Put an Egg On It: Baked Eggs with Lentils, Peppers, Mushrooms and Tomatoes.

The humble egg has finally been redeemed after having its reputation sullied for far too long. Gone are the health scares that blamed eggs for being bad for your health, raising cholesterol levels, and causing heart issues.  Like all trends, eggs are now back in fashion and cool again. And it's at least the one trend I can jump on board and be happy about (Daisy duke shorts? Mom shorts? Crop tops? Really? Just say no.)

Eggs are a great source of nutrition: a good source of protein, unsaturated fats, vitamins, lutein, and choline. Not only are they a quick and easy way to whip up a healthy meal, they can also be a great snack, and a fast recovery food to grab after your workout.  I am of the opinion that you can put an egg on just about anything and call it a meal. It's even delicious all on its own on toast (a minimalist meal, sure, but still a meal technically.) One of my very first blog posts and a favourite "egg topper" meal of mine from a few years ago was a lovely tomato and curry dish (find it here.) It's become a way at Bistro 164 to get some much needed fuel on busy, home-late-from-work kind of evenings to help prevent a case of the "hangry-ies"  (because god forbid that should happen. Wish I were joking.)

For my most recent rendition of a baked egg dish,  click on the link provided below for the lentils.ca website for the original recipe, or follow my recipe, or create your own variation.  It would be a great meal for a family, a super brunch for special guests, or multiple left-over meals just for you. I used a can of lentils (love the lentils) but feel free try some other kind of bean such as black bean or pinto or chickpeas or whatever happens to be in your pantry. It's a savoury, flavourful, belly-satisfying meal that will keep you happy for the rest of the day (or night.) I won't say get crackin' (that's just too predictable even for me)  but I will say get creative and Put an Egg on It (almost as cheesy but not as over used as the other expression..... or is it????) Happy Egg Eating!

Baked Eggs with Lentils, Peppers, Mushrooms and Tomatoes

adapted from a recipe on the Canadian Lentils website

Serves 8

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: about 1 hour

Skill Level: Super easy

Taste Level: Scrumptious

Ingredients

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

2 large onions, thinly sliced (I used 5-6 shallots, finely diced)

2 garlic cloves, diced

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 bell pepper, sliced into strips

8 oz package of cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 can of lentils, drained and rinsed

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 Tbsp honey

2 bay leaves

1 Tbsp chopped thyme

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1 tsp smoked paprika

8 large eggs (I just used 4 in total, 2 for us and 2 for leftovers)

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Using a large ovenproof pan, saute over medium high heat the cumin and coriander for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the olive oil, the shallots, and saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, peppers, honey, mushrooms, bay leaves, thyme, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir often. Add the tomatoes, paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the lentils and cook for another 7 minutes.  Make indentations in the mixture for the eggs using a spoon.  Crack an egg into each indentation.  Sprinkle with the crumbled feta cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until eggs are cooked to your desired doneness.  Garnish with some more fresh chopped thyme or fresh chopped cilantro. Serve piping hot.