This is a hearty and versatile tomato and egg dish which is great for chilly mornings when you are not in a rush. The tomato base can be modified in many ways to get the flavors you want or to use up produce. While this recipe uses spinach, olives, and feta cheese, those are optional and other things may be used such as mushrooms, fresh basil, cream, honey, and/or different kinds of cheese. It also reheats well in the microwave, although to keep the egg somewhat runny, I will heat the sauce without the egg first, then add the egg and cook on medium power for only about 20 seconds more.
Equipment Notes
- 10in skillet
Timings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1T olive oil
- 1/2 (about 1C) medium onion, sliced thinly
- 1/2 (about 1C) red bell pepper, sliced thinly lengthwise
- 1/2 jalapeño, sliced thinly lengthwise
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
- 1t smoked paprika
- 1/2t cumin seeds
- 1 15oz can of tomatoes, crushed
- 1/2t dried oregano
- 1/2C frozen spinach
- 1/8C fresh parsley, chopped
- 1t salt (to taste)
- 1/2t pepper (to taste)
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4C feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/8C olives, sliced
Steps
- Heat oil on medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add onions, bell pepper, and jalapeño. Spread into an even layer and press into the pan. Cook untouched for 5 minutes until the bottom of the vegetables are browned and slightly charred. Use the cooking time as an estimate and keep an eye on things to make sure they are not burning too much.
- Flip the vegetables and cook for another 2 minutes or until the vegetables are darkened and slightly charred on all sides.
- Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds stirring constantly.
- Add paprika and cumin, and cook for 30 seconds stirring constantly.
- Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, spinach, salt, pepper, and half the parsley, and bring to a light simmer. Reduce the heat as needed to maintain a light simmer, and cook 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add additional seasonings to taste.
- Use the back of a spoon to make an indentations in the sauce big enough to hold an egg. Crack an egg into each indentation, and quickly use the spoon to pull in any egg whites spreading too far from the yolk and build a little wall of sauce around the egg. Repeat for as many eggs as you want to add.
- Turn the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook 10 minutes or until the egg whites are fully white and slightly firm. Cook a little less if you want a very runny egg, or a few minutes more for a solid yolk.
- Sprinkle the feta and olives on the top, and cook covered for another minute. Top with the remaining parsley.