Sometimes inspiration for dinner comes from pantry ingredients. Often it may come from my recipe files, cookbooks or seasonal ingredients found at the market. Today’s inspiration just walked down the sidewalk and across our front yard. Much to the consternation of the howling, neighborhood fenced-in dogs, this chicken was merrily clucking away with a great deal of self-importance. Who does this puffed-up hen think she is, all foot- loose and fancy free?

No matter--I applaud the chicken because she reminded me of a yummy poached egg recipe I haven’t made in ages. Better yet, the recipe is healthy and inexpensive. We're happy about the latter because we just prepared our taxes.

Yield: 4 stuffed portobello caps; 2-4 servings
Time: 30 minutes
Cost: Approx. $7.50

Ingredients
4 portobello mushroom caps, wiped clean

3 plus 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dry thyme

1 cup finely chopped onion or leek

8 cups fresh spinach, washed and stems removed

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

4 eggs 

1 tablespoon white vinegar 

2 tablespoons freshly snipped chives

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Carefully remove mushroom stems and chop. Reserve.
3. With a small spoon, gently clean out and discard the gills from the mushroom caps. Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and thyme. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Brush over both sides of mushroom caps and arrange rounded side up on a baking sheet. Bake 5-10 minutes, depending on size, until just barely through; they will cook again.
4. While mushrooms are cooking, heat remaining tablespoon oil in a skillet. Add onion and mushroom and sauté 5 minutes, or until tender and fragrant. Stir in spinach and sauté until limp.
5. Turn over each mushroom and fill each cap with the spinach mixture, wiping excess moisture from mushrooms with paper towels. Sprinkle each with a tablespoon of cheese. Bake 3-5 minutes, or until cheese has just melted.
6. While mushrooms are baking, bring a pan of water, with a large enough width to accommodate eggs, to a boil. Add vinegar. Crack in eggs. Reduce heat and poach 3 to 5 minutes until whites are set and yolks are cooked to the desired level of doneness. Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Trim away excess whites.
7. Place eggs on stuffed mushrooms. Sprinkle with kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, snipped chives and serve.