Baked Eggs & Tomatoes ♥ With or Without Anchovies

Vegetables for Breakfast! Easy lazy-morning fare, a Spanish-style breakfast with warm summer tomatoes baked with eggs and if you like, draped with anchovies or in my case, good bacon! So good! Weight Watchers Friendly, just 4 points. Low Carb, gluten free and paleo.

~recipe & photo updated 2014~
~more recently updated recipes~

Original Post 2007: Yes, those are fishy little anchovy guys draped amid the tomatoes and eggs. I love their salty contribution but for anyone who's anchovy skittish, the eggs and tomatoes are entirely gorgeous, all on their own. This is an easy breakfast recipe, one to make spur of the moment some lazy weekend while the tomatoes are still luscious. I used thick slices of fresh San Marzano tomatoes: beautiful. No tomatoes? Then how about Baked Eggs in Cream with Spinach? Not excited about eggs? Then how about more recipes for perfect summer tomatoes?

Update 2014: Careful recipe hunters will note that this time, I draped bacon across the baked eggs and tomatoes. A perfect substitute for meat eaters, adding the saltiness without any squeamishness. Why does bacon appear occasionally on A Veggie Venture? Note to Vegetarians.

REVISITING a COOKBOOK Some years back, my long-time friend Lisa recommended Janet Mandel's My Kitchen in Spain and its "225 Authentic Regional Recipes". I made a recipe or two but felt uninspired. Then I remade Summer Vegetable Stew (because so many of you were clicking on it, thank you for the reminder!) and it was soooo delicious. I rifled back through the cookbook and found myself wanting to make every single recipe! So don't be surprised to find more as time passes, watch for more Spanish recipes here.

COMPLIMENTS!
"This is a winner, and will be made again!" ~ CeeJay

BAKED EGGS & TOMATOES

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 20 - 40 minutes
Serves 1 but easily multiplied

Good tomatoes
Parsley, chopped
Dried oregano (don't skip)
1 garlic clove, minced (don't skip)
Salt & pepper to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil (a teaspoon is plenty, really)

1 - 2 eggs
Salt & pepper to taste
1 - 2 anchovy filets, optional

Set oven to 375F/190C. Slice tomatoes about 1/3 inch thick and layer in an oven-safe dish, overlapping a bit. Sprinkle with parsley, oregano, garlic and salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. (Wipe the sides of the dish with a damp paper towel if you care about aesthetics.) Bake for about 10 minutes plus whatever time is left to preheat.

Carefully slip an egg or two onto the tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then place an anchovy or two alongside. Bake for another 4 - 20 minutes, or until whites are cooked and yolk fully heated through. (This will still qualify as 'raw' or 'uncooked' egg for anyone who worries about salmonella.)

ALANNA'S TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
TIMING 2007: The inspiring recipe specified adding the eggs to the partly-heated tomatoes and baking for another 4 minutes. Even after 14 minutes, a whole egg was barely cooked but would make raw-egg people (hello to my sister!) squeamish. A second egg, whose yolk broke and dispersed throughout the tomatoes, was perfectly cooked – in fact, while the dish wouldn't be as pretty, next time I might whisk an egg or two (or my favorite for omelettes, an egg plus two extra whites) and just pour them over tomatoes. 2014: The eggs cooked in 12 minutes.
SWITCH TO POACHED EGGS? You definitely have more control over the egg texture and temperature with poached eggs. I use the technique from Cook's Illustrated, see How to Poach a Perfect Egg.
APPEARANCE When arranging the tomato slices, think about creating a "nest" somewhere for the egg or eggs, otherwise, they fall off the sides. Not quite so pretty!

SHORTHAND RECIPE: BAKED EGGS & TOMATOES Slice tomatoes into oven-safe dish, top w parsley, dried oregano, S&P, 1t EVOO. Bake 375F 10min. Top w egg (or mixed egg/whites) & anchovy, bake another x min. WW=3 PP=

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION Adapted from My Kitchen in Spain.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Serving (with 1 egg, 1 anchovy): 164 Calories; 11g Tot Fat; 3g Sat Fat; 7g Carb; 2g Fiber; NetCarb5; 1g Sugar; 241mg Sodium; 249mg Cholesterol; 10g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS WW Old Points 4, WW PointsPlus 4

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MORE FAVORITE EGG RECIPES

~ Baked Eggs in Cream with Spinach ~
~ Creamed Eggs with Spinach ~
~ Toad in a Pattypan Hole ~
~ How to Cook Eggs in a Coffee Cup in the Microwave ~
~ more breakfast recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture

~ Gashouse Eggs ~
~ Mexican Gas House Eggs ~
~ Shakshuka (Eggs Nested in Summer Vegetables) ~
~ more recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade, my food column

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