Eggs in Purgatory

These spicy eggs are the perfect solution to when you want something quick and healthy, but have no food in the house.

You can make them using any store cupboard or random fridge items; all you really need are eggs, chilies and a tin of chopped tomatoes.

I like to have a base of onions and garlic, and I've found that salty olives and capers work well. It's also nice to have a melty cheese on top, like boursin, goats cheese or stilton. With this specification in mind I pulled out the following ingredients from my kitchen:

This dish is so simple and you can easily substitute items: had I had some mushrooms lurking in the fridge I could have used them rather than olives and peppers. The cheese topping is also completely interchangeable. Use your favourite flavours or just whatever you have in the fridge. This means that pretty much every time you make it it tastes a little different!

My boyfriend first introduced me to this dish and it inspired me to create a few variations of my own. I like making this at uni as it can be ridiculously cheap to make, and only uses one small frying pan (saves on the washing up!).

This is perfect for a weekend lunch to share or a dinner for yourself. It has no carbs or meat in it so it doesn't leave you feeling stuffed and bloated. Even my father who claims a meal without meat is a snack enjoyed this!

I topped this dish with some bruised basil leaves, salt, pepper and good quality olive oil. Serve with lots of crusty bread to soak up the juices.

RECIPE:
Serves two for lunch, or one for dinner
Cooking time is around 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp chopped chilies
1 can of tinned tomatoes (400g)
50g olives
1 tbsp jarred capers
2 sweet bite peppers (feel free to swap and change the last three to fit what you like)
2 eggs
30g soft cheese (I used goats)
A few fresh basil leaves
olive oil to cook

Method:
Heat some olive oil in a small, deep frying pan.
Sweat the onions, garlic and chilies for a 5 minutes
Add in the flavours you've decided on; I used capers, olives and sweetbite peppers. Cook for 2 minutes.
Tip in the chopped tomatoes and allow to bubble for 3 minutes
Make a small well in the middle and crack in the eggs. Turn the heat down and allow it to bubble away for 5 minutes. Switch on your grill to a high heat.
Crumble in your cheese and place under the grill for 5-10 minutes - until the eggs have cooked.
Gently crush the basil leaves between your hands and sprinkle over the eggs.
Serve immediately with lots of bread and enjoy!

What did you put with your eggs? Let me know!