Time’s ticking by. You’re hungry, and you don’t have a plan for dinner. But you do have eggs in the fridge. How about these scrumptious skillet poached eggs with spinach and leeks? Perfectly poached eggs nesting in an emerald bed of spinach and leeks, this recipe is simple and quick. We need such recipes in our back pocket!
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More subtle and milder than onion or garlic, leeks showed up in our farm share box last week. Good thing, because otherwise I might have subbed an onion for the leeks and missed the flavorful prize! With their understated sweetness they gives a nice contrast to the slightly bitter spinach. Note to self: Buy leeks more often!
Always on the lookout for new vegetarian dinner ideas, I plucked this recipe from the Breakfast for Supper chapter in blogger Jessica Fisher’s cookbook, Good Cheap Eats.
Jessica serves breakfast for supper to her family of eight all the time. While quite a few of the recipes in her cookbook contain meat, chicken and fish recipes, I found plenty of vegetarian and plant-based choices, including the chapter “Going Meatless.”
Jessica Fisher’s life motto, “Eat well, act your wage, enjoy life”, love that motto. Eating at home and enjoying good food with people you love–I can totally relate.
In Good Cheap Eats cookbook, the “cheap” is that the meals are designed to feed 4 people for $10 or less. The “good” is that they’re all straightforward, inviting and tasty like these skillet poached eggs with spinach!
Do you have a favorite inexpensive quick and easy dinner in your back pocket?
Make it a fabulous week–get in the kitchen and whip up a quick and easy nutritious breakfast, for dinner!
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** I was given a copy of Good Cheap Eats to review. It’s my own opinion that vegetarians, omnivores and carnivores all will find delicious budget-friendly recipes they want to make in this cookbook.
You can buy Good Cheap Eats via my Amazon affiliate link. If you purchase a product via my links, it doesn’t cost you anything and I earn a tiny commission, which helps defray the costs of Letty’s Kitchen blog. Thank you for supporting Letty’s Kitchen.
Recipe © 2014 by Jessica Fisher and used by permission of The Harvard Common Press.
Skillet Poached Eggs with Spinach
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 leeks , halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise into half-moons
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 8 large eggs (I used 3--see note)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large skillet with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the leeks and sauté until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach. Stir gently and cook until slightly wilted.
- Spread out the spinach mixture to create 8 small wells. Crack an egg into each well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook until the desired doneness is reached for the eggs, 5 to 8 minutes.
Notes
- Jessica’s recipe calls for 8 eggs. I only poached 3—we like more veggies with our eggs.
- Chard and garlic, or leftover rice and beans, or spicy tomato sauce--we poach eggs in those too.
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good luck everyone on the raffle! My favorite go-to veggie dinner–eggs poached in just about anything, but tostadas with leftovers and salsa are a close second! · 11 September, 2014
Love the looks of your dish, and your many suggested variations! Perfectly adaptable to whatever veg are needing to be eaten. That book looks good! · 12 September, 2014
Thanks Dorothy. I even make a kale ‘shakshuka’ on occasion. · 12 September, 2014
Yummy! I love eggs and greens. The leeks sound lovely. · 12 September, 2014
Thanks for your comment Maura–yes this dish is yummy! · 12 September, 2014
definitely breakfast for dinner….light, eggs scrambled with add-ins from veggie bins, leftovers, roasted red peppers, and maybe a smidge of cheese!! YUM!! · 12 September, 2014
Sounds like out house–often!Get it on the table before we faint from hunger. 😉 · 12 September, 2014
We are boring – go to cheap meal is simple spaghetti! I also do roasted potatoes, steamed broccoli and a protein quite often. · 12 September, 2014
Thanks Alisa…Cooking at home–that’s the part we want to keep–pasta is on our last minute list too. · 12 September, 2014
I love this recipe. I make eggs with any greens. This time of year, as the garden is waning, I’m using kale, cabbage, and spinach…oh and did I mention beet greens? · 12 September, 2014
Love beet greens with eggs like this! Great to hear from you Jane. · 12 September, 2014
Make our last minute veggie entre as follows: saute chopped onions then add garlic, toss in kale ’til slightly wilted. Drizzle all with a bit of balsamic vinegar. Serve and top with nuts (usually walnuts) for protein. · 12 September, 2014
I love the addition of nuts. Vegan with no eggs. Thanks Teri. · 12 September, 2014
My family really loves Indian food like curry and dahl. I use my mom’s recipe to make dahl with lentils or mung beans and serve it with yogurt and rice or homemade chapati bread. It’s a frugal meal, being that it’s vegetarian (possibly vegan if you leave out the yogurt), but we find it very filling and delicious. Adding a “toppings bar” with various options like raisins, minced onion, chopped apple, peanuts, jars of chutney, etc., doesn’t raise the cost very much and really amps up the appeal of the meal as well. · 12 September, 2014
I’d love to sit at the curry and dahl table with you. Love the toppings bar idea. Thanks Elizabeth! · 12 September, 2014
This looks so good…and I am not a fan of eggs!
