The Legal Kind of Poaching

I got these nifty poach pods from my fabulous mother-in-law in a recent box-o-fun she occasionally sends us in the mail. A typical box contains Gert's homemade nut mix, some fun Trader Joe's grain mixes, gardening gizmos, and cooking gadgets. They are the best (hint, hint)!

Look how sunny it is outside!!

For breakfast this morning I tested out the pods, which have received good reviews in the blogosphere, by making a variation on eggs benedict. I'm not sure if this would even be considered "benedict" anymore, since there is no hollandaise sauce. Regardless of the semantics, these puppies came out delicious! The pods couldn't be easier to use but since this was my first time poaching eggs I overcooked them a little and the yolks were only a tiny bit runny.

If you own or plan on owning the poach pods, here are a few tips:
1) Use a deep skillet rather than a tall saucepan. It was hard to drop the egg into the pod from so high up and I thought the force of it dropping would tip over the pod. It didn't!
2) Grease the inside of the pods (I used Pam). That way, the egg slides right out with a little knife-coaxing.
2) Don't let the water boil too crazy, or you risk it getting into the pods.
3) Cover the pan when cooking to steam the eggs.
4) Use a wide slotted spoon or ladle to remove the pods. The silicon gets pretty hot while cooking and it's not very easy to extract them by hand.

Chorizo and Wilted Green Poached Eggs on Toast
2 chorizo links, removed from casings
2 cups baby greens
1 tbsp chopped shallots
red pepper flakes
2 poached eggs
2 slices of lightly-buttered toast
picante sauce (we swear by Cholula, but your favorite kind will do)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chorizo, breaking it apart as you go. Remove from skillet and set aside. Add the shallots; saute for 2-3 minutes, then add the baby greens, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often, until greens are wilted. Mix into the chorizo.

Top each slice of toast with some of the chorizo/green mixture. Place the poached egg on top. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper, and hot sauce. Enjoy!