Recipe: Poached Eggs with Spinach and Red Pepper Pesto

Start your day right with this light, tasty power breakfast. It offers a perfect balance of protein, greens and veggies — and the pesto gives it a little kick.

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Ingredients

1 red bell pepper
1 small clove garlic
1 ounce roasted almonds (about 22 pieces)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 ounces baby spinach (about 16 cups)
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
8 large eggs
2 scallions, sliced into thin rings

Directions

Place the bell pepper over an open flame of your gas burner on high. Cook, turning often, until the skin is charred on all sides. Alternatively, you can broil the pepper until charred.
Put the pepper into a bowl, cover, and let steam for 15 minutes until cool enough to handle.
Rub away the charred skin and remove the core and seeds.
Put the pepper, garlic, almonds, Parmesan, ⅛ teaspoon of the salt, and ⅛ teaspoon of the black pepper into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Set this pesto aside.
Rinse the spinach, leaving the water on the leaves. Put the spinach into a large pot over medium-high heat. Cover tightly and steam until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
To poach the eggs, fill a medium skillet ¾ full with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium so the water simmers gently. Add the vinegar.
Crack an egg into a small bowl. Hold the bowl just over the surface of the water and let the egg slide in. Repeat with 3 more eggs.
Cook 3 to 5 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are glazed but still soft.
Use a slotted spoon to lift the eggs onto a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
Divide the spinach, eggs, and pesto among plates and scatter the scallions over the tops. Sprinkle with the remaining ⅛ teaspoon each of salt and pepper.