Rachel Allen - Easy Meals

Spiced baked eggs Spiced baked eggs Here’s a slightly different way of serving eggs, and one that’s incredibly easy, too. As the eggs cook gently in the oven, they take on the flavour of the spices and the silkiness of the cream. They’re perfect with toast. Serves 4 (v) PREPARATION TIME 5 minutes COOKING TIME 8–12 minutes 2 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp smoked paprika Good pinch of cayenne pepper 4 eggs Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 tbsp single or regular cream To serve 4 slices of bread 25g (1oz) butter Four 100ml (3½fl oz) ramekins * Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6. * In a small bowl, mix together the spices. Break each egg into a separate ramekin and sprinkle half the spice mixture over each egg. Season with salt and pepper, then add a tablespoon of cream to each dish. * Place in the oven and cook for 8–12 minutes or until the white is just set and the yolk is still ever so slightly soft. * Just before the eggs are ready, toast the bread and butter it, then remove the eggs from the oven and serve with the buttered toast. Variation Baked eggs with smoked mackerel: Divide 1 fillet of flaked smoked mackerel between the ramekins before adding the eggs, then proceed as above but omitting the spices.

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Acknowledgements

Copyright

About the Publisher

© Heather Favell

Introduction

It seems like we all lead such hectic lifestyles these days. Even though I love to cook, often I just don’t have the time to make complicated food. I’d love to spend six hours cooking an elaborate meal, but sometimes it just isn’t realistic. I think that’s true for a lot of people. Our lives are so busy now it can be difficult to set aside time to cook. That said, I don’t think it’s always the case that the more time you take over a meal the better it is. Truly great food can often be made in minutes and only using four or five ingredients.