Vibrant, fresh tomatoes are mixed with sweet onions, piquant garlic, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper in this Baked Egg for One recipe.
When it comes to breakfast, I am grateful for the time and freedom working at home has given me. I can have toast and fruit or I can make eggs and sausage. I can grab a quick banana or make a breakfast sandwich.
I didn’t feel like I had this time before. I do now.
And while I often opt for the easier options, that I could have something fancier — like this Baked Egg for One with Tomatoes and Onion — is kind of awesome. It feels good.
This dish is inspired by shakshuka, a dish that’s been part of eating traditions in the Mediterranean region for centuries. Though it’s uncertain exactly where it originates, some food historians trace it to Yemen. Others trace it to the Ottoman Empire.
Sometimes it’s baked in cast iron. Sometimes it is baked in individual portions in ramekins or other small baking dishes. Some versions have spices and peppers. Some have meat.
Baked Egg for One with Tomatoes and Onion is a vegetarian version cooked in a single-serving baking dish. I found this adorable dish at Home Goods eons ago, but a large ramekin would work too.
To make this, dice tomatoes, mince garlic and chop spring onions (the underdeveloped onions available in late spring or early summer from farmers). If you don’t have spring onions, substitute a shallot.
All that is drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. All of that is baked until the vegetables begin to soften. This will ensure the onions and tomatoes are just right for the eggs.
Once the vegetables are partially cooked, top them with one egg. Hopefully it’s from your coop or your local farmers market. Local eggs taste better.
Sprinkle it with a touch of parmesan. Then slide it back into the oven and bake it until that the white of that egg is just set. The yolk should still be runny — it’s the best part.
Now, you’re almost ready to dig in.
Finish it off with a sprinkling of fresh basil. It adds lovely, fresh dimension to this dish.
And now it’s ready — a wonderful dish for one, just waiting to be enjoyed.
What are you enjoying for breakfast these days?
Baked Egg for One with Tomatoes and Onions
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup diced fresh tomato
- 1 spring onion, quartered and thinly sliced (about ⅓ cup)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan
- 1-2 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced (optional, but recommended)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small (single serving) oven-safe pan, combine the tomatoes, spring onion, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir well. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and stir again. The tomatoes should have released some of their juices. Use the back of a spoon to press into one layer
- Crack the egg into a bowl and then pour over the tomato mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the egg white is set.
- Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with basil just before serving, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
If spring onions — partially formed onions — are out of season, substitute a shallot.
Kate
Friday 10th of July 2020
I make stuff like this for myself all the time! (But I'm very much not a cereal person like the rest of my family)