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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Recipe 1.01 - Eggs in Tomato Sauce

One semester during college, my roommate Aiva and I were bored. Extremely bored. Besides doing homework and watching Gossip Girl, we spent this particular semester sitting around and wondering how in the world our lives got so boring. During this semester, Aiva and I came up with this idea of setting up challenges for ourselves--if you're bored or restless or need something to do, set up a ridiculous goal, and suddenly, you have something to work towards.

Because of this semester, I developed two very important traits that have completely redefined my life and the way I look at the world: I constantly create goals and strive to challenge myself, and I'm a vegetarian. On a dare from Aiva.

Becoming a vegetarian was one of the early challenges that Aiva and I set for ourselves, and it's something that, I think, has made me love cooking and food. People ask me all the time if I miss meat, and although I do get tempted by the kebab carts around my apartment, I have to say that I love being a vegetarian. And it's something I would have never done without our little 'challenge' endeavor.

That being said, I could NEVER be vegan. One thing that being a vegetarian has opened me up to is eggs, which I love. And I love them in this recipe in particular. Growing up, I only really ate eggs scrambled, and breaking into the yolk (although one of my yolks got sort of messed up) of this dish and sopping up the sauce with bread was wonderful and amazing. I can't imagine NOT making this recipe again in the near future. And by near future I mean right now. Tonight. Leaving the computer...now.


Eggs in Tomato Sauce

Serves 2 (or just one super hungry vegetarian)

8 ounces tomato puree
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Ground salt and pepper, to taste
Glug of red wine (**Deb says this is optional, but I'm gonna say that I HIGHLY recommend you glug away)
2 eggs
2 slices bread, toasted, plus more for sopping up deliciousness
Freshly grated parmesan cheese (**I didn't do this)

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat, and add garlic. Cook for about a minute, and add tomato puree, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Bring the tomato puree to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer, and let cook for about 20 minutes. Right before you add the egg, pour a bit of red wine into the tomato mixture, and cook until most of the wine has evaporated, about one minute.

Add egg in one at a time, being careful with the yolks (which you can see I was not so good at). Cover the skillet, and let cook five minutes (if you don't cover, which I didn't, it takes FOREVER for the whites to set and cook on top, so make sure to cover!). As the eggs cook, toast the bread.

Remove skillet from heat, let stand a couple of minutes. Transfer the eggs onto the toast, and pour the rest of the tomato sauce onto the eggs and other pieces of toast for sopping. It's ok if it looks like a hot mess--it's a delicious mess.

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