Ricotta Egg Souffle "Muffins"

I'm pleased to report that I have been much better about my breakfast routine over the last few months. The nut mixes went over well and I enjoyed experimenting with various kinds of muffins. But too much of a good thing leads to bad things, and I needed a change. The muffins were low fat and flavorful, but had more sugar than protein (there are only so many almonds I can cram into a muffin cup). And as the food gurus will tell you, protein is the way to start the day.

Most people do something with eggs for breakfast. There are only a few ways I like eating eggs and unfortunately a poached egg is not a portable food. So when I came across a South Beach Diet forum post about ricotta egg muffins, I was intrigued. I have a lot of ricotta and eggs in the fridge, so this would be a good fit for me. The forum gave directions for a sweet version but a later poster said the savory was the way to go. On top of it, the recipe was super simple.

I decided to experiment and made two kinds. One strawberry cheesecake inspired and one spinach and scallion. To my surprise, the "muffins" came out just like souffle - airy, light, warm, and fluffy. And after they cooled, they actually collapsed into themselves... so if you're making for guests, serve promptly. I was planning on refrigerating mine for the week so I had grab and go breakfasts. I reheated one in the microwave this morning and the spinach was amazingly delicious. I also had a strawberry one, which was good, but not as satisfying as the spinach. Going forward, I'm going to double the batter - two souffles makes one content Suanne. One just didn't cut it.

Spinach Scallion Ricotta Egg Souffle "Muffins"
Makes 12 small souffles (and maybe 6 large ones if I find the right pan)

1/2 cup frozen spinach
1 scallion
4 eggs
2 cups ricotta cheese (drained)
1 teaspoon salt
Sriracha hot sauce to swirl in (optional, but probably why mine are so addicting)

1. Preheat the over to 400 degrees F.
2. In a mug, cook the spinach and scallions in the microwave. Squeeze out all excess water. 
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg and ricotta and salt. Add the spinach and scallions.
4. Oil your muffin pan with olive oil or spray. Spoon in 2-3 tablespoons of batter per cup. 
5. Squirt a little Sriracha over the tops and swirl into the top of the souffle.
6. Bake for 20-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean (Mine were exactly 25 min.)
7. Use a butter knife to separate the souffle from the sides of the pan before pulling out.
8. Stores in the refrigerator for about a week. Reheating is optional but 30 seconds in the microwave should do it. Enjoy!