Tomato and Spinach Baked Eggs

One thing I love about Sydney is the weather;
I love the hot sunny days, cool breezy evenings, and even when it rains, I love gazing through the window, huddled in my favorite spot on the couch in the corner of the upstairs lounge.

I don't remember when it changed, but I woke up one day feeling cold, like I was back in Boston. This brought back a chain of amazing memories of my time on exchange. Getting up in the morning, cooking a warm breakfast and sharing it with friends before heading to my classes and taking on whatever the day had in plan for me.

When I woke up this morning, feeling cold, I thought back to these nostalgic moments and started craving hot Parmesan toast, the molten yolk centres of baked eggs and smooth rich cheesy sauce...


Tomato and Spinach Baked Eggs.

This dish is a simple, quick and healthy alternative to cold cereal, or plain toast; suitable for a long breakfast or Sunday brunch.

Ingredients:



For the Baked Eggs you need:

2 Eggs
1/2 sml Tomato, sliced and seeds removed
1/2 sml Red Onion, chopped
1/4 C Baby Spinach
1 lge Clove of Garlic - smashed and roughly chopped
Some salt and pepper
(I like to use smashed whole peppercorns because it adds an extra fragrant and textual component)
Parmesan Cheese (Optional)
Paprika (Optional)
Baby Rocket (Optional)

1. Lightly butter 2 individual ramekins, and preheat the (fan-forced) oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
   
2. Saute the onions and garlic in just enough olive oil to coat the pan.
3. Once the onion has browned, turn the heat to low and add the baby spinach. Turn off the heat when the spinach starts withering.




4. Layer the ramekins with slices of tomatoes, the onion mixture and withered spinach, then gently crack an egg into each ramekin. Tap the base of the ramekins lightly on the counter to remove any air pockets.
5. Season the egg and sprinkle with some Parmesan (Optional). Bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes (depending on how you like your yolk).

For the Cheese Sauce:
(I used a variation of Heston's Cheese Sauce after watching his program last night)

1 C White Wine
100mL Chicken Stock
60g Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
2 tsp Corn Flour
2 Tbs Soft Cream Cheese
Season to taste

1. In a small pan or saucepan, reduce the wine and chicken stock until only 200mL remains.



(I accidentally flambed the wine,which probably changes the taste slightly, if this happens, simply place a lid over the pan to extinguish the flames)


2. Mix the Parmesan with the corn flour. Remove the pan from heat and add the Parmesan mixture, stirring until the cheese has dissolved and the mixture is smooth. (If the mixture cool down, reheat slowly over a low heat, but do not let it simmer)
   
3. Add the cream cheese and stir until smooth.
4. Season to taste
   

And for the Parmesan Toast:

This is really up to you, I had a bit of left over parsley and cheese, but you can flavor the bread with anything you want or just have it plain.

Your favorite bread
Drizzle of Olive Oil
Parmesan Cheese, grated
Flat-leaf Parsley, roughly chopped
Season to taste

1. Drizzle bread with olive oil, top with Parmesan, parsley and season to taste.
2. Place in the oven until just brown.

To finish it off, sprinkle with paprika, or more Parmesan and chopped parsley.

Or whatever you fancy

I added my favorite salad leaf - Rocket

Serves 2.

So this is what I had for breakfast today. Mum was extremely happy to wake up to a hot breakfast. We saved the left over cheese sauce for later. You can use it as a dip, or pour it over steamed vegies or pasta... the possibilities are endless.