Single-Pan Sunny-Side Up Eggs with Kale, Red Peppers & Garlic

by Michelle Dudash, Chef and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

July 22, 2013 • 0 comments

There are 100 ways to cook an egg, so the saying goes. And here’s one to add to your clean eating recipe repertoire. Loaded with a rainbow of vegetables, this recipe can really be enjoyed for any meal. Sop up all of the juicy goodness with a slice or two of toasted, seedy sprouted bread.

You will likely find two types of kale at your grocery store: curly (the one you’ve undoubtedly seen lining deli platters and salad bars), and Lacinato. Lately I’ve preferred the Lacinato variety (with bunny ear shaped leaves), otherwise known as black, Tuscan or Dino kale. It has a milder taste and more tender texture.

And while I’m pondering the combination of kale and eggs, here’s a snapshot of a kale salad I feasted on recently at Bar Toma in Chicago, with soft cooked egg, garlic bread crumbs and anchovy vinaigrette. It served nearly as a meal in itself.

Single-Pan Sunny-Side Up Eggs with Kale, Red Peppers & Garlic

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup diced red bell pepper

1/4 cup diced red or yellow onion

3 cups lightly packed chopped kale with ribs removed (about 5 Lacinato kale leaves)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 large eggs

Fresh thyme leaves and nutritional yeast seasoning (optional)

Heat a medium sauté pan or skillet on medium-low heat and add olive oil. When oil is hot, add bell peppers and onion and cook until slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Add kale, garlic and 1 tablespoon water, then cover loosely and cook until the kale begins to wilt, about 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice, a pinch each of salt and pepper, and stir the kale.

Using a spoon, carve out 2 “wells” about the size of eggs in the bed of kale, leaving 1 leaf on the bottom for a liner so the eggs don’t stick to the pan. Crack an egg into each well, ladle 1 tablespoon water around the eggs, cover loosely and cook just until the egg whites are completely opaque (for runny yolks). Or continue cooking until eggs have reached desired degree of doneness. Season with salt, pepper, thyme, and nutritional yeast, if desired. Enjoy immediately.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Makes 1 serving

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 271 calories, 15 g total fat (4 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 497 mg sodium, 422 mg cholesterol, 19 g total carbohydrate (5 g fiber), 17 g protein, 21% DV iron, 21% DV calcium, 564% DV Vitamin A, 221% DV Vitamin C.