Fast and Easy Dinner: Asparagus With Miso Butter and Poached Eggs

Salty, and slightly sweet and full of umami, miso is undoubtedly my desert island ingredient. Add to the mix verdant Spring asparagus, sherry vinegar, copious amounts of butter, and poached eggs, and it's hardly surprising that this weeknight-friendly dish has become an obsession of sorts around my household. Rarely a week passes where this perfect confluence of ingredients does not grace my table. Sometimes I even dig into a bowl of it more than once!

To get my miso butter and poached egg fix outside of asparagus season, I've even taken to swapping out steamed kale for the grassy stalk to inspiring effect. I'm an obsessive sort, prone to extreme loyalty to any matter of things, but I've rarely been so smitten with a single dish as in this case. So, let me urge you strongly to try it out for yourself - I'd bet that you'll become a convert as well.

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Simple Tips For Perfect Poached Eggs Every Time

Few culinary tasks are as simultaneously simple and complex as poaching eggs. While it's easy enough to plop an egg or two into a bath of simmering water, it takes a touch of practice and know-how to achieve consistently satisfying results. Lucky for you, we've done the legwork, testing out a variety of tips and tricks to determine what works best.

• Use the freshest eggs you can find: as eggs age the white becomes looser, more watery, and less likely to form a cohesive mass around the yolk when poached. If you have access to eggs from the farmers market, here's the time to use them; save older eggs for hard-boiling and baking.
• Rather than crack an egg directly into a pot of water to cook, crack each egg into an individual ramekin so that it can be gently turned out into the water and is therefore less likely to break.
• If using slightly older eggs, drain off any loose egg white before poaching. Crack each egg into a fine mesh strainer set over the sink, and allow any watery egg white to drain off before gently transferring each egg into its own ramekin.

Keep reading for four more tips.

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Main Dish Seafood: Poached Fish with Cucumbers

Jul 28, 2008 My husband loved this fish dish, and he's not much for fish. I did make the cucumbers in sauce a bit different than listed to make it a healthier choice. I used FAT FREE (Yes, they make it) half and half instead of heavy whipping cream; then I added 1/2 cup of fresh diced tomatoes, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp dill weed, and I substituted sweet and spicy mustard instead of the plain mustard. I served the poached fish aside seasoned couscous and topped it with the cucumbers in tarragon sauce; I then topped that with some diced roasted red peppers for appeal. Thank you Dickie, for another way to use up my garden cucumbers.

—Alta 

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Killer App: Poached Shrimp With Three Easy Dipping Sauces

Want to wow your party guests without spending hours in the kitchen? Then turn to a party classic, shrimp cocktail: elevate the shellfish dish with a trio of flavorful dipping sauces that are so addictive, your guests will want to double-dip.

The dish may sound involved, but thanks to a few pantry staples - think barbecue sauce, coconut milk, garlic chili paste, and the like - pulling off this elegant hors d'oeuvre is easier than you think. Keep reading for the shrimp cocktail recipe.

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