Brekkie Salad (& how to make great poached eggs)

I LOVE breakfast, i love it more than any other meal.

When i was in school i would have breakfast for breakfast, breakfast for afternoon tea and breakfast for dinner too, if Mum would let me.

Here is a healthy breakfast salad, a bit of a change from the usual poached eggs 'n' toast.

On a Sunday when I'm lazy and sleeping in & my brekkie happens to be closer to lunch....i enjoy something in-between...and so... Brunch Salad It is!

This recipe is also a lesson on poaching eggs. Which although seems a simple task is one hard to master. I do believe with a gentle hand and a few good tips (which I have listed at the bottom of the recipe), everyone can achieve the perfect poached egg brekkie!

I hope you give this a go and enjoy it....Lazily on a Sunday of course. :)

Brunch Salad

Ingreients
(for 2 people)


For salad
* 1 tin lentils
* 3 tomatoes chopped chunky (or use almost 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes)
* 1/2 onion very finely sliced
* 2 tbs caramelized onion marmalade
* 1 large handful parsley
* 1/2c sliced char grilled capsicum (you could make them yourself, or buy jarred)
* 1/2 capsicum chopped chunky
* 1/2 lemon
* handful of chopped fresh dill
* s & p

For poached eggs
* 4 eggs
* 1/4 - 1/3c white vinegar

For dressing
*4tbsp red wine vinegar (or other sweet vinegar of choice)
* 1 tsp wholegrain or Dijon mustard
* 3tbpn extra virgin olive oil


Method

* Fill a pot with water,put on stove to bring to the boil
* while waiting for the water to boil put the salad Ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine gently with your hands
* in a small bowl add the dressing ingredients and whisk to combine , taste and adjust, you want a zingy flavour. Pour over salad, mix again
*once water comes to a gentle boil, Add the vinegar use a slotted spoon and stir water to create a whirlpool
* gently crack an egg into the centre of the whirlpool, let It slide out of the shell into the water as gently as possible. This keeps the egg in one neat little ball
* adjust the hob temperature to keep the water at a gentle boil, if it boils too rapidly you may need to remove the pot from the heat for a moment.
*wait a few seconds until the egg looks white. Stir the water again and crack the second egg into the centre as before. The first egg should be riding around the pot in the current while you crack the second egg in.
* Put a handful or 2 of salad on each plate in a neat little mound
* after about 1 min use the slotted spoon to gently lift the first gag out of the pot. Check whether the white has set. Once it is you are ready to serve it up!
* Lift the egg out of the pot using the a slotted spoon and place on top of salad. Repeat w second egg
*repeat poaching with other 2 eggs for second person
* garnish with some herbs and serve.


TIPS FOR GREAT POACHED EGGS

- for the easiest poaching of eggs use a pot at least 23cm diam and between 8-13cm deep.
- use organic free range ,
- make sure they are fresh - pick the eggs with the furthest use by date
- fresh eggs have a almost jelly-like consistency to the egg white
- make sure they are at room temperature.
- Drain the egg carefully by holding a tea towel by the spoon and tilting the spoon to roll the egg a little. (Water sometimes becomes trapped In The white)
- Add the vinegar just before you cook the eggs
- if you are cooking a lot of eggs or if the water becomes too cloudy add another splash of vinegar to the pot between poachings
- don't let the water boil rapidly for too long before you begin adding vinegar and eggs, this seems to change the water somehow and tends to make the eggs more likely the spread rather than keep in a neat little ball.