Being able to cook lunch at home is one of life’s little pleasures that I relish every time I get the chance. Between working weekdays and weekends full of social engagements and errands, it seems that being home at midday is becoming a rare event. So lunch at home for me is a time for simple, delicious, healthy meals that are made of ingredients that I already have. The most beautiful thing about lunches though, are that they are a time for experimenting (read: kitchen playtime), as I am often only cooking for myself. That is, unless my beautiful Mum is home and has managed to ignore her hunger signals for long enough in the hope that I come home in time to cook for her before she caves in and eats. Good thing she is my favourite culinary guinea pig.
Over the past few months, baked eggs have become a very common occurrence when I am cooking for myself or putting together a last-minute meal for friends when I have had no time to prepare anything else. I love how many different ways you can make it. No matter what ingredients I have, I always seem to be able to whip something special together. All you have to do is sauté a few vegetables, add some seasoning or herbs and spices, place the base in a ramekin or mini baking dish, crack in an egg, grate some cheese over the top and put it in the oven for 8-10minutes at 180 degrees Celcius. Simple.
Although a tomato base was always my go to, based off an “Eggs in Purgatory” recipe that I saw on a Nigella Lawson cooking show a long time ago, recently I have started to branch out.
My latest creation? Spinach, sage, pine nuts and goats cheese. Served with a slice of fresh pumpkin and rye sourdough… Need I say more?
- 1 red onion diced
- 4 fresh sage leaves
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 clove garlic
- big handful of spinach leaves
- lightly toasted pine nuts
- 20 grams goats cheese
- a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
- 1 egg (or two if you are very hungry)
- 1-2 slices of sourdough (or bread of choice)
- Sauté the diced onion and garlic in the coconut oil on a medium heat for 5 minutes, or until onion is soft. Add the sage and spinach and cook until the leaves wilt. Remove from heat and toss through the pine nuts and season with salt and pepper. Place the spinach mixture into a small baking dish and make a hole in the middle in which you crack the egg. Crumble the goats cheese over the top. Bake in the oven on 180 degrees celsius for 8-10 minutes, until the white is cooked, but the yolk of the egg is still runny. Serve with a toasted slice of sourdough.
- I rarely make this dish the same way twice... The spinach mixture can be replaced with a mixture of any sautéed vegetables, a Mexican chilli or a simple tomato ragout. I sometimes grate parmesan over the top or add croutons. The sourdough is perfect for dipping into the runny egg or soaking up a ragout.
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