The Poached Egg – A Love Story

Foods have many types of textures and sometimes the texture of a food causes people to have difficulty eating it.  I am fortunate I don’t seem to have a problem with textures. Avocado, mussels, tofu-- bring them on. I love them all.  The one food that seemed to stop me in my tracks – poached eggs!  The runniness of the yolk just seemed too much for me so I would pass on them.  Several years ago one of my close friends, who happened to be my naturopathic and oriental medicine doctor, Dr. Joanne Wu, (practicing in Takoma Park, MD) recommended that I eat poached eggs to nourish my yin energy.  When she shared this with me, I thought, I’m not going to be able to eat runny eggs!  I put Dr. Wu’s suggestion out of my mind.  A year ago I worked as a waitress for a few months and we served poached eggs every weekend.  I decided take advantage of this environment to see if I could push my way past the poached egg situation.  The key for me was having the chefs prepare may favorite brunch specials with hard poached eggs on top.  Over time I got to be able to have soft poached eggs – not runny but semi-solid.  The final step in my transition was learning to make them at home.  Poached eggs are so fast and easy.  I serve them over vegetables and have a great combination of protein and veggies.  I shared my process with Dr. Wu and she is so proud of me for figuring out how to become comfortable eating my yin nourishing foods. 

Picture : poached egg over brown rice bread and sauteed zucchini and red bell peppers - One of my favorite breakfast options.