80--- Napoleon Baked Eggs

Make your family these eggs on Christmas morning and they will forgive you for filling their stockings with underwear and socks.

It is speculated that pizza was invented in Naples, Italy.  The first pizza may have very well been a Margherita Pizza, named for Queen Margherita, and had components of tomato, basil, and mozzarella to resemble the colors of the Italian flag (hence: Napoleon Baked Eggs).

These are baked eggs with a margherita base layer.  It may very well be my new ultimate favorite meal (better than stuffing? yes).  When you bake the eggs the yolk stays soft, so when you dip toast points into them you get a creamy mixture of tomatoes, garlic, and basil along with your egg.  I once had an omelet at The Mill in Murrieta, California that had these components.... obviously a fond enough memory of mine to create my own dish!

Napoleon Baked Eggs
Serves 4

4 large eggs
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
2 roma tomatoes, pureed in a food processor
10 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
4 cloves garlic, pressed and finely minced
2 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Combine tomatoes, tomato puree, basil, garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a bowl (can be made up to one day ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use).  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spray individual ramekins with olive oil spray.  Spoon mixture evenly into the bottom of ramekins.  Crack one egg on top of margherita mixture.  Repeat with each ramekin.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese onto each egg, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place ramekins into a 9x13" baking dish filled halfway with water.  Place dish into oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until whites are set completely, leaving yolks runny.  Remove from oven and garnish with additional basil chiffonade.

Serve immediately with quarters of toasted English muffins for dipping.

Nutrition Info per 1 ramekin: 137 calories, 8 g fat, 9 g protein, 5 g carbohydrates, 1.5 g fiber