Oeuf Mollet with Asparagus & Ham ♥ Surefire way to make perfect baked eggs

Strangest week I'm having. You know when you have a weekend of completing projects that should have been done two weeks ago, and are feeling really organized and can finally flush the 1/2 bath toilet once again?!?! I was having one of them (it felt great) when Monday came and my computer decided it didn't have as great a weekend as I did and refused to install the new security software I bought and then I burnt not one but two batches of roasted spiced pepitas I am testing for Christmas gifts this year. I wasted valuable camera time calling technical service and scrubbing burnt sugar off of sheet pans so dinner was just grilled cheese and soup. I am so grateful I made the soup last week.

The only thing accomplished was sorting through a large pile of papers on my desk and finally getting my Halloween Lights and decorations in place before Friday.

Where does the time go? I mean this year was on a fast pace, wasn't it? The holidays are closer than you think and I am so happy family will be on the West Coast for Christmas so there is no rush for gifts and no reason for baked goods this year. Sounds callous doesn't it? Not this year, I really need a rest and a possible squeezing of another trip to DC.

The absolute other worse thing that adds to a bad week, is not knowing what or even wanting to make dinner. It had to be a no recipe dish (I would only yell at the writer) and I needed to use up the last of the older eggs.

Ah ha!! I had older eggs? No, I am not going crazy, well I am but not that kind of crazy. Older eggs peel easier, as in hard boiled, but in this case as in Oeuf Mollet.

For those of you who consider poaching an egg food torture needs to pay attention, NOW.

I have the easiest, non-problematic way to serve totally cooked white and runny yolked eggs.
Leave it up to those country French Mamas who always made French food easy to make.

Remember when you watched someone blow the insides of a whole egg into a bowl so they could decorate and save without any spoilage?

You need a push pin and cold eggs. Push the pin into the fatter side of the egg and gently slide them into boiling water for 6 minutes. Remove to a large bowl of iced water and let them sit there until they cool completely. If you use room temperature eggs, the yolks will not be as runny, so might be better for the kids. While that is happening we can make the rest of the dish.

Whatever vegetable you have on hand, and whatever prepared meat product is in your fridge.
I had a ham steak and grilled asparagus but you could use Brussels sprouts or green beans and Italian sausage or Chicken sausage and I think leftover pork, sliced thin would also work.

I made a Bearnaise sauce with a nob of goat cheese, some maple syrup and mustard. It was sooooo good.

Oeuf Mollet
makes up to 8 eggs

* 8 cold eggs
* 1 pound vegetable (asparagus, green beans, broccoli, etc)
* 3/4 pound ham steak, sausage or shrimp, rough chop
* 1 package Bearnaise sauce mix, prepared
* 2 ounces reduced fat goat cheese
* 1 tablespoon maple syrup
* 2 teaspoons mustard, your choice
* Unsalted butter
* salt & pepper to taste

1. Fill a 2 quart saucepan with water and heat to a vigorous simmer
2. Poke a hole into the larger end of each egg with a push pin
3. Slowly lower the eggs into the simmering water and set the timer to 6 minutes. Get a large bowl of ice & water ready.
4. In a saute pan, melt a tablespoon of butter. Saute the meat until the edges crisp. Add the vegetables, pour in a small amount of water, cover and steam until the vegetables are crisp tender, about 4 minutes.
5. In a small saucepan make the Bearnaise as per package directions. Add the syrup, mustard and goat cheese. Stir to combine.
6. When the eggs are cold to the touch, roll them gently on the counter to crack the shells. Peel and place back in the bowl.
7. Pour the vegetable mixture into a baking pan, and lay the eggs evenly across the top.
Spoon the sauce over the mixture and place in a 425° oven for 20 minutes, until the edges start to bubble and brown.
8. Remove to cool and serve with toast points or dinner rolls.