Eggs Italiano

By garciamoss

This sophisticated take on Eggs Benedict swaps a full-flavored, chunky vegetable medley for Canadian bacon and hollandaise sauce. Add whole-wheat English muffins and poached eggs and this combo makes a lovely brunch or an elegant light supper when served with a salad.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 pound zucchini, (about 2 medium), diced
• 12 ounces plum tomatoes, (3-4), diced
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil, divided
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 8 large eggs
• 4 whole-wheat English muffins, split and toasted
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Details

Adapted from eatingwell.com

Preparation

Step 1

Fill a large, straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven with 2 inches of water; bring to a boil. Add white vinegar.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in zucchini and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in 1 tablespoon basil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, reduce the boiling water to a gentle simmer; the water should be steaming and small bubbles should come up from the bottom of the pan. Crack each egg into a small bowl and slip them one at a time into the simmering water, taking care not to break the yolks. Cook for 4 minutes for soft set, 5 minutes for medium set and 8 minutes for hard set. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to a clean kitchen towel to drain.
To serve, top each muffin half with some of the vegetable mixture, an egg, a sprinkling of cheese and the remaining basil.