Cooking for myself – Eggs and Tomatoes With Olives and Capers On Couscous

Wednesday, December 7, 2011 · by Ilva · in

set up

I am re-reading a book I reviewed here on Lucullian about four years ago, it is called Alone In the Kitchen With An Eggplant and it is a lovely collection of essays on eating alone or rather cooking for one. Like a lot of people, I cook and cook for family and friends but when it comes to feeding myself alone, I tend just to stuff whatever I find into my mouth and completely forego the preparation of a meal. And that can be OK for a meal or two but considering I eat lunch alone almost every day (my son comes home for late lunch but I never share the meal I make for him) I really should make an effort. Because I am worth it. We are all worth it. So I am trying to make up for it, hoping it will last longer than the reading of the book. 

eggs and tomatoes

To be honest I don’t mind eating alone, nor cooking for myself only and the reason to why I don’t do it often enough is that I like to feel free of that constant chore of cooking a meal but above all, the choices to be made. Oh how I dislike to make all these choices that every day of my life bring along. Some are easy and fun to make but it seems to me that most of them are just a heap of rather boring choices and having a family have only added to that. The first time I really became avare of the burden choices bring along was when me and my brother emptied our parents house, I worked on it almost daily for two months and although there were some very sad moments dealing with memories, the worst was all the choices we had to make, to take the responsibility of throwing or giving away things that we knew had meant a lot to my mother and my father but meant less to us. It felt like a continuous betrayal. After that I began to dislike having to make choices, even simple ones.

eggs-3
But cooking for myself has the great advantage that I can indulge in whatever I feel like that precise moment and right now I have a weak spot for tomatoes and eggs. Always had it but right now it seems irresistibly tasty so I am working on variations on this theme, the other day I made a more Mediterranean version with couscous, black olives and capers. It was good, very good.

Eggs and Tomatoes With Olives and Capers On Couscous

EGGS AND TOMATOES WITH OLIVES AND CAPERS ON COUSCOUS
1 serving

6 small tomatoes or 2 big
1 egg
8-10 small black olives
1 tbsp capers in salt
finely chopped parsley
100 ml/ 0,42 cup cooked couscous
salt
extra-virgin olive oil

   Rinse the capers and put them in water to soak a little.

   Divide the tomatoes or if they are bigger, cut them in smaller pieces. Cook them gently in a small skillet in some olive oil.

   When the tomatoes begin to caramelize and get wrinkly,make space in the middle and crack the egg into the skillet. Go on frying, on both sides if you like that.

   Add capers and olives, season to taste but remember that the capers are still quite salt.

   Put the couscous on a plate or in a small bowl, slip the eggs and tomatoes on top and sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving it to yourself!

Eggs and Tomatoes With Olives and Capers On Couscous-6

L

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