Egg-in-a-hole over salad clever combo for brunch
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Four ½-inch-thick slices crusty whole-grain bread (taken from the middle of the loaf if the loaf is round) 4 large eggs 3 cups lightly packed, coarsely chopped or torn frisee or chicory
Brush a nonstick skillet with 1 teaspoon of the oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the Canadian bacon or ham and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is nicely browned. Transfer it to a plate.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the oil with the sherry vinegar, mustard, shallot, salt and pepper.
Use the remaining tablespoon of oil to brush both sides of each slice of bread. Use a 3-inch cookie cutter or small glass to cut a hole in the center of each slice of bread; reserve the cutouts, if desired.
Heat the same skillet over medium heat. Place two of the bread slices and two cutouts in the same skillet and crack one egg into the hole of each slice. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the egg whites are mostly set and the bread is toasted on the underside. Use a spatula to turn over the bread/egg slices and cutouts, if using; cook for 1 minute more so the white is cooked but the yolk is still runny.
Repeat with the remaining bread slices, eggs and cutouts, if using, to create the remaining two eggs-in-a-hole.
Toss the frisee or chicory with the dressing in a mixing bowl until evenly coated, then divide the salad among individual plates.
To serve, place one egg-in-ahole and one reserved cutout, if using, on top of the salad on each plate. Sprinkle with the browned bacon or ham.
PER SERVING: 280 calories, 14 g protein, 15 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 17 g fat (4 g saturated), 200 mg cholesterol, 580 mg sodium