Polenta Egg Cups

I watched Rachael Ray make a version of this on tv one morning while I was battling the elliptical machine at the gym. Not fair. But it looked scrumptious, so I found the recipe as soon as I got home, and made a note to try it (in moderation, of course!) as soon as possible. I modified it a bit to suit my taste. Here I share it with you, minus the elliptical torture. Aren't you getting off easy this time?

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 4  tablespoons butter
• 3⁄4 cup milk
• 3⁄4 cup  vegetable stock
• 1⁄2 cup  quick-cooking polenta
• 1  cup asiago cheese, grated
•  salt and black pepper
• 6  eggs
• 3  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6  ounces arugula
• 10  basil leaves, torn
• 1  lemon, juice of

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 425°F.
2. Butter a nonstick muffin tin (regular size, with six muffin cups).
3. Bring the milk and vegetable stock to a low boil in a medium size stockpot over medium heat.
4. Slowly whisk in the polenta and continue whisking until it begins to thicken and resemble hot oatmeal, about 3-4 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat, add in the cheese and season with salt and pepper.
6. Pour the polenta into the muffin tin, halfway up each muffin cup. Once all the cups are filled, form a well with the back of a spoon by pushing the polenta up the sides until it reaches the top rim (dip the spoon in water so it won't stick to the polenta).
7. The well will be relatively large, but that's okay – you want the egg to have a little nesting place so it won't overflow out of the tin.
8. Once you have made all the wells, crack an egg into each of the polenta-filled cups.
9. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until firm (the yolk will still be a little runny). Remove from the oven and let sit a few minutes to cool enough to handle.
10. In a medium size serving bowl, mix together the arugula, basil and lemon juice. Drizzle with some olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper.
11. To serve the polenta egg cups, run a small butter knife around the edges of the polenta to loosen it from the sides of the muffin tin. Gently pry out with a fork or a knife and serve with the salad alongside.