roasted roots and runny yolks

the jar of emerald-green chimichurri sauce has been sitting on my kitchen counter, rapidly diminishing in volume as i seem to have added it to every other meal the past few day. i smothered it over black beans, rice, and now spread it under my go-to breakfast combo of roasted root vegetables and runny eggs. i've played around with different root vegetables but most importantly, i love having variety in color and flavor. today, i roasted two full trays of beets, japanese sweet potato and carrots, but you could use whatever root vegetables you enjoy or have on hand. 

simple roasted root vegetables ~ serves 4

1 pound root vegetables (beets, carrots, parsnips, yams, potatoes, etc.) 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

fresh ground pepper to taste

preheat oven to 400 degrees. clean roots, peel any particularly rough patches of skin otherwise leave skin intact. cut roots into small cubes, the size of a hazelnut or slightly larger. (note: i like to roast my beets on a separate baking sheet, otherwise everything turns pink when you toss the vegetables.) spread vegetables out on two baking sheets, drizzle with a tablespoon of oil on each tray and use your hands to toss veggies with oil until coated. season with salt and pepper. do not over-crowd your vegetables. if they are too close together, they will just steam and wont get nice and crisp and brown. 

roast for 30-40 minutes until lightly brown. stir every 10 minutes or so. serve with a spoonful of chimichurri sauce (recipe from my previous post) and one or two eggs any style you like. i love runny, saucy yolks, but if you prefer firmer eggs, those would be just as delightful.

for perfectly soft poached eggs, bring two inches of water to boil in a small sauce pan. once it comes to a boil, lower the temperature back to a low simmer so that there are gentle little bubbles. crack an egg into a small cup. then start to stir the water with a large spoon to start a whirl pool motion. stop stirring for a second and lower the egg into the water from the cup, gently! the whirl pool will help keep your egg whites together. let cook for a few minutes and then scoop out the egg with a slotted spoon. test it with your finger for done-ness. if you want it firmer, plop it back in for a minute or two. cook to your desired firmness. then let the egg rest back in the cup until your are ready to serve it.