ChibiTofu

This recipe is mostly based off Kevin’s recipe from Closet Cooking, though my good friend Erica over at Apricosa also has a much heartier version that I plan to try sometime, and Gabi over at BrokeAss Gourmet seems to have a lighter version.  Kevin’s is a bit in the middle – seems heartier than Gabi’s but light enough to be an appetizer or the main for a light lunch depending on how stuffed you want to be.  Personally, I love Erica’s name for the dish the best – Uova al Purgatorio – seriously, how can you beat a title like Eggs in Purgatory??  Whichever recipe you choose to use, it’s sure to turn out yummy and fancy looking despite the simplicity of the dish.  One thing that was different for me in using Kevin’s recipe is that my eggs took a lot longer to cook.  The first time I made it, it just wouldn’t set in the 8-14 minute range for me.  Might have been the size of ramekins…but I ended up taking a good 20+minutes.  Just depends on your oven so make sure to check it periodically as you want the yolk to be runny but the egg white to be fairly set.  You can actually prep the tomato feta mixture ahead of time, into ramekins and just make a well and add the egg the next day when you’re ready to bake.  I’ve actually taken this to work, and just cracked an egg in during lunch time and microwaved it – still comes out beautifully – just make sure to do it in 30 second increments and checking to make sure that 1) the egg doesn’t overcook, and 2) the egg doesn’t explode.

These are great for a quick meal and are perfect for the cold weather – and it’s vegetarian to boot!  Even though I’m a meat-lover who normally NEEDS to have some sort of meat or fish in my meal to be considered satisfied, I seriously did not miss it in this case at all. ^_^  That being said…if you wanted to throw some chopped bacon or pancetta into the mixture…that might not be a bad idea.