My go to last minute meal are two: quesadillas cheese and what ever veggies and meat are left over in the fridge and spaghetti! I usually have sauce in the freezer, thankfully! 😉 · 12 September, 2014
Ahh–quesadillas. We do those too. Thanks for your comment Marlaena. · 12 September, 2014
My go to meal recently has been leftover beef roast, potatoes, green beans, and onions made into a hash. Thank you for the chance to win! · 12 September, 2014
Thanks Leah. · 13 September, 2014
Eggs on sautéed greens are a go to, but the bf doesn’t love it. He might like this more interesting combo. Loaded quesadillas with less cheese, mashed black beans, avocado slices and corn salsa are another go to. · 12 September, 2014
I like his combo to Kel. · 13 September, 2014
We love spinach , black bean and corn quesadillas. · 13 September, 2014
Yum! · 13 September, 2014
I like to make big batches of refried beans fo rthe freezer, so my go-to dish is often bean and cheese burritos with all the fixins, or bean and rice bowls with cheese and all the fixins! · 13 September, 2014
Samantha–thanks for the comment. Have you seen Fantastic Foods instant black bean mix? I try to keep some on hand. It’s seasoned–add 1 Cup boiling water to 3.5 ounces of the mix–10 minutes later you have seasoned refrieds. You can buy pinto beans mix as well! Good luck in the raffle! · 13 September, 2014
Those look so yummy! And I’m with you, more veg is better. My husband and daughter side with Jessica 🙂 · 13 September, 2014
😉 Veggies rock! · 13 September, 2014
Either quesadillas or rice and beans! Both are super easy, yummy, and my three kids (ages 1, 2& 4) love them! · 13 September, 2014
Yup–quesadillas! Thanks Lisa. · 13 September, 2014
Our go to inexpensive meal is eggs or waffles and fruit. Kids and adults love it! · 13 September, 2014
Anything breakfast makes popular dinners! Thanks Rachel. · 13 September, 2014
That looks amazing! I love a good poached egg! · 13 September, 2014
Thanks Angie! · 13 September, 2014
This is an impressive meal. Easy to put together, healthy, and sure to make the taste buds satisfied. Would love to make this for company. · 13 September, 2014
Thanks Allison! · 13 September, 2014
two of my favorite inexpensive go-to dinners are black beans & rice (or quinoa) and kale frittatas. pretty easy but so delicious! i am fortunate that my husband loves them too 🙂 · 13 September, 2014
Thanks Sarah–good luck in the raffle! · 13 September, 2014
Our go to vegetarian dinner is a mixture of roasted veggies with garlic and spices over a bed of angel hair pasta – yum!! Thanks for the chance to win!! · 13 September, 2014
Thanks Rebecca. Pasta and veggies–we do those too! · 13 September, 2014
Great giveaway! I love Jessica’s recipes and look forward to her new cookbook. Thanks for the review! · 13 September, 2014
You are welcome! I love Jessica’s recipes too! · 13 September, 2014
My favorite is Vegetable Soup with Meatballs (or not) from the Once-a-Month Cooking Family Favorites book. You can throw the stuff together in a freezer bag, and heat it up later and toss in some frozen meatballs. It would also be great with a little pasta or tortellini. · 13 September, 2014
Thanks Leslie,
It sounds like you will love Good Cheap Eats! Good luck in the raffle. · 13 September, 2014
My favorite go-to dinner is waffles & scrambled eggs with cheese – I always have the ingredients on hand and they’re so easy to make. · 13 September, 2014
My go to meal is Frito Tacos. So easy to make on a busy night. · 13 September, 2014
Frozen Veggies (or fresh if the garden is still going/ ones I have frozen from the garden) steamed over Jasmine Rice with a little butter, salt and dill. Yummy! · 13 September, 2014
My favorite inexpensive meal when time is short is rice and beans with a green salad. I am lucky to have a family that loves beans!! · 13 September, 2014
A few of our go to fast and economical meals are omelets for supper, tomato corned-beef hash over grits and chilli beef mac. Thanks · 13 September, 2014
