A Month-of-Eggs: Green Eggs (No Ham)

Our church has monthly “Circle Suppers”. The hosts prepare the main dish and ask the guests to bring dishes that complement the menu. We are hosting one this month, tonight in fact. I’m serving my Faux au Vin, which is a riff on Julia Child’s Coq au Vin, but much easier. One great thing about the dish is that I made it yesterday and then will reheat it for serving tonight. It needs a day for the flavors to get to know themselves. And the hostess can attend to guests not the food! Win-win!

But you came here for eggs, right? Lucky you! I have dozens of recipes I will not be able to use this month, so I can be selective. Green Eggs (No Ham) is vegetarian, as so many egg dishes are.

You can saute the greens and serve as a side dish instead of in a casserole, but when you can so easily make this a main dish, why not?

I modified a recipe I found for Baked Eggs with Greens and Mushrooms at Brooklyn Supper. Try both our versions to see which you prefer. This would be a great family dinner when your family celebrates Dr. Seuss’s birthday on March 2^nd. If you do, cook a ham, okay?

Green Eggs (No Ham) (serves 6-8)

3 cups of baby kale, tightly packed

3 cups spinach, tightly packed

4 eggs

8 ounces ricotta

¾ cup Asiago cheese, divided

2 tablespoons dried tarragon

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup onions, diced fine

4 cloves garlic, sliced

2 cups baby bella mushrooms, chopped

zest of one lemon

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

After washing the greens, spin them in a salad spinner or layer on the paper towels to remove as much water as possible. On your cutting board, slice the greens into bite-sized chunks. Set aside.

With your mixer, beat together the eggs and the ricotta until just blended. With a spoon, stir in ½ cup Asiago cheese and the tarragon. Add salt and pepper now.

Over medium heat, add olive oil to a skillet. When hot, add onion and cook for about two minutes until onions are becoming translucent. Add garlic, and cook for one more minute.

Add mushrooms and zest. Saute about three minutes. Add lemon juice and greens to skillet.

Cook until greens are bright green and just barely wilted, stirring constantly to incorporate the flavors.

Put the greens mixture in the baking dish and pour the egg mixture over it. Press down greens if necessary to ensure all greens are coated with the egg mixture.

Sprinkle remaining Asiago cheese over the top and put on middle rack of the oven.

Bake 20-30 minutes. The eggs should be just set, not too jiggly, but also not hard-baked. It will continue cooking out of the oven.

Let sit for a few minutes and slice and serve. A fruit salad is lovely with this. To “hearty-it-up”, you could serve alongside rice, quinoa, or barley. Or ham, of course.

DH’s Rating: 2 Tongues Up "Too many greens, but the egg part was good." He thought it would make a better side dish than entree, especially if I reduced the greens. I knew I shouldn't have told him it had kale in it.