I wrote a whole thing about inspiration for this post. Then I read it and thought, “What am I talking about?!” And then I thought ugh, “shut up”. Ya know, said with attitude and all sassy like. Do you ever hear yourself speaking, or thinking for that matter, and realize, “I need a break from myself?” There’s being you and then there’s being you toooo much. Probably, those who love you find it charming…errr, hopefully. But you find it utterly charmless. My inspiration post was quintessentially too me…kind of convoluted, WAY too abstract, and it went on and on annnd on. I chose to spare us all and inserted the abbreviated version below.
I was inspired to make this recipe by an experience at a local restaurant. Inspiration is good. It’s elusive. It can catch you off guard, completely alter your life’s direction, and be so utterly absent at other times that you wonder if you will ever have it again. How do we summon it when we need it? Can it be summoned? Does our mood affect our ability to be inspired? Despite how much I blathered on about it in my original post, I do think it is a really interesting topic and would welcome any thoughts/insights y’all might have.
On to the eggs! Has everyone discovered sunchokes, aka Jerusalem artichokes? I am new to these delectable little roots. They are the cutest little potato-like vegetables that I don’t worry about needing to let out my waistband for. However faulty that logic might be, I’m sticking with it. My reasoning for not being concerned about them is not particularly grounded in reality. And I don’t particularly want to Google it and find out that I am wrong…so for now these are miracle vegetables that taste like potato, but are really, really, really good for you…and slimming…and they’ll make you live forever. Please don’t make me Google it.
This dish comes together very simply. Roast your sunchokes, then smash it at the base of an oven-safe dish, cover with onion and olive sauté, a scoop of harissa, and an egg. Breakfast in one-dish-perfection. Don’t overthink it, just eat it.
- 4 Medium-sized sunchokes
- 16 Medium-sized olives, whatever mixture you like (I used green and Kalamata), pitted and diced.
- ½ Sweet onion, diced and sautéed
- ¼ Cup raisins (regular or golden or a mixture)
- 1 Tablespoon champagne vinegar
- 1 Cup Water
- Harissa
- 4 Organic eggs
- ½ Avocado mashed with your favorite guacamole ingredients (red onion, lime, cilantro, salt, etc..)
- Optional: throw in any and all vegetables you enjoy! I used steamed brussels sprouts
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Scrub and thoroughly dry your sunchokes. Rub with a drop of olive oil and a pinch of salt and place on a baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes on convection bake then turn your oven setting to bake and cook for another 45 minutes or until the sunchokes are soft and are easily pierced with a fork. Think potato. If your oven does not have a convection setting, you will have to bake them a little longer.
- In a small saucepan or baking dish combine champagne vinegar, water, and raisins. The liquid should cover your raisins, add more water if needed. Place raisins in oven alongside your sunchokes once the oven has been switched off convection. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the raisins have plumped. Drain off any excess water. If the liquid evaporates before the raisins have plumped, add more water.
- Dice your onion and sauté until starting to brown. Once browning toss in your diced olives and plumped raisins.
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Place a cooked sunchoke at the base of a small oven safe ramekin, smash it with the back of a fork, and cover with some of the onion mixture. Scoop in some harissa and any vegetables you choose to use. Cover with more onion mixture and harissa. Finally, crack an egg on top, sprinkle with some salt and pepper and place in oven. Repeat for the remaining 3 sunchokes.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until egg is cooked to your liking.
- Serve with guacamole and more harissa.
Oh man, the flavour combination here is everything I could possibly want to eat for breakfast!!! Looks amazing. I am a fan of sunchokes as well, and won’t make ya google them 😉 I’m definitely hoping you’re right about their magical qualities! As for the elusiveness of inspiration… I actually would have liked to read your original on it! I find that inspiration for me comes and goes in waves, and being ADD, can also change from one minute to the next… Which is less than ideal.
Thanks, Ksenia! I guess it is always tough to be your own editor…you can never really judge your own stuff. I definitely relate to the waves of inspiration. Sometimes it seems like I have too many ideas and other times NO ideas. I would imagine ADD being a blessing and a curse when it comes to inspiration. xoxo
I’ve actually never had sunchokes! But honestly eggs on anything and everything is a sure sign that I’ll fall in love with then. 😉 I totally know what you mean about being you ‘too much’ haha it’s a blessing and a curse I guess! I have deleted whole posts after I write them because of that very reason. But this looks delicious, and I can’t wait to try!
