Your Newspaper - Your Health - Look on the Sunny-Side Up

Posted on: January 20, 2010

Look on the Sunny-Side Up

A cancer-recovery recipe from Rebecca Katz, author of ‘The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen’ (Celestial Arts, 2009)

Baked or shirred (pronounced “sheared”) eggs have been around forever. In this recipe, baking eggs over a little sautéed spinach with some feta cheese and a shaving of nutmeg creates a dish that both looks and tastes beautiful. Just the sight of these eggs nestled in ramekins is enough to bring even the most reluctant eater back to the table.

Easy Eggs in a Cup

Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup red onion, finely diced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

4 cups baby spinach, tightly packed, washed and dried

Sea salt

Freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup crumbled organic feta cheese (optional)

4 organic eggs

Freshly ground pepper

Rebecca’s Notes: Spinach naturally gives off moisture when it cooks. To avoid a watery end-product, make sure your spinach is well-dried prior to sautéing. A salad spinner works miracles on drying spinach quickly and efficiently. As a time-saver, buy a bag of pre-washed organic spinach from the market.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes.

3. Stir in garlic and sauté an additional 30 seconds. Stir in spinach and a pinch of salt, cooking until wilted and tender, about 30 more seconds. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg.

4. Lightly grease 4 small ramekins with olive oil. In each, spoon one-fourth of the spinach mixture, followed by 1 tablespoon of feta. Gently crack 1 egg on top. Sprinkle with pepper and a pinch of salt.

5. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until very little liquid remains. (As a test, lightly shake ramekins. If little to no movement occurs, the eggs are done.) Let cool for 3 minutes.

6. Run a knife or offset spatula around the inside edge of each ramekin to loosen eggs. Using the knife or spatula for support, carefully transfer eggs to a plate. Serve immediately.

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories: 120; Total fat: 8.5 g; Saturated fat: 2.1 g; Carbohydrates: 5 g; Protein: 7 g; Dietary fiber: 1 g; Sodium: 185 mg

[sidebar]

Who Knew? Dehydration

Most people think dehydration only happens when you’re walking, running or sweating and don’t drink enough water. Actually, when you’re in treatment, you can get dehydrated without moving a muscle. Chemotherapy consumes protein like a V-8 Mustang goes through high-octane gasoline. When protein levels drop, fluids and nutrients get pulled out of the blood via osmosis (see, we knew high school biology would come in handy). Dehydration can lead to fatigue, cramps and worse. Vegans and people on macrobiotic diets need to be especially careful to get enough protein during treatment.