Chile Eggs on Bread

Now this is the kind of thing we eat around here all the time...eggs on bread!  We eat a few variations of this, our most common being a simple recipe from Everyday Italian by Giada DeLaurentis that consists of marinara and a fried egg on toasted ciabatta.  We have eggs for dinner fairly often around here.  They are a great economical source of protein.  We try to keep our grocery budget around $50-$60 a week for the two of us, so I am very glad that we now know that eggs don't increase cholesterol. 

This recipe comes from a cookbooks that I bought in London, at Books for Cooks, the famous Notting Hill Shop devoted to cookbooks.  It was hard to pick just one cookbook to take home, but this Delia Smith cookbook really caught my attention.  How to Cheat at Cooking has a great assortment of tasty and quick recipes.   I love that it has some recipes that are quite British, such as bangers and mash, which we are having tonight.

And now I present Chile Eggs on Bread!  This is a great flavorful meal made mostly with things from your pantry.  It comes together very quickly, and there is something I just love about the combination of the heat from the peppers and the oozing yolk from the poached egg.

Chile Eggs on Bread

serves 2-3

Adapted from Delia Smith's How to Cheat At Cooking

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 tsp canola oil

1 7oz jar roasted red peppers

1-3 Tbsp sliced jalapeno peppers (depending on how spicy you want it) (and mine came from a can)

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

1 large clove of garlic, peeled

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

6-12 pitted Kalamata olives (optional)

whole wheat ciabatta.

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the broiler.

2. Use a mini-food processor to chop the onion, garlic, and jalapeno (or just do it by hand if you do not have a chopper).  Meanwhile, heat the oil in an oven-safe skillet.

3. Once the oil is hot, add the jalapeno, onion, and garlic.  Soften the vegetables for 5 minutes, until they begin to take on some color.  Meanwhile, slice the roasted red peppers into thin strips.

4. Pour the drained diced tomatoes and the roasted pepper strips into the skillet.  Cook an additional 5 minutes or so, stirring frequently.  Salt to taste.

5. Meanwhile, slice the ciabatta in half, and cut into chunks that are about 5 or 6 inches long.

5. Break the eggs into the pan, and cook over medium heat for 4 oven.  Place the skillet under the broiler for a minute or two, until the eggs are done to your liking.  Watch them closely!