You’re gonna love em’! I’m the same way about eggs; breakfast, lunch, and dinner 🙂 It is always a challenge knowing when to edit yourself and when you are editing yourself too much. It’s hard to get perspective <3
I haven’t heard of sunchokes either! What a delicious and colorful meal–I love the addition of eggs of course!! : )
I thought I was late to the show. I’m happy to introduce you to them. They are my new favorite vegetable…this week 😉 I hope you get a chance to try them soon. Roasted with oil and salt is perfection.
I’ve never had a sunchoke and I have no idea what it is. I’ll have to try it sometime! On the topic of inspiration … it is sooo weird. Like if I have to think too hard about a recipe idea I won’t be able to think of anything, but then I’ll get a million ideas in the shower or when I’m driving home because that’s when I’m allowing my brain to be idle. Life is a mystery.
OK…now I have to google it. Sunchokes are actually a species of Sunflower, which is confusing, because they look like gnarly little potatoes or ginger root. You have to try them. The flavor and texture is just amazing.
I always get ideas in the shower, haha! Which is super annoying because I can’t write anything down! The other time I get ideas is when I’m running, also annoying, no pen and pad! Life is indeed a mystery.
This looks so delish ♥
summerdaisy.net
Thanks, summer!
Love sunchokes! Love a runny egg!
Ditto! Thanks, Lynn.
I agree with Ksenia. I would love to read the post you didn’t post! And now I have another breakfast recipe of yours to try. I loved the teff pancakes you posted a while ago.
Thanks! I hope you love it.
I’m so intrigued to try these sunchokes now!! And with that beautiful runny egg— mmm I’m sure it was breakfast perfection!
They’re so good!! Funnily, I had these for dinner…I have to have fruit or something sweet for breakfast. Anytime I try to have a savory breakfast I end up regretting it, lol. So I always have my savory breakfasts for dinner 🙂
sweetest kathryn, happy valentines day to you! the moment i saw this in my inbox i wanted complete consummation. unfortunately my past few weeks have been riddled with chaos. however, i just wanted to drop you a note and tell you this is gorgeous and the flavors are everything i could ever want. sunchoke and egg is completely inspired. ♥
You are so sweet Danielle! Happy Valentine’s to you. I hope the chaos has been focused towards an endeavor of your choosing and not something unwanted…good chaos? Sunchokes and eggs is so much goodness. I hope you get to try it soon.
xoxo
Oh Katryn! This must be so delicious, Love Sunchokes and your additions makes this sound like a dream!
Thanks Nina! Aren’t sunchokes amazing?! I can’t believe it took me so long to discover them 🙂
I love sunchokes, and what a tasty way to use them! I’m so glad to have “met” you through A Couple Cooks, Kathryn. Thank you for your insightful comment — it sounds as though we have a lot in common. I look forward to more of your nourishing food!
Thanks, Gena! I have been thinking about your post since I read it. It even started a vibrant family discussion 🙂 I am looking forward to learning more about you and the community you have created with your blog <3
Yes! This is one of the probs with blogging, we are always in danger of writing one of these posts… You nailed it with your abbreviated version though! These little egg bakes sound yummy 🙂
Thanks, Emma! It is always a balance of knowing when to edit! Thanks for stopping by.
Just had these the other day for dinner – they were fabulous! I loved all the combination of tastes – eggs, olives, guacamole, harissa, raisins. Every bite had a such a medley of flavors. Really wonderful. And I loved the sunchokes! Thanks!
So happy to hear that! Thanks!
Sounds absolutely wonderful! We’ve been eating sunchokes raw, but I’ll have to try roasting them! Aren’t baked eggs the greatest? So many delicious flavors and colors going on here, Kathryn!
Raw sunchokes! I never thought of eating them that way. I can imagine them sliced thin with a mandolin on a salad. How do you prepare them? I think you will love them roasted!