Fried Eggs and Asparagus

Last weekend Scott and I were in a mountain town celebrating my birthday without kids.  We stopped into a place that is renowned for breakfast.  Admittedly, I wasn't in a great mood.  But, when a breakfast place can't get the coffee right, weeeeell...  I had considered just going for the bread pudding because, hey, it was my birthday and there are eggs in it, right?  I decided to behave and get the two eggs, bacon and potatoes instead, but when I asked the waitress to cook the eggs sunny-side-up, but make sure the white was cooked, while the yolk is runny...  (I know what you're thinking.  I am that person.)  Suffice it to say we had a disagreement about what can and cannot be done with eggs and before things escalated I settled on the bread pudding and decided to mooch bacon from the man who doesn't dine on the swine.

Growing up we called fried or sunny-side-up eggs "dip eggs" because they are so good to dip your toast in.  Remarkably many of my childhood memories center around soft-yolked eggs and eating them with family members and neighbors I love.  Without question they fit into my comfort food category.  These days they go by the name flat-eggy and my middle child gobbles them up.

Now, I love cooking - it's often the quiet part of my day when school is done and the kids are playing outside or entertaining themselves and I get to huddle in the kitchen and cook and putz around mostly in peace.  But there are some days when I am lacking the energy, time, or creativity to whip up something fancy.  On these days I love resorting to breakfast for dinner and one of the easiest and most balanced ways to do this is to cook up some veggies and throw a fried egg over the top of it and serve it with toast.  I love how the soft yolk runs over the veggies.  

Fried Eggs and Asparagus

Serves 2

This isn't so much a recipe as an idea - adjust the quantities of asparagus and eggs to suit your needs.  

1 bunch Asparagus

4 Eggs

1 Tbsp.(ish) Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse and trim the dry ends off the asparagus.  Place on a dishtowel and blot dry then transfer to a cookie sheet.  Pour olive oil over the asparagus and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Rotate the asparagus and make sure it is coated with the oil and seasoning and arrange in a single layer on the cookie sheet.  Roast for about 20 minutes, or until your desired tenderness.

Meanwhile, when you have about 5-10 minutes left on the asparagus, heat up a non-stick skillet over medium heat and spray with non-stick spray or a touch of oil.  Crack eggs into skillet and reduce heat to low.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and allow them to slowly cook until they reach desired firmness.  As we now know, my preference is for them to have a runny yolk, but firm white that isn't burnt on the bottom, which can best be achieved by cooking them low and slow.

To serve: place 1/2 portion of asparagus on each plate and top with two eggs.  Don't forget the toast.