Poached Egg on Spiralized Parsnip Patties

I love Eggs Benedict, so when I saw this recipe, I decided to give it a whirl.  The parsnip cakes were a surprisingly decent substitute for English muffins.  The original recipe also called for an Avocado "Hollandaise" sauce, but my avocados weren't ripe enough.  I tried to force it, and it was a disaster, so I kept that off the plate.  I put a couple leftover parsnip cakes in the fridge, so maybe I can try again in a couple days and add the avocado sauce.  But really, it was fine without the sauce because the runny egg yolk provided a sauce itself.  The recipe took work, but it was delicious and worth it.

Eggs Benedict on Parsnip Cakes with Avocado "Hollandaise"
Recipe from Inspiralized and Beyond
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large parsnips, peeled, and spiralized into noodles
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 large eggs
dash of distilled white vinegar

Avocado Sauce:
1/2 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup hot water
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet and add the parsnip noodles, salt, and pepper.  Cook, tossing, for about 5 minutes until warmed through.    In a medium bowl, beat 2 eggs.  Add the cooked parsnip noodles to the bowl and toss to combine.  Fill two (or more) ramekins halfway with the mixture.  Cover each with foil or wax paper and press firmly to compress.  If time permits, put in the fridge for 10  minutes.

In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil.  Flip the parsnip cakes out of the ramekins onto the skillet.  Cook for about 3 minutes on the first side.  Flip and cook another 2 or 3 minutes, pressing down with the spatula to compress the cakes.

Meanwhile, fill a medium pot halfway with water and bring to a steady simmer.  Add the vinegar.  Crack each egg into its own ramekin or small bowl.  Swirl the water with a spoon to make a whirpool, then gently tip in 1 egg, white first.  Cook for 3 minutes until medium-firm, remove with a slotted spoon, and place gently on a paper towel-lined place to drain.  Repeat for other egg.

To make the sauce,  combine all the ingredients in a blender or mixer and puree until smooth.

Arrange 1 parsnip cake on a plate, top with a poached egg, the drizzle with the avocado sauce.

Falafel Waffle

I saw this recipe in a cookbook and wanted to see if it would remind me of the delicious Falafels we ate during our trip to Israel.  And since it's cooked in a waffle iron instead of deep-fried, it's much healthier.  Overall, the flavor was good, but the waffle was too dry.  The sauce was definitely needed.   If I make it again, I'd maybe add another 1/2 egg or grated zucchini or liquid of some sort to the batter to see if I could improve that aspect.

Falafel Waffle with Cumin Tzatziki 
From Inspiralized & Beyond Cookbook
Serves 2

Waffle Ingredients:
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
1 large egg

Tzatziki Sauce:
1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a food processor, combine all the waffle ingredients except the egg; process until smooth.  Transfer to a medium bowl and add the egg, mixing well.  Spoon mixture into a preheated waffle iron and cook until waffle is set and outer edges are firm and brown (Depending on waffle iron, you may need to do two batches).   Serve with the sauce.

To make the sauce, whisk together all the ingredients.

Cloud Bread

I've been trying to reduce the amount of sugar and bread carbs I eat in a day (which was a LOT), so I decided to try out this recipe for "Cloud Bread" which just has eggs and cream cheese, and a mere 36 calories per cloud.  The recipe turned out better than I thought it would.  The size of each is similar to a McDonald's hamburger bun.  I used 2 clouds as a bun for a turkey sandwich and although it didn't taste like bread, it was still good and satisfied my need for a sandwich.  They're soft, but still held their shape while I ate the sandwich.  Later, I was craving dessert, so I also tried one piece with some mashed raspberries and some whipped cream, and that was absolutely delicious--reminded me of Schaum Torte somewhat with that meringue-like interior.   I'll make this again, and perhaps add some herbs to the recipe next time. Perhaps I'll experiment with Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese to lower the fat content a bit.

Cloud Bread
Makes 10-12 clouds
36-43 calories/cloud   (0 carbs, 3.7g protein, 2.8g fat)

Ingredients:
3 eggs, separated
3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened (or cottage cheese)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon honey (or 1 packet artificial sweetener)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300º.

Carefully separate the egg whites from the yolks into two separate bowls.

In the bowl with the egg whites, add cream of tartar and beat on high speed until they are fluffy and form nice peaks.

In the yolk bowl, add the cream cheese and honey, and mix until smooth.

Fold the yolk mixture into the egg whites just until mixed, being careful not to deflate the whites too much.

Spray two cookie sheets with cooking spray, or use a Silpat mat.  Spoon the mixture into 10-12 even rounds on the sheets (about the size of a McDonald's bun), about 3/4" high and 4-5 inches wide.

Bake at 300º for 20-30 minutes (depending on your oven) until golden brown. Mine took only 20 minutes.   Cool on a rack until completely cool.  While still warm, they will be crumbly like meringue, but once they cool, they set up nicely.  Store in a ziplock or storage container in the fridge.  May also freeze.