Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg and Shaved Parmesan Cheese

What are your new year resolutions for 2011?  Is getting on a diet one of them?  If it is, that’s really too bad because “diet” is not on my dictionary list.  I’m pretty sure visiting my blog and looking at all kinds of mouth-watering food won’t help either.  Honestly, I love food too much to ever get on a diet (and yes, I always eat for 2 even when I’m not pregnant, according to my husband).  Plus, dieting never works for me.  If I lose 2 pounds this month, I’ll surely gain back 4 pounds the following month.  So, what’s the point?     

Anyhow, eating more healthy is definitely one of my New Year Resolutions.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ready to give up my cheesecakes or dark chocolates just yet.   You’ll still see posts and recipes with cakes and desserts on this blog.  Of course, I do taste test on all my finished products (and sometimes, taste tests during the cooking process) before posting recipes here just to make sure the dishes taste excellent!  To me, moderation is the key to a healthy diet.  Eating 1 particular food group too much or cutting a particular category entirely from your diet never sounds right to me.  I always like to eat a well balanced diet and I DO count my calories intake (and to me, fluffy cakes contain ZERO calories).  Unfortunately, I usually lost count on my 5th visit to the cookie jar before mid-afternoon, so go figure.  Sometimes, I purposely eat a lighter brunch so I can have a bigger piece of cake for my afternoon tea.  (hm….somehow that doesn’t sound right at all!  LOL)   



This is one of my favorite light weekend brunch, Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg and Shaved Parmesan Cheese.  You can serve it with a piece of toast on the side for dipping if you like.  I love the runny yolk on my asparagus, it’s beautiful and delicious!  I made this dish with this Egg Poacher Set, which I received as a Christmas Gift this past year!  It’s now one of my favorite kitchen gadget.  It is so easy to use and produce perfect poached eggs every single time!  The non-stick coating does wonder and made clean-up a breeze.  If you don’t have an egg poacher, simply poach your eggs with a small non-stick saucepan with a few drops of vinegar added to the water.  They’ll come out perfect.  (Please see additional tips and recipe from this post below.)          

                                                                     

                                    **GIVEAWAY**

The American Egg Board is giving a year’s worth of eggs (valued at around $100) to six lucky food bloggers. This is your opportunity to prove that food bloggers are the new media by helping to break this story! To qualify to win, you can do one of two things (or both, separately, if want to increase your chances of winning). You can:

1. Write and publish an original post which provides a favorite breakfast recipe that uses eggs and includes mentions and links to Kitchen Play and the American Egg Board.
2. Venture into the world of food journalism by writing and publishing an original post discussing the new study which shows that eggs are lower in cholesterol, and how this news affects the way you cook with eggs. Posts must include mentions and links to Kitchen Play and the American Egg Board. For more information about this study, click here. To speak with a representative of the AEB, send Kitchen Play an email via the Contact page and we will refer you to the appropriate person.
3. This contest is open to US residents only.

Once your post (or posts) is published, leave a link to it in the comments section below. The contest is open until midnight, February 28, 2011. Winners will be chosen at random.

                                      

Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg and Shaved Parmesan Cheese:

Servings: 2

1/2 pound asparagus, washed and tripped off the tough ends
2 large eggs
a small block of parmesan cheese for shaving
olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly grounded pepper
a few drops of white wine vinegar (it helps the egg to hold its shape)

Preheat oven 425F. Place the asparagus on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil then toss to coat the asparagus completely.  Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 15 minutes or until crisp-tender.

**Note: the asparagus I use were quite thin, if you use thicker ones, roasting time might be longer** Meanwhile, prepare the eggs.  Use a pan that is at least 3-inches deep so there is enough water to cover the eggs.  Bring water to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. 

Crack each egg into a small bowl.  Slip eggs carefully into the simmering water. With a spoon, gently nudge the egg whites closer to their yolks. Immediately cover with a lid and turn off the heat. Set a timer for exactly 3 minutes for medium-firm yolks. Adjust the time up or down for runnier or firmer yolks.

When ready, remove eggs from water with slotted spoon.  Place on top of asparagus. Sprinkle with pepper and a few shaves of parmesan cheese.