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. 

now don't get me wrong. there is a time and a place for classics. if you love pesto and can't imagine mixing things up from the classic basil + pine nut combo, i get it. respect tradition. 

but my basil plant is going off and with so much on hand, i had an itch to get a little creative. 

this twist on a traditional basil pesto has a thicker texture than it's traditional brother, but has all those salty, herbaceous flavor you love from the original. and if it makes you feel any better, i made it like the little italian grandmas do with a mortar and pestle. 

pistachio pesto
serves: 1 cup pesto
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 10 minutes (5 if you use your food processor)
total time: 15 minutes
ingredients: .5 cups pistachios, roughly chopped. .5 cup packed basil leaves. 1 cup good olive oil. 1 cup finely grated good quality parmesan. 1 small garlic clove, smashed. 1 tsp kosher salt. mortar and pestle or food processor. 

in the mortar or bowl of your food processor, combine the pistachios, basil, garlic and salt. 

using your pestle, mash everything into a rough paste. 

start to add in your cheese a little at a time, till everything is well combined. 

slowly, add in your olive oil a little a time, stirring it in until you achieve your desired texture (i like my pesto a bit thicker while some like it a bit more smooth and oily). 

us as desired or store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

xo, a

pistachio pesto
serves: 1 cup pesto
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 10 minutes (5 if you use your food processor)
total time: 15 minutes
ingredients: .5 cups pistachios, roughly chopped. .5 cup packed basil leaves. 1 cup good olive oil. 1 cup finely grated good quality parmesan. 1 small garlic clove, smashed. 1 tsp kosher salt. mortar and pestle or food processor.
n the mortar or bowl of your food processor, combine the pistachios, basil, garlic and salt. using your pestle, mash everything into a rough paste. start to add in your cheese a little at a time, till everything is well combined. slowly, add in your olive oil a little a time, stirring it in until you achieve your desired texture (i like my pesto a bit thicker while some like it a bit more smooth and oily). us as desired or store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.