Since opening in 2014, Egg Shop has become a destination for brunch and beyond, thanks to its all-day, egg-obsessed menu, prime NoLIta location and irreverent humor (case in point: the dinner entree Harissa Explains It All).
Indulgent dishes, perfect for perhaps a night after a little too much drinking, abound. But owner Nick Korbee has the health-conscious covered, too. Prime example: the Spandex, a protein-packed quinoa bowl featuring avocado and pickled carrots.
In Korbee’s just-released cookbook, “Egg Shop: The Cookbook” ($35), he shares his recipe for the dish.
“The Spandex is as healthy as it sounds,” Korbee writes in the cookbook. “It’s a protein-packed bowl built on red quinoa, shiro miso, fresh greens, avocado and crunchy pickled carrot.”
And, of course, there are eggs.
“Two poached eggs make this dish a force to be reckoned with, before or after a good workout,” he writes.
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Spandex
Makes 2 servings
1 cup organic red quinoa
1 heaping tbsp. organic shiro miso (gluten free a plus)
2 tbsp. organic tamari (gluten-free a plus)
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 avocado, sliced lengthwise into thin half-moons
1⁄4 cup pickled carrots (see recipe)
4 cups baby kale or other hearty greens
2 to 4 poached eggs, depending on your appetite and desired protein consumption
1. To make the quinoa, in a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa and 2 cups water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce the heat, and cook until the quinoa looks like it is sprouting a little tail, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest, covered, while you prepare the miso mixture. Combine the miso and 3 tbsp. water and stir until smooth, then fold it into the quinoa.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the tamari, lemon juice, and olive oil. This dressing will separate immediately and that’s okay; just be sure to give a good whisk or shake before using to make sure the components are evenly combined.
3. To assemble the salads, portion the quinoa evenly into two wide, shallow bowls. Fan the avocado across the quinoa. Pile the pickled carrot ribbons between 12 and 3 o’clock, place the baby kale from 3 to 9 o’clock, and top each salad with one or two poached eggs. Dress the entire dish liberally with the tamari dressing.
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Pickled carrots
Makes 2 cups
1 lb. carrots, trimmed and peeled
1 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1⁄2 cup water
2 garlic cloves, smashed
Zest of 2 lemons
1. With a vegetable peeler, make long, continuous ribbons of carrot and set aside in a heatproof bowl. Watch your fingers!
2. In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar and water to a simmer over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the contents of the pan over the carrot ribbons and let cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days. The carrots will be ready to use as soon as they are cool, but the acid level will be best after 24 hours in the brine.
