It’s becoming harder to get a post up with a decent photograph given how early it gets dark and with the poor weather how it always seems that the clouds are just above my head. Being back to work doesn’t help either as having to do an honest days work just gets in the way of cooking :-). It can be hard too to get out and about with the wild winter storms boiling above our heads. I thought the house was going to lift up the other night so I can’t imagine how those on our western shores are feeling, being battered by the Atlantic since St Stephens day. We did get out this weekend though and despite the cold and wind enjoyed blowing the cobwebs away and earning our next meal.

This makes a great late breakfast option or quick meal when everyone is hungry and you need to get food on the table quickly. This dish gives a great bang of protein from the eggs and chickpeas together with the goodness of the tomato sauce with its believed anti cancer properties from lycopene. Plus it is a great meal to fill you up healthily after all the excess of Christmas.

Serves 4
Ingredients

2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled chopped and mashed
2 15-ounce can chickpeas rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bottle of tomato passata about 500gr of the 680g bottle
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 large eggs
Warm pita bread or rustic loaf for dipping

Preheat oven to 170C.
Heat oil in a large ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and peppers
Cook on a medium heat until onion is soft, about 8 minutes.
Add chickpeas, paprika, and cumin and cook for 2 minutes longer.
Add the tomato passata. Bring up to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly, about 15 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Separate the chickpeas across 4 oven proof dishes if your pan is not oven proof.
Crack eggs one at a time and place over sauce, spacing evenly apart. Transfer to oven and bake until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, 5–8 minutes.
If you have a real hungry bunch it works too, to just fry your eggs instead then,
sprinkle over a little more paprika and serve with pita for dipping.