BAKED EGGS WITH RATATOUILLE

I went a little egg-crazy last week and tried to incorporate it into several of our meals. Suffice to say that Chris and I are a little over egg this week and the mere sight of the egg carton in my fridge is making me a little nauseous. I hope this feeling passes quickly, as I am used to eating hard-boiled eggs on a daily basis. If you are not a fan of eggs, you can make this ratatouille without the eggs and just the vegetables. I used oregano and chilli flakes to add some pizazz and spice, however you could use any seasoning you have on hand, such as dried basil, mixed herbs, smoked paprika, ground cumin, coriander etc. This is a wonderful recipe for people who want to forgo meat for a night, as the eggs and all the vegetables are packed with protein, fibre and nutrients.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small green capsicum, roughly chopped
• 1 small green capsicum, roughly chopped
• 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
• 1/2 a small red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 a small brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium zucchini, roughly chopped
• 2 cups passata (Italian tomato cooking sauce) or alternatively you could use 2 cups roughly chopped tomatoes 
• 4 eggs, preferably free-range 
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes 
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
• coconut oil
• Optional- 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, roughly chopped

COOKING 

1. Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes or until onion is soft. Add capsicums, zucchini and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Pour in passata (or tomatoes), oregano, chilli flakes and sea salt & pepper and lower to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 13-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and sauce thickens slightly. 

2. Meanwhile, preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius (200 degrees for non fan-forced). Lightly grease a 1 litre overproof tin/dish with coconut oil. When ratatouille has thickened, remove from stove and pour into prepared tin. Make 4 large indents in the ratatouille and carefully crack one egg into each. Bake for 18 minutes or until egg whites have set and yolks are cooked to your specification. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if you desire. Serve alone or with toasted bread. 

Serves / 4 - 6 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes (18 if chopping tomatoes)

Total Cooking time / 45 minutes

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