Breakfast eggah (or tortilla or ‘hockey pucks’)

Breakfast vegetable tortilla

After hitting us all with a blast of sugar, I thought it was time for a savoury bake. These breakfast eggah are known as ‘hockey pucks’ in our house because I bake them in silicone muffin moulds, and they come out like, well, hockey pucks. But much tastier. ‘Eggah’ is the Middle Eastern name (thanks Rachel); in Spain, they’re known as ‘tortilla’.

They are quite robust and will keep for a few days in the fridge, so I make a dozen at a time. One makes a good quick breakfast and they’re also robust enough to be a packed lunch. Or you can serve two for hearty appetites. Each one is a good start on your five-a-day, and by picking your vegetables you can make them paleo, primal, or ancestral.

These ones were vegetarian, but if you fancy a bit more protein in them and eat meat then add in chopped bacon, chorizo, ham, or any meat or fish that takes appeals to you. If the meat or fish needs cooking, fry it gently before mixing into the other ingredients. Or if you want to stick to the vegetarian theme, then some extra cheddar boosts the flavour and makes them more substantial.

Equipment

Oven
For individual tortillas: 2 x 6-hole muffin pans (mine are silicone)
Or for one large one: Square pan: 20cm (8″)
Chopping board and knife
Baking tray
Large bowl
Wooden spoon
Scales (optional – you can work by handfuls)

Ingredients

You can use any mixture of vegetables that you have on hand and that appeals to you. I try to aim for a rainbow of veg – red, yellow, green. This is the combination that went into the ones in the photograph. You’re aiming for about 10 to 12 handfuls of veg when chopped.

Sweet Potato, about 170g (two large handfuls when chopped)
Carrots, 130g (about one large carrot)
Tomatoes, 200g (about four medium tomatoes)
Onion, 80g (about one medium)
Pepper (capsicum), 220g (about one large sweet pepper)
Spring (salad) onions, one bunch (about 200g)
Olive oil, 1 tablespoon (or other oil or fat of your choice)
Salt and pepper to taste.
Asparagus, 1 bunch (about 240g – the cheaper thin ones if you can get them)
Sweetcorn, 160g (drained contents of one small can, or about two large handfuls frozen or fresh) (substitute another chopped softer vegetable for paleo/primal)
Parmesan, 20g (optional)
Eggs, 8 large
Cooking spray or a little extra oil or fat.

Method

1. Put the oven on to 180 degrees C, or 160 degrees with fan.
2. Chop up all the harder vegetables (sweet potato, carrots, onion, pepper) into 1cm dice or smaller.
3. Put them into the baking tray, Sprinkle over the oil, add some salt (optional) and a generous grinding of pepper. Mix thoroughly.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
5. Meanwhile, chop up the softer vegetables (spring onions, asparagus) and put them in a large bowl.
6. Break in the eggs.
7. Add a bit more salt and pepper if you like, or you could add extra herbs or chilli.
8. Grate in the parmesan, if using. (Or stir in any meat, fish or extra cheese you’re adding).
9. Mix it all together thoroughly, to make sure the eggs are well beaten.
10. Spray your muffin moulds with cooking spray, or grease with a little oil or fat. My silicone ones barely need any greasing but I like to give them a bit of a spray to make sure the hockey pucks turn out easily.
11. When the harder vegetables are cooked, get them out of the oven and mix with the softer  vegetables / egg mixture.
12. Divide the mixture between the moulds. The mixture will puff up so don’t overfill them.
13. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden on top. (If you bake it all in one pan, it will take more like 40 minutes – thanks Rachel for that tip).
14. Leave to cool in the moulds, then turn out and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat them.

We like them cold but I’m sure you could serve them hot for a brunch dish.

Calorie count: depends on the vegetables you use and what you add in.
If you use the exact ingredients listed, they come out at 120 calories each.

Breakfast eggahs (hockey pucks) coming out of the oven