Sweet Potato says: Eggs will save your life

Which came first, dinner or the dinner drama? It doesn’t matter how organized I plan on being — on Sundays I smugly imagine myself sailing through the week of perfectly planned and executed meals — the reality by mid-week is always jarringly otherwise. A gone-to-hell bedtime episode means I forget to pull chicken thighs out of the freezer, lingering at the park on the way home means there’s no time for the dinner I’d planned… it can be something so small that throws me off my game.

But do I panic? Well, a little bit.

But before I reach for the pizza menu, I remember eggs. No other food will transform itself into a meal so efficiently or save your dinnertime soul so effectively. Plus, they’re wildly flexible as an ingredient. They can be elegant or cozy depending on how your crew feels or what you’ve got handy in the fridge. And honestly, if all you can manage is scrambled eggs with a dusting of grated Parm and whole-grain toast and some carrots and celery on the side, it’s all good. In fact, I bet it would be your kids’ favourite meal of the week.
 
This is one of my all-time favourite dinners and it takes about as long as the scrambled eggs and toast combo. And now that I’ve discovered there is such a thing as whole wheat couscous I’m feeling even better about it.
 
Eggs, Asparagus & Couscous
serves 4
1 cup couscous?
16 asparagus spears, ends trimmed
4 eggs?
parsley or chives, chopped

Method
1. Get three pots of water boiling. One with just a bit for your asparagus, I use a very shallow pan for my egg and 2 cups of water in a third pot for the couscous.

2. Add your couscous to 2 cups of boiling water and give it a quick stir. It will take up a lot of water right away. After a couple of minutes, turn the heat off and put the lid on the pot and leave the couscous to do its thing while you do everything else.

3. I use a handy egg mold to make poached eggs. It sits in simmering water and I just crack my eggs right into it. I’m really not a fan of making poached eggs the traditional way of swirling them into boiling water so I highly recommend getting one of these little guys. But if you don’t have one, here’s a quick tutorial on the perfect poached egg that Bon Appetit just ran. My method takes about five minutes and I usually put the lid on the pan so the top of the egg cooks properly. I like my eggs medium soft — which takes 4-5 minutes but if you or your kids object to runny yolk, leave them in another minute of two.

4. Place asparagus in boiling water until they’re just tender — about 3-5 minutes. Drain them and rinse in cool water to stop them from cooking any more.

5. Assemble. A spoon or two of cous cous, four spears of asparagus and an egg on top. Top with herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

Got just a few more minutes? More recipes from sweetpotatochronicles.com:
Try this addictive Middle Eastern egg dish. It’s a perfect light dinner but would make a great weekend lunch, too. Don’t forget some crusty bread to eat up the sauce with.

Once you’ve mastered the easy technique behind making frittatas, the options are endless. We like this Asparagus and Parmesan combo for its spring flavour.