It’s the end of the first week of term and you’re proud of yourself. You’ve managed to stay on top of everything at school. All the new books are labelled, the seating plans have been put into action and your classroom displays are still pristine. You’re killing it.
Only…isn’t there something you’ve forgotten? That’s right: dinner.
The cupboards are practically bare, your stomach is growling and those takeaway menus are starting to look incredibly tempting.
Never fear. Each week, I’m going to be sharing a quick and easy recipe for a last-minute teacher dinner that you can make with basic ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
Tasty ideas for teachers
My first recipe is for baked eggs. Beyond easy, this was a go-to meal for me when I was growing up.
It’s simple but delicious, and variations of this dish (called Shakshuka) are eaten for breakfast in countries across the Middle East.
My version comes from my mother. It is great with any Mediterranean herbs you fancy, and a bit of chilli if you like things spicy. Espelette pepper is good, as are some finely chopped chillies from a jar, or dried chilli flakes.
Easy baked eggs
Ingredients
- 1 tin of ratatouille (if you don’t have this, a tin of chopped tomatoes combined with a chopped and sauteed onion and chopped red pepper is a good substitute)
- 2 eggs
- Your favourite dried herbs (such as oregano or basil)
- Chilli (optional)
Method
- Heat the oven to 180C
- Tip the contents of the tin into a pan and heat gently, adding a sprinkle of herbs and the chilli, if using.
- If using tinned tomatoes, fry the onions and pepper first and add some salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar.
- When the oven is ready, divide and decant the ratatouille or tomatoes into two deep ramekins (or suitable oven-proof dishes).
- Make a wee dip in the centre of each ramekin and crack an egg into each.
- Place the ramekins in the oven and bake for about 12 minutes.
- Serve with a simple green salad and crusty bread (we like a chilli soda bread). Yum.
Siobhan Blunden-Currie is a head of department in a secondary school. She will be providing recipes every Friday for Tes
