Anything better than Sunday brunch? A chance to slow down, savor your time and soak in the company of the people you love. Brunch and eggs are a no-brainer. The great thing about eggs are not only their exceptional nutritional profile, but their plethora of preparations. Scrambled, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, poached, sunny-side up, omelette, frittata and now… baked.
I have always been intrigued by this fancier preparation and thought I would give it a try with my own personal preference of seasonings and herbs. This prepartion originated in France and they refer to it as oeufs en cocotte which means “eggs in ramekins.” I don’t have a french background but I think I prefer their fancier reference (who wouldn’t?).
Eggs are becoming wildly popular as saturated fat and cholesterol myths are beginning to be debunked. It is hard to turn down such an affordable, concentrated source of nutrition. Not only do eggs provide high biological value protein, they contain an array of B vitamins including biotin for healthy hair and skin as well as B12 which protects the nervous system and supports brain health. Eggs are also one of the most concentrated sources of choline. Some of choline’s roles include neurotransmitter synthesis (brain communication) and thus memory and cognition. So many reason to love!
- 1/2 tomato, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 4 eggs
- Grated parmesan
- Preheat the oven to 400 F and grease two small ramekins.
- In a medium bowl, combine basil and tomatoes with salt and pepper. Divide evenly into two ramekins.
- Top each mixture with 2 eggs each.
- Bake about 8-10 minutes until the whites are opaque and the yolks are soft in the center.
- Remove and sprinkle with thyme and fresh parmesan. Serve with toast.
