breakfast eggs-travaganza

hola! huevos mexican-style for breakfast!

for a bit of a spin on the usual eggs and toast breakfast offering,  try these delicious baked eggs. use whatever you have on hand to create your own signature eggs. and the best bit - no cooking guaranteed! below are just 3 variations on a theme, but please don't let this stop you from letting your imagination (and appetite!) run wild. each variation is designed to yield 2 servings.

MEXICAN-STYLE BAKED EGGS (or huevos in spanish!)

 - THE VEGO OPTION

things you will need:

4 eggs

1 roma tomato, sliced thickly

half a red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

a small wedge of red onion, thinly sliced

2 slices of your favourite bread

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

cumin

a few slices of tasty cheese

sour cream (to serve)

jalapeños - the sliced, pickled ones in the jar (to serve)

2 small oven-proof bowls or pans

what you will need to do:

toast the bread and use this to line the bottom of the bowl or pans. place 3 or 4 of the sliced roma tomatoes on top, followed by the red onion. season with salt, pepper and sprinkle some cumin over. break 2 eggs into each bowl, ensuring they're sitting reasonably close to the centre of the bowl (or as close as you can get). sprinkle over the chopped chilli. sit the bowls/pans onto a large oven tray, and place into a 180C fan-forced oven for about 20-25 minutes. it pays to keep checking the eggs, and rearrange the bowls if you find your oven is uneven (as mine is!) and one bowl of eggs is cooking quicker than the other.

once the egg whites have turned opaque, take the tray out and break up the sliced tasty cheese over the eggs. or if you want, just lay the slices over the eggs. return to oven and bake for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling slightly. remove from oven and carefully place the hot bowls on small wooden serving boards or some other heat-proof mat. spoon a good whack of sour cream over the eggs, and top with a jalapeño or two.

SPANISH-STYLE BAKED EGGS

things you will need:

4 eggs

1 can of crushed tomatoes

some chorizo, thickly sliced
handful of cubed potato (par boiled or roasted) - if leftovers are on hand!

a small wedge of red onion, thinly sliced

2 slices of your favourite bread

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

paprika or cayenne pepper (for a bit more kick!)

a few slices of tasty cheese

2 small oven-proof bowls or pans

what you will need to do:

as above, toast the bread and use it to line the bowls or pans. spoon a few of the crushed tomatoes over the bread and throw in the chorizo, cubed potato and red onion. if you want, fry the chorizo off first and save the oil to drizzle over the finished product (you don't need to do this though, especially if you're feeling lazy and can't be bothered washing up a frypan afterwards!). sprinkle a bit of paprika or cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper (i'd recommend using less salt than the mexican-style eggs call for, as the crushed tomatoes and especially the chorizo will contain salt already). break in the eggs and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the egg whites have turned opaque. put some cheese over the eggs and return to the oven for another 5 minutes. drizzle some of the chorizo oil over the eggs (if you fried the chorizo). serve immediately.

FRENCH-STYLE BAKED EGGS

 - MINIMAL COOKING REQUIRED

things you will need:

4 eggs

1 leek, sliced thinly

butter

2 rashers of bacon or 100g of speck sliced into thick strips

2 slices of your favourite bread

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

a few slices of gruyere cheese

a few fresh chives, finely chopped

2 small oven-proof bowls or pans

what you will need to do:

sautee the sliced leek in the butter until cooked (it should turn a vibrant light green and look a bit sweaty). then lightly fry the bacon or speck (i'd recommend not over cooking it as i hate very crusty, crispy bacon and speck, and it'll cook further in the oven, but that's a personal preference). as above, toast the bread and use it to line the bowls or pans. spoon in the leek over the bread then top with the bacon or speck. break in the eggs and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the egg whites have turned opaque. put some of the gruyere over the eggs and return to the oven for another 5 minutes. once the cheese has melted, remove from the oven, sprinkle over a handful of chives and consume immediately.