently shake to eliminate most of the water. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over low-medium heat. Add the green leaves, cover, and allow to cook for 5 minutes to wilt the leaves. Remove cover and stir so that all of the leaves are covered in the hot oil. Cook about 2 minutes more, season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. If you are adding mushrooms (optional) sauté the mushrooms before adding the greens to the pan. 

Lightly spray or butter a deep baking dish. Arrange the hot greens and mushrooms (optional), a little higher at the edges than in the middle. Using a spoon, create 4 small hollows within the greens. Distribute the 1 Tbsp. butter between the 4 hollows. Then, carefully break 1 egg into each hollow (4 total). Sprinkle the grated parmesan evenly over the eggs and greens, finishing with pouring the Béchamel Sauce over everything.

Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot!

Green Egg Casserole

Basic Béchamel Sauce

Adapted from "The Vegetarian Epicure"

Makes about 1 cup

1 1/4 cup milk (whole is best)

1 1/2 Tbsp. butter

1 1/2 Tbsp. flour

1/4 onion (white or yellow), minced

1 teaspoon peppercorns (cracked or whole)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 dried bay leaf

Salt to taste

Pinch of ground nutmeg

In a small sauce pan, heat the butter until bubbly. Add the finely chopped onion and let cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and continue cooking a few minutes more. Then, add milk bit by bit and stir with a whisk while you do. The sauce will begin to thicken after a few minutes. Add the spices and let cook over low heat for about 15 minutes. Strain through a sieve. Once prepared, try to use within a few days, and if possible, immediately. Note: This sauce has many variations by substituting or adding different spices and cheeses. 

Bechamel Sauce

Marinated White Beans

Adapted from "The Vegetarian Epicure"

Serves 8

1 cup white beans (Cannellini, Great Northern, or Navy)

1/2 cup olive oil

1 bay leaf

2 whole cloves garlic

1 Tbsp. salt

Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

4 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (or 1 Tbsp. dried)

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed basil

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed tarragon

Salt and pepper to taste

Wash the beans and soak them overnight (or using soaking directions on the bag). Combine the beans in a pot of water, along with olive oil, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to a boil and then turn heat down to a low simmer until they are tender but not mushy (about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs). While beans are cooking, prepare the marinade by whisking together all of the marinade ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Once the beans are the desired tenderness, drain the beans and remove the bay leaf and garlic cloves. Mix the beans into the marinade, cover, and refrigerate overnight (at least 12 hrs).  Serve cold over salad or as a side dish to an Italian pasta dish.

Marinated Italian White Beans