When Rene and I lived together, dinnertime was the part of my day I looked forward to most. I was the one to plan and execute our meals, but Rene was sure to provide the emotional support and enthusiasm (he’s not much of a cook…). Most nights I’d be standing at the counter with a glass of wine – chopping, boiling, stirring – with Rene at my side, washing the dishes that have accumulated since last evening. Our dinners were never complicated, rarely taking more than 20 minutes to prepare, but that time spent together was the most nourishing part of the whole routine. Sharing the day’s triumphs, challenges and frustrations with each other provided the much-needed punctuation mark to the day.
Now that we’re in this whole long distance thing, our evening time is relegated to a 30-minute Facetime chat. And while it’s something I totally look forward to, lacking that evening togetherness is one of the things I miss most about cohabitation.
Though I am now living with my BFF, our weeknight schedules don’t usually sync up so when I get home at night, I usually cook for one (outside of opening #fredthecat’s can of food, of course). Whereas with Rene I at least attempted to execute some sort of “recipe”, now it’s mostly about throwing together whatever leftovers we have in a way that makes some sense.
In the past couple of weeks, I’ve been testing a lasagna recipe (for a project that I am VERY excited to tell you about) and have thus continuously had a container of leftover tomato sauce in the fridge that I’ve needed to use up. This recipe (well, let’s face it, more of a non-recipe) is an excellent way to utilize leftover tomato sauce, and makes a great speedy meal for any time of day when you need something saucy and comforting but don’t want to labor over something lengthy. You start by sautéing kale – or any other leafy green – with garlic, then adding said tomato sauce and letting it heat through. You then pile up the fragrant saucy mixture onto whole wheat sourdough toast and topping it with soft-scrambled eggs.
This non-recipe is perfect for busy weeknight cooks, those who enjoy breakfast for dinner, or girls who just lost their boyfriends to grad school.
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Kale-Tomato Sauce on Toast with Soft-Scrambled Eggs
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- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Anytime
- Cuisine: American
Description
This sauce yields way more than you need for one serving. However, it’s a really versatile recipe that you can use throughout the week for pasta or as a dip.
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- Pinch of hot red pepper flakes
- One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- ¾ teaspoon raw sugar (OR maple/coconut sugar)
- Sea salt + freshly ground black pepper
- About 8 basil leaves, torn
For the toast:
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 2 large leaves lacinato kale, stemmed, cut into ribbons (OR spinach/collard greens)
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 egg (organic and pasture-raised, if possible)
- Sea salt + freshly ground black pepper
- 1 thick slice toasted fancy bread of your choice (I recommend whole wheat sourdough)
Instructions
To make the sauce:
- Heat oil in a medium pot over low heat. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few turns of pepper; stir and cover tightly with a lid. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn heat off and stir in basil. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Sauce may be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
To make the toast:
- Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add kale, toss to coat in oil, and cook until it is wilted and starting to brown, 2-3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of prepared tomato sauce and continue cooking just to heat through.
- In the meantime, in a small bowl, beat egg with a pinch of salt until it is smooth and frothy.
- Melt butter in a separate skillet over medium-high heat. Once butter is melted and bubbly, pour in beaten egg; using a wooden spatula, continuously stir eggs from the outside in just until curds have formed, about 30 seconds. Turn heat off and season with pepper.
- To serve, top toast with kale mixture and egg. Serve immediately.
What is your favorite speedy meal?
i so love this kind of toast, i do variation of it myself quite often, especially when are away and i have lunch alone. those scrambled eggs make my mouth water. 🙂
Gorgeous photos! Love the plate too. Such a great meal idea when you are eating solo. Thanks for the inspiration. Looking forward to your workshop!!!
Thanks, girlfriend! Excited to have you there 😀