Baked Eggs in Tomatoes

In a recent post, I waxed poetic on how obsessive I can be about saving leftovers, even in minute amounts. Today’s meal is a perfect example of it.  Papa Satyr slept late, not feeling his best, and #Babysatyr and I were up very early.  I fed the animals, made coffee, had an instant breakfast, unloaded, loaded, and ran the dishwasher before he stepped out of the bedroom, and he was not feeling very hungry.  That said, it is essential to eat breakfast, and this was Jazz Sunday, when we listen to jazz music and have whiskey in his coffee, and share a fancy breakfast I prepare. Still, it was almost lunchtime, and I knew we would only have two meals together, so I wanted brunch to be fulfilling but low-key, as I had been up for hours.

I went to the refrigerator to see what I had.  Eggs, always, leftover diced ham from the ham steak I used for a Jacques Pepin’s Fast Food My Way dish, half a zucchini, the bottom of a yellow pepper, herb pastes, a clearance tube of polenta from the Kroger, onions I had already diced, and over there on the counter a box of very ripe tomatoes I had picked up at Costco because the Kroger tomatoes were weak. I like to have tomatoes around for a quick side dish.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes (Basics, Sides)

• 6 or more large ripe tomatoes
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried herbs of choice, e.g. oregano and basil
• salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a baking dish with foil, silicone liners, parchment paper, etc.
2. Cut off 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the top of each tomato and set aside.  Remove excessive seeds and place tomatoes in the pan.
3. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with herbs and spices to taste.
4. Bake for 35 minutes.

Go the Extra Mile: dice the tomato tops and reserve them for later in the fridge.

While doing this, I removed the tops of four more tomatoes (reserving them), hollowed them out, and filled them with a bit of frozen corn, sautéed onions leftover from steak night, ham from Pepin night, and eggs mixed with heavy whipping cream leftover from the homemade strawberry ice cream I made for our celebration on Saturday. I then sprinkled them with leftover parmesan and baked them with the roasting tomatoes.

I then browned the polenta and served it with vegetables composed of leftover zucchini, extra onions, and three tbsp diced tomatoes from the reserved tops.  Chicken stock is used to help cook the zucchini and give additional flavor to the meal.  I keep this frozen in 1 tbsp increments in the freezer for when needed.  Further details in an upcoming post.

I shall approximate all ingredients for you in hopes that you can reproduce my meal should you desire to do so.

Baked Eggs in Tomatoes (Breakfast)

• 4 tomatoes
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• 1/4 cup frozen corn
• 1 tsp cilantro paste
• 1/4 cup diced ham
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a cake pan with parchment paper.
2. Hollow out 4 eggs, careful not to pierce the flesh.  Fill with corn and ham.
3. Whisk eggs, cream, and herbs in a medium bowl.  Pour into tomatoes. Top with parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 35 minutes.

It's so simple. You can also stuff bell peppers, onions, squash, etc., but ultimately, there are not enough for a weekend breakfast. Enter the leftovers and clearance foods…

Polenta and Vegetables (Sides)

• tube of polenta, sliced into ~ 12 slices
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1/2 zucchini
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1/4 cup tomatoes, diced
• 3 tbsp chicken stock
• shredded cheese, if desired
• sour cream, optional

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large heavy pan over medium-high heat.  Place polenta in pan. Sauté 9-11 minutes.  Flip and repeat.
2. In another pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add zucchini and onion.  Sauté 9-11minutes.
3. Add chicken stock and tomatoes to vegetables.  Cook until mostly evaporated.
4. Plate on top of polenta with a dollop of sour cream.
5. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and minced cilantro, and serve.

Duster the dog thought it looked amazing.  Too bad he cannot have garlic.