Yogurt and Beet Greens Poached eggs

Poached eggs with yogurt is a familiar dish all over the Middle East, especially in Turkey. There are quite a few variations for the sauce itself, but in all of the recipes I have come across, the eggs are poached separately in water and only then are added to the sauce.

This recipe is different, as I’ve decided to use the yogurt itself as the poaching liquid for the eggs. Poaching the eggs in the yogurt sauce creates a completely different texture and flavor. The yogurt too changes during the cooking process: it curdles a bit and and ends up resembling a tasty fresh cheese.
To make the whole dish even more interesting and tasty, and yes, even healthier, I’ve decided to add to the sauce some steamed beet greens. They not only add flavor and texture, but also impart an interesting pinkish color.

If you like tangy flavors with your eggs, I’m quite sure you’ll love this dish.

Makes: 1-2
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
About 3 cups roughly chopped beet greens and stems
½ tsp salt
1 cup Greek style yogurt, at least 2% fat
1/3 cup water
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Pinch Cayenne pepper
2 eggs, at room temperature

1. Wash and lightly drain the beet greens and place them, still wet, in a wide pot. Sprinkle with salt and cover the pot. Cook on high heat for 1 minute and reduce the heat to medium. Steam until the liquids evaporate and the greens and stems are soft but not mushy. Set aside.

2. In a medium frying pan, mix the yogurt, water, olive oil, salt, pepper and Cayenne. Bring to an almost boil on medium-high heat. Add the beet greens and cook, mixing occasionally, for about a minute. Taste and adjust seasoning.

3. Reduce the heat to medium and carefully add the eggs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover the egg whites part with the hot yogurt sauce, leaving only the egg yolks exposed.

Cover the pan and cook until the egg whites are cooked through and the egg yolks are still soft, about 4 minutes.
Serve immediately, with lots of fresh bread on the side.