L ifestyle /C ulture
Lighter Fare for Winter Days
F O OD
KERI WHITE | JE FOOD COLUMNIST
THESE DAYS, many people
gravitate toward warming,
hearty dishes — comfort
is king as we weather these
chilly temps, not to mention
the pandemic, tumultuous
political climate, economic
downturn and general stress.

Who wouldn’t seek solace
in a bowl of macaroni and
cheese? But there is light at the end
of the tunnel, and we want to
fit into our clothes when the
time comes that we can resume
normal life.

With that cheery thought in
mind, I offer three satisfying,
healthy, but lighter meals.

They are versatile; the
poached egg “bowl” can be
served for any meal day or
night, and can incorporate a
selection of whatever vegeta-
bles you have on hand.

It is the favorite of my
college-age daughter, who
tends to appear in the kitchen
around noon after a morning
of virtual work from her third-
floor bedroom. This serves as
a healthy brunch and sustains
her through the rest of the
afternoon, when she descends
again for dinner.

Winter caprese offers a
January version of the summer
favorite. By reconstituting
sundried tomatoes and using
the heated tomato “tea” in
the dressing, the salad avoids
an overly summer vibe and
delivers a bit of warmth.

Both of these meals can be
rounded out with crusty bread
(or not) and can serve as a
light main, or a side with other
dishes for a more substantial
meal. and raw veggies. My daughter
is a fan of Brussels sprouts and
avocados, so that is the selec-
tion described here.

However, there is truly no
limit to the options — you can
use sauteed onions and white or
sweet potatoes and top it with
chopped fresh herbs or baby
lettuces; cooked greens like
spinach or kale topped with
sprouts; or cooked broccoli
topped with raw scallions, just
to name a few.

It’s a little like shakshuka,
but more veggie and less saucy
than the versions I usually
encounter. The one slight downside is
that despite this being a simple
meal, you do need to use two
pans — the skillet for the
veggies and the saucepan for
the poaching — but it is worth
the effort.

The egg:
1 egg
1 teaspoon white vinegar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
The vegetable base:
Oil for spraying the pan
Pinch of salt, sprinkle of
fresh cracked pepper
8 Brussels sprouts,
stemmed and cut in half
½ ripe avocado, cut in
chunks Sriracha or your favorite hot
sauce, to taste, if desired
Fill a 2-quart saucepan ¾
way with water; add the vinegar
and salt, and bring it to a boil.

While you wait, heat a small
skillet, coat it with a light spray
of oil and sauté the Brussels
sprouts with salt and pepper
until done, about 8 minutes.

Set aside.

POACHED EGG BOWL
When the water boils, lower
Serves 1
it to a simmer and crack an egg
into a small cup, then gently
An interesting thing about this pour it into the simmering
dish is the blending of cooked water. Remove the pan from the
16 FEBRUARY 4, 2021
heat, cover the pan and allow
the egg to cook undisturbed
for 4-5 minutes, depending on
how firm you want it.

While the egg cooks, pour
the Brussels sprouts into a
bowl, then top them with
the avocado and season as
desired. When the egg is done,
gently remove it from the water
with a slotted spoon and place
it atop the veggies. Drizzle with
Sriracha, if desired, and serve
immediately. THE BEST EGG SALAD
Serves 2
My friend Kate Markowitz
(she of the Spanish lamb stew
featured in the Nov. 29 column)
provided me with this recipe.

She was spending some time in
a friend’s vacant Florida condo
and called me from the lanai,
where she was enjoying this dish.

It was an improvised
version because the condo
was not equipped with a huge
spice selection, so she had to
make do, but now says her old
version is out the window and
she will use this recipe from
now on.

This is great served on a
bed of lightly dressed lettuce or
spooned onto rye bread.

Poached egg bowl 
Photos by Keri White
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
½ teaspoon “everything but
the bagel” seasoning
Place the eggs in a pan of
cold water (be sure they are
covered). Bring the water to
a boil and remove it from the
heat. Cover the pan and allow
the eggs to sit, undisturbed, for
12 minutes.

Remove them from the hot
water, cool completely and
chop coarsely. Place the eggs in
a bowl and add the remaining
ingredients. Mix, chill, if
desired, and enjoy.

JEWISH EXPONENT
Winter caprese salad
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM