Milk Poached Green Eggs with Vine Ripen Tomatoes

Are you a bruncher, breakfaster, luncher or dinnerer? Are you a one meal a day person or definitely 3 meals no question? No need to tell me because whatever your meal preference, I have a recipe that will tickle those taste buds and please even the pickiest of eaters.

This vegetarian take on green eggs and ham offers a delicious and super easy brunch inspired meal. When I say inspired I really do emphasis this because whatever time of day you’re faced with at this very second or when you known those hunger rumbles occur, these green eggs will be your solution. Healthy, fun, easy and nutritious - what more could you want?

For my vegan followers, this one DOES include eggs but you can easy substitute the eggs and milk for dairy-free milk and either scrambled style tofu, vegan sausages or a little vegan ricotta. Yes, I said it, vegan alternatives are always possible so do not exit this recipe before trying it out. Trust me, the baked cherry tomatoes, attached to their stems, when cooked in a soft but flavorful pesto milk broth, are so delicious when they burst in your mouth or when squished onto a crusty piece of bread.

What pot to use

Oh, this is a very important question my friends. The pot is the be-all-or-end-all. What pot you choose, in the way of brand and quality, will define the quality of cooking. This doesn’t mean YOUR quality of cooking but the quality of HOW things are cooked (radiation of temperature, indirect or direct heat, durability). The brand you choose, WILL direct effect the end result of not just this recipe, but ALL. I know some brands are rather expensive but they will be an investment piece and honestly, save you money on a longer term basis.

From me to you, cast iron is without a doubt, the best. Two words - Victoria Cookware. They are heavy duty, age resilient and cook baked goods at an even, residual heat so nothing is over cooked when other things are under-cooked. I have used two small cast iron ramekins for the perfect individual portions (aren’t they so cute!) but you can use one medium-large one if this is what you have. I you do so, you may need to extend the cooking time by 3-5 minutes as there will be a thicker mass for the heat to penertrate the middle than in two smaller dishes. I have linked the small ramekins from Victoria Cookware - they are based in Columbia but they have a production house in Europe so they ship to the US and Europe (plus many more).

If you don’t have a cast iron pot, you can use any oven safe pot with a lid. Please do make sure it is oven safe (even a pan will do) but if you make this mistake, to put it rather simply the pot will melt (if there is an element of plastic in it) or really damage any wooden parts. To help keep those eggs from over cooking, the lid is essential. Without a lid the top of the eggs will seer before the tomatoes have baked from the heat of the tempered milk.

Happy brunching, breakfasting, lunching or dinnering

xx

Cecile

Milk Poached Green Eggs and Vine Tomatoes

Ingredients

2 eggs

1/2 cups milk (I used Oat but whole milk is perfect)

2 tbsp pesto (I used homemade parsley pesto but store bought is fine)

6 vine tomatoes, cut off vine with part of the stalk left on)

2 thick slices of Sourdough or ciabatta bread

1/4 cup canola oil

Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Method

In two small oven proof ramekins, brush with a small amount of oil. Crack an egg into each, spoon the pesto in (one tablespoon each ramekin) and top up to 3/4 of the way with milk. Place the whole cherry wine tomatoes around the egg yolk, taking caution not to press too hard to cause the yolk to pop.

Bake in a 200℃ oven with the lids on for 10-15 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for a further 2-3 minutes or until hot a bubbly.

While baking, heat a small pan with the oil. Cook you thick bread slices in the oil until golden and crispy. Flip and cook the other side. Remove the slices from the pan and leave to cool on a plate for a few minutes. Once cool enough to touch, slice into soldiers (3-4 pieces).

Place the ramekins on a plate with the soldiers along side. Top with fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt. Dunk away