Oeufs en Cocotte - Poached eggs in ramekins

Ingredients

1 large egg
3 tbsp strained tomatoes
grated goat cheese, feta


So here we are four weeks into the lenten fast - time flies by at the speed of light, doesn't it? Success so far:

Paying more attention to mindful cooking and eating has been a wonderful experience; the time consuming preparation of many of the dishes has given me the opportunity to calm down the carrousel of my thoughts, making me feel at peace with myself and the world - despite some days when cravings for candy and chocolate nearly drove me insane (and yes, I admit that there might have been some minor setbacks in the form of a teeny tiny piece of cake here and there...). I've re-discovered a lot of about lenten dishes and traditions, and took the time and effort to try some recipes I've had on my list for a while. And lent is far from being over yet, much more is to come, both in weeks of practicing restraint and recipes.

However, everyone needs a break sometimes. As much as I love cooking, I wanted a quick fix for a change.

One easy solution is fancily called oeufs en cocotte, or poached eggs in ramekins. The beauty of the dish is that it's not only prepared in mere minutes, but also as versatile as it gets. While I have made it as a quick dinner (inspired by a fellow blogger who also thinks that eggs for dinner are underrated), it also lends itself very well to a leisurely weekend brunch.

What you need is a base liquid to poach the egg in, one or two eggs and whatever sounds good to you, from all different kinds of cheeses, herbs, spices and veggies. Usually made with cream, I used strained tomatoes to keep the dish a little lighter, filling the ramekin by around a third. To make the tomato sauce more interesting, I put in a layer of Italian herbs and a tiny little bit of goat and feta cheese (most cheeses work, but I'd recommend something with a distinct flavor, such as feta, Gruyere, Parmesan or goat cheese).

Into this base, I very gently cracked the egg, careful to not break up the egg white and yolk, covering everything with more cheese. Depending on how runny you like your eggs, bake in the oven at 400 for 20 (still quite runny) to 30 minutes (very hard). Okay, the baking takes time but I can totally come to terms with that regarding the almost zero preparation time. And dipping a slice of crusty bread into the steaming ramekin, the creamy oeuf en cocotte is a delight.

Life is good!