Leftover veg eggs for a working day at home

I love working from home. I’m at my best at my desk in my house, matcha latte with almond milk freshly whisked together and sprinkled with cinnamon. Wearing some at-home socks instead of shoes to slide around from kitchen to study. No anxiety about the state of dire public toilets, I can stay well hydrated. Yes, office toilets are public!

I don’t know about you, but I eat so much better at home. First, I sit down and do none of that eating on the go nonsense or mindless snacking. I am not a grazer and that habit needs to be well explained to me. It is such a wonderful way to really cast a watchful eye over waste.

Can you hear your moms and aunts tutting and saying, “You know the one thing I cannot bear to see is wasting food. There are children starving in …” (insert your family’s chosen country for this example.) I often wondered as a kid why they never chose children that were starving nearby, right here in SA, because, in truth, there were and still are many, sadly.

I am super conscious about food waste. I like having a smaller fridge and freezer because it keeps me honest. Also, I’m not good at eating leftovers, so I need to purchase with some level of restraint. It is not always possible; it seems like over-catering is indeed genetic.

Living in Europe many years ago made me aware of shopping for a week, only topping up with fresh proteins every two days, except for eggs. It’s best to have those on hand.

I had some leftover kale this week and I do love a green. This one packs a punch without wilting into nothing like spinach and there is a hardiness and deep flavour to it that just makes it work.

Add to that the mighty cannellini bean, which takes me back to my first time in Rome with my mother, my younger sister, my mother’s good friend and her sister, where I first discovered these delicious beans. They are now a pantry staple. Make them crispy in a pan with some kale and the palate poppe sal dans! In a good way.

Warm spices, garlic, greens and double the protein sources. You’ll high five yourself for your righteous meal choice, conveniently in one pan for minimal dish washing. And you can save some for dinner if you’re too lazy to cook after a day at your desk.

Ingredients:

1. 1 x 400g can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2. 10 stems of kale, finely chopped
3. 2-4 large eggs (depends on how many people you’re serving)
4. 3 cloves of garlic, chopped or sliced
5. ¾ teaspoon cumin powder
6. ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
7. A pinch of nutmeg powder
8. ½ teaspoon harissa powder
9. ½ teaspoon chilli flakes (or more, depending on how your tolerance)
10. ¼ teaspoon of coriander powder
11. 1 tablespoon of avocado oil
12. Squeeze of lemon for the kale
13. Salt and white pepper to taste

Method:

• Heat the spices in a pan on medium heat, including the pinch of white pepper
• When the spices are heated a little — do not burn them, they should be just aromatic — pour in the avocado oil
• Add in the cannellini beans and let them sit for in the oil for about a minute and a half, until crispy on one side, turn over and let them crisp on the other side
• Put in the kale and toss in the oil until well coated
• Once it has wilted, throw in the garlic, mixing it all up with the beany, kaley goodness
• Squeeze a little lemon juice over and sprinkle some salt into the mix
• Make little dents into the mixture in the pan and drop little knobs of butter into each of these little gaps, then break an egg into each gap and sprinkle a little salt over
• Allow the eggs to cook to your liking and remove the pan from the heat.

Serve straight away, and drizzle a little olive oil and a scattering of fresh Italian parsley or a light grating of pecorino if you’re feeling fancy. Have a little sourdough toast if you love bread or leave it out. It is very yummy even when reheated and served for early dinner when feeling ravenous after a tough day of work.