{thirsty thursday} — mini-eggs florentine w/ a twist and my first vitamix smoothie!!

i’m really pleased with how cute and delicious these little treats turned out.

half the time i plan my meals and half the time i wing it with stuff i have around the kitchen.  only on occasion has that not worked out for me.  my roommate usually eats whatever i make anyway because he’s a wonderful guy, but there have been some creations even i had to pass up because it just didn’t turn out good.  haha – but i grab a spatula, put the apron back on anyway and try again 🙂

this time, it turned out brilliant.  didn’t see how it wouldn’t, either.  when you start with a basic classically good recipe, you can pretty much bet it’ll taste terrific.  these were no exception.

i have been craving eggs like daily, lately.  i can only assume i need the protein. i didn’t always love eggs, but lately it seems like i can’t get enough of them and i’ve been wanting to try them different ways.  i’ve always been an eggs benedict gal.  when i lived in new york, my roommate and i would frequent our local “cheers” if you will – called “quigley’s” — best eggs benedict on the planet.  i’m eating less meat these days however, and i wanted to try a vegetarian twist on a classic dish.  eggs florentine substitutes the ham for spinach, and is typically served with poached eggs, but i wanted to make mine super creamy and cheesy, so i did. i also kept my spinach raw… i’m not sure if that’s how eggs florentine is typically served.

so i guess this is “eggs audreyson”  ?!??! 🙂

– 2 eggs per adult

– handful of spinach

– 1/4 cup cream cheese {give or take}

– splash of 1/2 & 1/2

– mini toasts :

like ozery’s one bun, which i’m a HUGE fan of!

to begin, melt about a tablespoon of butter in a sauce pan on low heat on the stovetop.  crack your eggs into a mixing bowl and splash in a little half and half.  this is going to make our eggs super fluffy…

whisk together until well blended.  once your butter is melted, pour in your egg mixture. we will keep it on low heat and stir regularly, to avoid any sticking… i love my stainless steel pots and pans, but things DO stick to them!  however, i’ll take that over chemicals leaching out into my food any day!  i’ve been on a hunt for the perfect cookware {healthy, green, durable, affordable} – i think i found the ones i want, but the affordable part — i’m working on that 🙂  i just bought a vitamix for crying out loud – one thing at a time, no?!

once eggs begin to cook, add in about a 1/4 cup cream cheese and melt it down with the eggs, continuing to stir.  we call this method “low and slow” – which i find is the way most GOOD things in life should happen.

i couldn’t toast my buns because i don’t have a toaster oven and i was afraid my regular toaster would eat them since they’re mini… so i just put a couple spinach leaves on each slice and waited for my eggs to finish…

looking good!

pile the creamy egg mixture on top of your spinach leaves and sprinkle on the S&P {i always go heavier on the P with my eggs!} this kind of looks like a 4-leaf clover, no?!…

or a flower 🙂

i served this for brunch with my very first vitamix creation : a smoothie!

i was too excited to use it, and forgot to photograph the ingredients. but what we have here is :

– orange juice

– 1/2 banana {freeze the rest for next time}

– 1/2 fuji apple {stems and seeds included, LOVE THAT!}

– frozen peaches

– frozen grapes

– frozen mixed berries

– handful of spinach {i think i eat spinach with every meal}

– sprinkle of raw protein powder

– chia seeds

– flax seeds

throw that sucker on “HIGH” and blend for about a minute and VIOLA!

one of my better investments, no doubt.  i’m so pleased with the vitamix, i recommend it to everyone!!!  stay tuned for more recipes as i become more familiar with this incredible machine!

happy eating!  and drinking!!

Tags: brunch, cooking, easy, eggs florentine, food, healthy, recipes, simple, smoothies, thirsty thursday, vegetarian, vitamix