I first shared this recipe about a year ago. It continues to be one of my favorite breakfast go-tos and is an easy thing to meal prep for your busy weekday mornings. I recently tried subbing Greek yogurt for the cream and oh my! These were fabulous. Greek yogurt adds protein, and tang, and reduces the amount of fat. With the addition of feta and oregano, I felt like I could be sitting on the balcony of a Greek Island hotel watching the sunrise. Well, maybe that is stretching it a bit but it was delicious! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this special dish. You deserve it!
"Sue who?" Sous is not a who, but sous vide is a cool French technique for cooking food perfectly evenly. The help of a precision cooker makes it super easy to use this fancy-sounding technique. You could sous vide your food without a precision cooker but the beauty of investing in one is that you set it and forget it. I have an Anova Precision Cooker that I picked up a few years ago for around $150. Here is a little more about the sous vide technique and precision cookers straight from the Anova Website.
Once limited to the pros, sous vide (pronounced sue-veed) is a cooking technique that utilizes precise temperature control to deliver consistent, restaurant-quality results. High-end restaurants have been using sous vide cooking for years to cook food to the exact level of doneness desired, every time. Sous vide, which means “under vacuum” in French, refers to the process of vacuum-sealing food in a bag, (or jar) and then cooking it to a very precise temperature in a water bath. This technique produces results that are impossible to achieve through any other cooking method.
These sous vide egg cups are an easy recipe to try using a precision cooker for your first time. I generally make them on the weekend and store the leftovers in the fridge. Because the jars seal like they do in canning, they keep for several days without worry of them going bad. During my busy work week, I can grab one of these in between Zoom calls, pop it in the microwave for a minute (remove the top first), and voila! I have a yummy, hot breakfast in minutes.
You could add any cheese or veggie combination, but I love this artichoke and roasted piquillo pepper combo. I also prefer a sharp, tangy cheese such as Gruyere, white cheddar, or feta, which is what I used here. With the cream or yogurt added, these egg cups have the creamy texture of a great quiche but without the carb-loaded crust.
Make these for yourself or wow your guests at your next brunch party. They will think you were cooking for hours, but really Sue was doing that work for you!
Artichoke and Roasted Pepper Egg Cups
Equipment
- 4 pint-size mason jars with rings and new lids clean and sterilized
- 1 large deep pot
- 1 precision cooker see the note on the one I have
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
- 8 large cage-free organic eggs buy the good ones - it makes a difference
- ½ c. heavy cream or Greek yogurt
- ½ t. season salt such as Lawry's
- ¼ t. fine ground black pepper
- ¼ t. crumbled dried oregano
- 4 oz. shredded sharp cheese such as Gruyere or crumbled Feta white cheddar or dry-aged Gouda work well too
- 4 roasted piquillo peppers blotted dry and roughly chopped
- 3 large canned artichoke bottoms rinsed and roughly chopped
Instructions
- Add enough water to a large pot or heatproof container and set your precision cooker to 167 degrees F. Ensure you have enough water so that the jars will be covered by at least an inch once submerged.
- Whisk together the eggs, cream or yogurt, salt, pepper, and oregano. Add three ounces of the cheese. Pour the egg and cheese mixture evenly into the four jars. Mix together the artichokes and peppers and divide equally into the jars. divide the remaining cheese between the four jars. With a small spoon, gently mix the vegetables and cheese so they will be evenly distributed.
- Wipe clean the mouth of the jars and place on the lids and rings. Tighten just until firm with your fingers. (Do not over-tighten or they will not have room to expand and could burst in the pot). Once your precision cooker has reached 167 degrees gently place your jars in the pot. A pair of canning tongs is extremely helpful to get them in and out. Place a mug or bowl filled with water on each one to help them stay submerged.Note: The temperature will drop slightly when you first put the jars in since they are colder than the water. But, the temperature will adjust itself. Cook the jars for 60 minutes, remove them from the pot, and carefully remove the lids.
- If you are not going to eat them right away, allow them to cool with the lids still on for about 30 minutes then store in the refrigerator for up to a week. When ready to eat, remove the lid and microwave on high for about 60 seconds.
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