Tomato, Pesto and Goats Cheese Baked Egg
Serves: 1
I grew up in a family with a very strict Sunday night routine. In our family, Sunday night dinner should be:
- a simple affair;
- encompass either an egg dish or a home made soup;
- a 'stable table on the knees in front of the news' type job and c. be capped off with with an often hilarious round of mum 'chucking' pieces of chopped up fruit around the room (keeping us kids well and truly on our toes). The fruit 'chucking' was indeed the highlight of our Sunday nights, not to forget the toasty pyjamas warmed by the fire and delivered to us as we climbed out of the bath.
Since that time a few subtle habits have changed in my Sunday night routine. Typically speaking Sunday nights are egg nights in my home (unless a recipe needs mastering that particular night). I like my Sunday nights to be 'easy'. The 'stable table on the knees' job has now taken a back seat in favour of 'mindful' eating, i.e. sitting down at a table to be truly present with my food, to appreciate it's goodness and to be thankful for it. Until recently I have been a 'dinner with the ABC news' kinda girl, devouring my dinner in minutes without even appreciating it's flavours (or my efforts) or stopping for breath, because I'm too busy concentrating on the events of the day. I don't much enjoy chucking fruit at myself either so that little routine has been side lined too.
So this takes me to my choice of recipe for today. I designed this heart and tummy warming little delight last week and whist it was baking in the oven I set my outdoor table (complete with place mat I'll have you know) ready for me to enjoy my creation. And what a pleasure it was. When you sit down to a 'mindful' meal you learn to savour every mouthful and to appreciate your efforts. You notice how quickly you are eating (or not) and consciously learn to slow down, to really chew and to appreciate what you have. I will admit to it feeling a little disconcerting initially- I live alone and to sit up at a table on your own can feel well, weird and perhaps a little lonely. But now I won't have it any other way. I've got Wilson at my feet to keep me company and my mind finally slows down enough to focus on just one thing (a daily challenge in itself).
You'll need:
1 tomato
1 organic free-range egg
1 small piece of goats cheese
1 heaped teaspoon pesto (find our recipe here)
A few shavings of parmesan (optional)
Turn the oven on to about 180/350. Grab your tomato and slice a tiny little layer off it's bottom so that it will sit still in the oven. Slice about 1/8th off the top of the tomato and then very gently remove the flesh and the seeds (don't discard, eat them raw, there and then!). Pop a piece of goats cheese in the bottom, followed by a dollop of pesto (of any variety). Crack your egg into a bowl and proceed to pour the yolk into the egg with as much white as will fit. Finish it off with some sprinklings of parmesan. Pop into the oven for approximately 20 minutes, keeping an eye on it to check if the white is opaque. Once it is opaque you are ready to go! Remove from the oven and season as desired. Serve with some mandatory toast soldiers.
