Surprise Snow Day and all its benefits

I know I've mentioned quite a few times, how winter hasn't quite happened they way it normally does in Southern Ontario this year.  But... last night after an entire day of warnings from Environment Canada and all of the local radio stations we had freezing rain which was followed by a bit of a snowfall.  This has meant one thing in our house - the buses are cancelled and we are home.  I'm very fortunate in my job that I work from home if the weather is bad or I have a sick child. 

And for whatever reason this morning, my body decided it was time to wake up a 4:30 am.  So I've been up for a while and I've been working for a while.  It has left a lot of time for other things... like a big breakfast that is typically reserved for Sunday mornings.

I also went out running in the snow that had fallen.  It was a slow, messy run but I went out with one purpose....the view.

Well.... maybe also to burn off my breakfast which was this....

I've decided to call this Almost Eggs Florentine.  When I think of eggs Florentine  I think of a creamy buttery sauce covering poached eggs sitting on spinach and English muffins.  For my recipe, I cook fresh spinach in a little bit of water, add red peppers and top with brie cheese and chopped parsley.  Oh my this is good, but wow is it rich and a far cry from my usual oatmeal I have for breakfast during the week.  But my taste buds were happy.

Almost Eggs Florentine

2 cups of fresh spinach
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 red pepper seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic peeled and minced
1 teaspoon each sea salt and pepper
2 eggs
1 English muffin toasted
2 thin slices brie cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Steam spinach in a small amount of water until wilted.  Remove from heat, let cool slightly and squeeze excess water, set aside.  Saute red pepper in olive oil until tender crisp.  Add salt pepper and garlic cooking until garlic has browned slightly, but is not burned. 

Using a wide shallow pan, filled about 3/4 full with water and 1 tablespoon of vinegar, bring to a simmer.  (The vinegar helps prevent the eggs from spreading out in the water and is not detectable when you eat the eggs.) Crack eggs one at a time into a small dish and carefully pour into simmering water.   Once the eggs have set on the underside, about 2 minutes, carefully flip them over in the water to cook the top.  Continue cooking for another 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the English muffins on a plate, layer the cooked spinach and top with the red peppers.  Using a slotted spoon remove the eggs one at a time from the water, allowing as much water to drain as possible.  Gently set on top of the red peppers.  Top with the brie cheese.  Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the cheese and season with freshly ground pepper.