I know. I know. I was supposed to post yesterday, but I was caught up doing the kids’ report cards. I hate scrambling to finish up the night before they’re supposed to be handed out, and so I was trying to be a ‘responsible’ adult. I did, however, cook these spicy baked eggs not once, but twice this weekend. They were that good.
Story time! Sometime in January, Mark, my aunt and uncle, and I participated in San Francisco’s 15K (9.3 mile) Hot Chocolate Run. It was considerably easier than when we’d done it for the first time the prior year, and we considered that race a training day for our quickly approaching marathon. As per usual, following one of these long runs in The City, we went out to eat a large healthy breakfast to replenish all of the calories burnt and to get some nutrition back into our bodies.
That day we decided to eat at Jane, a local, small, and extremely popular coffee shop/breakfast restaurant. By the time we’d arrived at the restaurant on Fillmore Street, there was already a line out the door. We patiently waited in line as my uncle promised that they had the best healthy breakfasts and coffee. The point of this story is that we waited and it was worth it. I loved the Spicy Baked Eggs, which was basically poached eggs with chili and a side of sourdough toast. I loved it so much that I was determined to recreate it when I returned home.
Too bad I got sidetracked by everything else in my life, eventually forgot about the dish, and never actually fulfilled that goal. Saturday, however, I decided that today was going to be the day. I woke up early-ish, say 7:30, tromped down the stairs, said good morning to my grandparents, and started chopping up some onions. And based on pure memory, an old photo, and Jane’s menu, I succeeded in the endeavor that I’d sought after in January.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 a 15 oz. can of drained black beans
- 1/2 yellow onion (diced)
- 2-3 cloves of minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
- 1/8 – 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/8 – 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp garlic salt (or more)
- 2 tsp cajun seasoning
- 1 cup spinach
- 1/4 cup cheddar cheese plus more for topping
- 4 eggs
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
- In a medium pan, heat the olive oil and cook the onions and garlic over medium heat until they are browned. Add the cayenne, chili powder, and cajun seasoning and stir them over the heat. Add the diced tomatoes and black beans. Cover the pan and let it all simmer for a few minutes before adding the spinach. Cover the pan again and cook the spinach until it is wilted. Add garlic salt and taste it.
- Pour the entire chili mixture into a baking dish. Stir in the cheddar cheese. Use a spoon to make a little divot/hole as best you can and crack the egg inside. Repeat for four eggs. Top with more cheese if you’d like.
- Bake in the oven covered for approximately 12 minutes (less if you want your eggs more runny)
Note: I can’t actually handle that much spice, so add more of the peppers if you’d like.
I particularly enjoy the simplicity of this dish and how it comes with such a large variety of flavors. It’s savory with just the right amount of spice. I also love the slight hint of cajun seasoning coupled with the garlic salt, juicy tomatoes, and creamy eggs. On top of a slice of toast, it’s just…YUM!
I definitely recommend this dish if you’re a fan of CHILI! I guarantee that you won’t even miss the meat. It is now up there on my personal list of favorite breakfasts. I mean, it’s not only tasty, it’s also a nutrient dense meal. For you protein crazed people out there, this is loaded with that stuff (skip the powders, people).
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