i make no secret about the fact that breakfast is my favorite meal. i don't care if i don't eat my first meal till two in the afternoon, i am NOT skipping my breakfast. 

gimme all pancakes, eggs, breakfast burritos, avocado toast and granola. i love it all. 

and i have been CRAVING some baked eggs. i LOVE baked eggs. they are the perfect one stop breakfast shop and you can doctor them up with pretty much any ingredients you like. this is a pretty base recipe, and you could easily add in other fresh veggies, some chorizo, sausage or bacon.

our garden is currently going off with fresh herbs. we have a plethora of basil, thyme and parsley and they made the perfect fresh compliment to the deliciously decadent runny yolk and perfectly baked egg whites. mmmmmmmmmmm i am drooling all over again just thinking about it. 

herb & tomato baked eggs
serves: 4
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 25 minutes
total time: 30 minutes
ingredients: 4 eggs. 1 tbs olive oil. 1 cup diced brown onion. 1 (15oz) can diced tomato (or 15 ounces of fresh if you have them). 2 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tsp paprika. 2 pinches red pepper flakes. 20 basil leaves, 17 chopped and the chiffonade the other 3. 5 thyme sprigs, leaves removed. 2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped. 4 tbs white cheddar cheese, grated. 1.5 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. 4 small oven safe dishes. tortillas or crusty bread for serving. 

start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f. then begin to make the sauce. in a small saucepan, combine the olive oil and onions. season with .5 tsp of salt and half the pepper. cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent and starting to brown. about 5-7 minutes. 

add in the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant. about 1 minutes. 

add in the red pepper flakes and paprika and give it a good stir. mix all your herbs, but the chiffonade basil. keep that aside for final garnish. 

pour in the diced tomato and all but 1 tbs of the fresh herbs. season with another .5 tsp of salt and the other half of the pepper. simmer until all the ingredients are well combined. 3-5 minutes. 

pour equal parts of tomato sauce into the base of each dish. 

crack one egg into each dish and season with the remaining salt. sprinkle with the remaining fresh herbs (minus the chiffonade basil) and the cheddar cheese on top of the egg. 

bake for 8-10 minutes till the egg white is set and the yolk is still runny. if you don't like a runny yolk, cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. remove from the heat and serve hot! 

enjoy with tortillas or your favorite crusty bread. 

xo, a

herb & tomato baked eggs
serves: 4
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 25 minutes
total time: 30 minutes
ingredients: 4 eggs. 1 tbs olive oil. 1 cup diced brown onion. 1 (15oz) can diced tomato (or 15 ounces of fresh if you have them). 2 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tsp paprika. 2 pinches red pepper flakes. 20 basil leaves, 17 chopped and the chiffonade the other 3. 5 thyme sprigs, leaves removed. 2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped. 4 tbs white cheddar cheese, grated. 1.5 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. 4 small oven safe dishes. tortillas or crusty bread for serving.
start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f. then begin to make the sauce. in a small saucepan, combine the olive oil and onions. season with .5 tsp of salt and half the pepper. cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent and starting to brown. about 5-7 minutes. add in the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant. about 1 minutes. add in the red pepper flakes and paprika and give it a good stir. mix all your herbs, but the chiffonade basil. keep that aside for final garnish. pour in the diced tomato and all but 1 tbs of the fresh herbs. season with another .5 tsp of salt and the other half of the pepper. simmer until all the ingredients are well combined. 3-5 minutes. pour equal parts of tomato sauce into the base of each dish. crack one egg into each dish and season with the remaining salt. sprinkle with the remaining fresh herbs (minus the chiffonade basil) and the cheddar cheese on top of the egg. bake for 8-10 minutes till the egg white is set and the yolk is still runny. if you don't like a runny yolk, cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. remove from the heat and serve hot! enjoy with tortillas or your favorite crusty bread. 

over the weekend, wes and i catered an event for my good friend lish down in laguna. it was a beautiful backyard lunch, and the food really needed to live up to its surroundings. with the invent of instagram, now more than ever, the pressure is on to produce STUNNING food. food is not just about the taste. it needs to look, smell AND taste good. not to mention, it has to be texturally pleasing. basically the only sense i don't have to stress on is hearing. the point is, i was feeling the pressure to make REALLY PRETTY food. 

the cherry on top? we had gluten free guests. so many of my normal tips and tricks had to go out the window and i had to get really creative. 

insert this tart. the oat & sunflower crust is a flavor packed alternative to the traditional flour based crust of a tart. heirloom tomatoes and basil are a no brainer summer combo, not only for their bright vibrant colors, but for their perfect flavor pairing. mix in some delicious cheese and a couple eggs and you have a sure crowd pleaser on all fronts. try to have just one piece. i dare you. 

