Eggs & Garlic Spinach in Portobellos with Harissa Cream

A vegetarian brunch dish?  From me?  Quelle surprise!  Yeah, I know...there's that pile of bacon nestled alongside...focus only on the meat-free portobello in front of it.  You didn't expect me to go cold turkey, did you?!

Why use a ramekin for baked eggs in spinach when Mother Nature (and the mushroom caves of Pennsylvania) have provided such an edible and delicious little casserole dish?  And it's such a pretty little container! 

The bonus is those great big mushrooms are filling, satisfying and low in calories, too.  In fact, if you wanted to use egg beaters instead of a whole egg?  Go ahead!  Enjoy an even healthier version of this dish!  Okay, there's heavy cream in the sauce....no big deal....it's just there to lighten up the spice of the harissa.  If you want to use half & half to lighten that up a bit, fine by me!  You know I'm flexible!

Eggs & Garlic Spinach in Portobellos with Harissa Cream

Serves 2

• 2 portobello mushroom, remove stem and clean out all the gills 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, just to coat the pan 
• 3/4 bag spinach, chopped
• 1/2 small onion, diced small
• 1 clove garlic, minced - 2 or 3 cloves if you like your spinach good and garlicky!  (I do!)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 eggs

• 2 tablespoons harissa, store bought
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350.  Oil the bottom of a small, shallow casserole dish - just big enough to hold the mushrooms.
 

In a skillet, heat the oil and saute the onion & garlic until translucent.  Add the spinach and stir until the spinach wilts.  Season with salt & pepper, remove from heat.
 

Mound the spinach mixture evenly between both mushrooms.  With a spoon, press the spinach into the curve of the mushroom sides making a nest for the egg and letting it peek prettily around all the edges.  Break an egg into each of the mushrooms.
 

Put the filled mushrooms into the casserole dish and put about 1/2" of water into the bottom of the dish - be careful not to get any water into the mushrooms.
 

Bake until the eggs are set and how you like them, checking occasionally.  (The time will vary depending upon how cold the mushrooms are - cold mushrooms means a longer baking time.)
 

While the eggs are baking, mix the harissa & cream until nicely incorporated.
 

Remove mushrooms from oven and plate.  Drizzle the harissa cream over and around the eggs.  Gives a beautiful color contrast and a nice little zip!