Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Mozzarella Toasts

This weekend I am visiting my sister and her husband in Ventura and I wish I could say it was 70 degrees and sunny, but stormy weather is on it's way and that means I want to make something warm and comforting. What's even more exciting about your own cupboards are someone else's. My sister is a Nutritionist, so I don't need to tell you I was excited about what I would find in her kitchen. Among the quinoa, homemade dehydrated veggie chips, oat bran, and Almond milk, I found a can of chickpeas, a.k.a. garbanzo beans, crushed tomatoes, eggs, a handful of olives, a half jar of pasta sauce and fresh mozzarella. Those ingredients, along with some of her fresh herbs from her garden, I would make Poached Eggs in Tomato sauce with Mozzarella toasts.

In a large saute pan (preferably oven safe) heat up 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and cook for one minute over medium heat. Add a pinch of dried chili flakes, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook for one more minute. Add the 1 cup pasta sauce, 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes, 1/4 cup sliced olives, 1/4 tablespoon black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon  ground coriander, 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, and one 15 ounce can chickpeas. Cook for 15 minutes on low.
* If you would like meat in this, brown and cook up 2 sausages with the garlic. 


In the meantime, prep the Mozzarella toasts:
You can use any type of bread you have around. Pita bread would be great, even that bag of tortillas you've been trying to use up... I am using a Kalamata olive bread I couldn't resist picking up at the market.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the bread thin, about 1/2 thick. Place in oven and toast until crispy. While the bread is toasting, slice the mozzarella. Lightly drizzle the bread with olive oil and place the cheese on top. Toast until the cheese is melted and golden, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Return to the sauce, remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley. Taste to make sure you have enough salt and pepper.
* If you have to transfer sauce to an oven safe pan now is the time to do so.


With the back of a spoon, make a small crater in the sauce and carefully crack open eggs on top of the sauce, making sure not to break open the yolk. Plan on 1 egg per person if you are having appetizers and salads, and 2 eggs per person if this is the only course.
Place the pan a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes for a runny yolk and 20 minutes for a more firm yolk. Sprinkle with a pinch of pepper, plate with toasts, garnish with parsley, mozzarella toasts and you're done!