Baked Eggs in Whole Roasted Tomatoes

Eggs are more than often a go-to dinner for me.  They are a great source of high quality protein that cook quickly…which means it’s a perfect dinner for me when I get home late from the studio.  Midnight asparagus with creamy eggs are a staple in my diet, but these eggs baked in tomatoes are giving them a run for their money! 

I save time by pre-roasting the tomatoes.  Then, when I’m ready to eat them, I reheat the tomatoes (in the oven or micro) and continue with the recipe. 

This would be a great side dish for brunch, but I eat it as a meal (dinner)…so I have 2 servings.  A slice of whole wheat toast works perfectly to soak up the yummy juices from the tomato and the runny yolk of the egg (don’t over cook the yolk!).

As a sidenote…follow me on Instagram (@blairburas) and pinterest (@deliciouslygold) to see what I’m eating everyday and see recipes I can’t wait to try.

Baked Eggs in Whole Roasted Tomatoes
adapted from Whole Living

makes 6 servings

6 large tomatoes 
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried) 
2 ounces of feta (6 tablespoons)
6 large eggs

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the top off each tomato and use a small spoon to remove core and seeds (I used the spoon to scoop around the edges, then with my hands “twisted” the cut portion until it detached from the base).  Don’t cut too close the the sides…you need the outsides of the tomato to hold their shape during baking.

Arrange in a baking dish, drizzle each tomato with 1/2 teaspoon of oil, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with thyme. Roast until tomatoes are tender and caramelized, about 30 minutes*.  Remove tomatoes from the oven.  If a substantial amount of juice has accumulated in the tomato, carefully drain it out (right into the baking dish is fine).

Crumble the feta into each tomato then crack an egg into each and season with salt and pepper. Bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 9 minutes more…pay attention to the white…you want it to turn white but the yolk to still be runny!

Notes – Some of my tomatoes didn’t hold their shape very well (the walls split)…so, before adding the egg, I propped these mis-shaped tomatoes against the wall of the baking dish for extra support…this way the egg didn’t run out…once the egg sets it will hold the tomato together; For better aim, crack the egg into a teacup first, then pour it on the tomato

* I used Italian seasoning (actually Zoe’s kitchen seasoning) in place of the thyme

Per serving – 148 calories, 8 g carbohydrates,  2.2 g fiber, 8.6 g fat (3 g saturated), 9 g protein (exchanges: 1/2 vegetable, 1.5 fat, 1 protein)