My go-to last minute veggie dinner is lentils & rice with any veggies I have on hand. Yum! · 13 September, 2014
grilled cheese sandwich · 13 September, 2014
My go to meal is tacos. Not sure how frugal they are but everyone can make their own how they like it. My son makes his with a flour tortilla wrapped around a crispy shell! · 14 September, 2014
Your son wraps a flour tortilla around a corn tortilla? · 14 September, 2014
Veggie-centric! Love that phrase. My latest favorite is falafel, which I THINK I can incorporate into a freezer plan. (freeze the uncooked chickpea mixture…) · 14 September, 2014
I think that sounds like a great freezer plan–I love falafel! · 14 September, 2014
Pasta with red sauce is my go to meal during the busy week. I chop carrots and zucchini to add to the sauce and my kids usually don’t notice. · 14 September, 2014
Sneak those veggies in! · 14 September, 2014
Pasta, with either red or white sauce, and bread and/or salad, is one of our cheap and easy go-to’s around here! · 14 September, 2014
Thanks Carrie! · 14 September, 2014
my go to meal is omelets or tacos · 14 September, 2014
Thanks Lissa! · 14 September, 2014
Beans and Rice, as inspired by Jessica! · 14 September, 2014
Thanks Sara! · 14 September, 2014
Breakfast for dinner. · 15 September, 2014
I would love to win a copy of this to give to my mom! 🙂 · 15 September, 2014
Pasta with red and white sauce is our go too quick, cheap, easy meal. My kids love it. · 15 September, 2014
we love black beans with rice — throw together a salad and you have a delicious, nutritious meal. · 15 September, 2014
One of our favorite fast go-to dinners is Tostadas! Easy & fun and frugal since you can use up leftover ingredients. Another is breakfast for dinner or grilled cheese with fruit. · 15 September, 2014
I easy go to meal is breakfast for dinner. So many choices and so quick and easy. · 15 September, 2014
My go to meal is Polish Pancakes served with fresh fruit. · 15 September, 2014
we really do love beans + rice. it’s the toppings that really make it shine. fresh salsa made from our garden tomatoes! · 16 September, 2014
I’m glad I found your blog today. Lots of yummy veggie meals to prevent me from getting in a rut. 🙂 · 16 September, 2014
Hi Molly–I’m happy you found me too! Enjoy… · 16 September, 2014
My go to meal is chicken fried rice – one chicken breast, eggs, leftover veggies and rice – simple, inexpensive and delicious! · 16 September, 2014
Leftovers? Oh, I wish we had more these days 🙂
Probably chili boats… · 16 September, 2014
Leftovers. I’ve been having them for lunch the next day–when Robbie was thinking they would/could be dinner! Thanks Jenny. · 16 September, 2014
My go -to is breakfast foods–pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs etc. · 16 September, 2014
Funnily enough, my quick, cheap and yummy veggie meal is the exact one you prepared! I found this recipe on Jessica’s site months ago when I was trying to eat healthy and lose a few pounds. I was home a lot during the day and decided I would be really good at lunch time and make this for myself about 4 times a week. It came out to about 200 calories and it filled me right up. Not only did I feel virtuous for eating so many greens and good protein, but I felt so full of energy too! Gotta get back to that eating schedule again. 🙂 · 16 September, 2014
Wow Amy–great testimony to the recipe. Thanks for the note! · 16 September, 2014
Curried Lentil Kale Soup is my stand by recipe. I can use any vegetable in the fridge. I always make a big pot so it lasts for days although somehow there never seems to be enough to freeze. · 16 September, 2014
My go to recipe is skillet lasagna. I use mushrooms instead of meat. · 16 September, 2014
Black beans, corn, tomato, spinach and quinoa, throw in some spices and you’re good to go · 17 September, 2014
Fruit, eggs and pancakes. · 17 September, 2014
We do breakfast a lot – eggs and toast, pancakes or waffles. · 17 September, 2014
Sloppy joes with homemade sauce! · 17 September, 2014