It's not easy stretching $52 across an entire week. But, in solidarity with Food Bloggers Against Hunger I've decided to accept the challenge of feeding my husband and myself on this shoestring budget for the week. 

One of the best ingredients for a constrained budget is the mighty egg. It's also one of the most affordable ways to add protein to a diet. I remember many nights when my mother cooked "upside-down dinners." She would scramble eggs and make french toast to my delight. Of course, what's french toast other than eggs and bread, but I saw it as a treat and nothing more.  If I was  lucky, she would add a little cinnamon sugar.

I loved 'breakfast for dinner' and never knew that these were the things my mother  had to do to put food on the table. Breakfast for dinner filled the gaps between other nights when we would hit up the local Friendly's or Fuddrucker's where "kids eat free."  I didn't know it then, but my mother struggled so that I wouldn't go  without. 

Unfortunately, 16.2 million children go hungry every day. And, many more stand to join the statistic if we don't do something about it. You can tell Congress to preserve the programs that allow many children and families living under the poverty line to eat. Food is a basic human right and we all deserve to be well-nourished. 

Easy Egg Bake w/ Spiced Beef, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Onions
This egg bake will make a little go a long way. This pan will make eight servings that can double as breakfast or a snack. The goal for this recipe was to pack as much sustenance and nutrients into one complete meal. I make this with whatever ingredients I have on hand. If you don't have all the spices, use what you have. You'd be amazed at what a little salt and pepper will do. 

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 onion, quartered thick
a few glugs of olive oil
1/4 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
One dozen eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease and oven-safe baking dish. Spread potato and onions on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with few good glugs of olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Once the oven is heated, place baking sheet onto the middle rack and roast for 30 minutes, rotating the pan every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Lower the oven to 350 degrees. 

Meanwhile, prepare the spiced beef. In a small bowl combine ground beef with spices and mix well. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the spiced beef to the hot pan. Cook until browned, drain and set aside. In another bowl, whisk the eggs together with a splash of water, salt and pepper.  In a greased oven safe baking dish, add the sweet potatoes, onions and ground beef. Pour the egg mixture over top and then place in the oven for 35-40 minutes. You want the eggs to cook fully over top. It shouldn't jiggle in the center. The edges will puff up and turn golden when finished. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Slice into individual portions. 

My soon-to-be husband doesn't like arugula.  This actually hurts my feelings because my love for this spicy green runs deep like the ocean. But, you know who does like arugula? Yotam Ottolenghi, that's who. 

Since welcoming his delightful book, Plenty, into my home a while back, I've been eyeing this brunch recipe for baked eggs with yogurt and chile for a hot minute. The only problem was that I was alone in my excitement. So I kept putting the recipe off and succumbed to the standard man fare of eggs with bacon or some other testosterone-approved meat product. 

Thankfully, the Mister is a master sleeper-inner and I, the early riser. Last Sunday, I had an abundance of vine ripened  tomatoes from the market and some arugula that needed attention. That, coupled with a "devil-may-care" attitude made for the perfect opportunity for Ottolenghi's baked eggs.

The recipe calls for sauteed arugula and eggs baked in the oven and topped with garlic-kissed yogurt and a drizzle of sage infused chile butter. The oven lightly crisps the edges of the arugula and the eggs are baked just long enough so that their yolks remain soft and oozy. 

You know who liked my brekkie? The Mister, that's who! 
He even said he could learn to love arugula when cooked this way. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that I could now marry him in good conscience. He even put arugula in our salad the other day. Love that man! 

P.S.- Did I mention Ottolenghi is coming out with a new book soon? Can't wait! 

Baked Eggs with Yogurt and Chile
from Ottolenghi's book, Plenty

The recipe calls for kirmizi biber which can be found here. You can also use a mixture of chile flakes and sweet paprika instead. That's what I did. Next time, I would be more heavy-handed with the chile flake. Also, if you don't do dairy, you can simply eliminate the yogurt. 

3/4 lb arugula
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
4 eggs
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 tsp kirmizi biber
6 sage leaves, shredded
Handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Place the arugula  and olive oil in a large pan and sprinkle with salt. Sauté on a medium heat for a few minutes, until the arugula wilts and most of the liquid has evaporated. 

Transfer to a small baking dish and make four deep indentations in the cooked arugula. Carefully break an egg into each hollow then place in the preheated oven to cook for 10-15 minutes, or until whites are set.

While the eggs are in the oven, mix the garlic, yogurt and salt.  Set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter then add a pinch of salt and the kirmizi biber (or chile flakes and sweet paprika) and fry for a couple of minutes until the butter starts to foam and take on a golden red hue. Add the sage and cook for a few more seconds. Remove from heat.

When your eggs are set, take them out of the oven.  Toss tomatoes into the dish. Spoon the yogurt and butter over the egg and arugula to taste. Serve immediately.