heirloom tomato tart + oat & sunflower seed crust
serves: 8-10
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 20 minutes
bake time: 1 hour total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
ingredients: 1.25 cups rolled oats. .75 cup unsalted sunflower seeds. 5 tbs very cold butter, plus a bit extra for the tart pan. 3 tbs cold water. 1 tsp kosher salt, divided. 1 large or two small heirloom tomatoes, sliced thin. 5 oz herbed goat cheese. 5 oz ricotta cheese. 5 oz white cheddar, grated. 2 eggs. 2 garlic cloves, minced. .25 cup caramelized onions. 3 tbs basil leaves, divided. .25 fresh ground pepper. 9 inch round or large square tart pan. food processor. baking sheet. parchment paper. 

start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. in the bowl of your food process, blend up the oats until they are fine.

add in the sunflower seeds and once again blend until you have almost a flour like powder. 

add in half the salt and the butter, pulse until you have pea sized crumbs. 

with the food processor on, pour in the cold water till the dough has combined in the bowl of the processor. 

it may still be a bit crumbly, that's ok. lightly butter the sides and base of your tart pan. 

dump the crust dough into the tart pan. use your hands to press the dough into the shell and up the sides. 

prick the shell base with a fork and bake the crust for 15-20 minutes until it starts to turn a very light golden brown. be careful not to over cook it as the crust will have to go back into the oven. 

once your tart crust is baking, line a baking sheet with parchment and set out all your tomato slices to roast. roast the tomatoes till they are starting to dry up (we are trying to eliminate the moisture from the tomatoes). about 30 minutes. be careful not to over do the tomatoes as well. 

while the crust is baking and tomatoes are roasting, make your filling. in a medium bowl, combine the rest of the salt, the pepper, 2 tbs of basil (roughly chopped), the caramelized onions, all three cheeses and the garlic. add in the two eggs and mix everything till well combined. 

when your tomatoes are done, start to fill up your crust with the filling. top the filling with an even layer of the roasted tomatoes. 

bake till set and no longer giggly, about 15-20 minutes. 

remove from the oven and allow it to cool so you can handle it. remove the tart from the pan. use the remaining 1 tbs of basil as fresh garnish for the top of the tart, either slicing them up thin or just using leaves. whatever you prefer. slice and enjoy. 

xo, a

heirloom tomato tart + oat & sunflower seed crust
serves: 8-10
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 20 minutes
bake time: 1 hour
total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
ingredients: 1.25 cups rolled oats. .75 cup unsalted sunflower seeds. 5 tbs very cold butter, plus a bit extra for the tart pan. 3 tbs cold water. 1 tsp kosher salt, divided. 1 large or two small heirloom tomatoes, sliced thin. 5 oz herbed goat cheese. 5 oz ricotta cheese. 5 oz white cheddar, grated. 2 eggs. 2 garlic cloves, minced. .25 cup caramelized onions. 3 tbs basil leaves, divided. .25 fresh ground pepper. 9 inch round or large square tart pan. food processor. baking sheet. parchment paper.
start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. in the bowl of your food process, blend up the oats until they are fine. add in the sunflower seeds and once again blend until you have almost a flour like powder. add in half the salt and the butter, pulse until you have pea sized crumbs. with the food processor on, pour in the cold water till the dough has combined in the bowl of the processor. it may still be a bit crumbly, that's ok. lightly butter the sides and base of your tart pan. dump the crust dough into the tart pan. use your hands to press the dough into the shell and up the sides. prick the shell base with a fork and bake the crust for 15-20 minutes until it starts to turn a very light golden brown. be careful not to over cook it as the crust will have to go back into the oven. once your tart crust is baking, line a baking sheet with parchment and set out all your tomato slices to roast. roast the tomatoes till they are starting to dry up (we are trying to eliminate the moisture from the tomatoes). about 30 minutes. be careful not to over do the tomatoes as well. while the crust is baking and tomatoes are roasting, make your filling. in a medium bowl, combine the rest of the salt, the pepper, 2 tbs of basil (roughly chopped), the caramelized onions, all three cheeses and the garlic. add in the two eggs and mix everything till well combined. when your tomatoes are done, start to fill up your crust with the filling. top the filling with an even layer of the roasted tomatoes. bake till set and no longer giggly, about 15-20 minutes. remove from the oven and allow it to cool so you can handle it. remove the tart from the pan. use the remaining 1 tbs of basil as fresh garnish for the top of the tart, either slicing them up thin or just using leaves. whatever you prefer. slice and enjoy.