Brunchy goodness- Spicy artichokes and baked eggs

Who doesn't love brunch? (Since its a brunch post I think that gives me artistic license to ask asinine rhetorical questions like Ina Garten)  I like brunch, but the good brunch places in LA always have incredibly long waits.  Although they arguably serve delicious food, very few are worth the wait when combined with the price you pay.

We had a hung jury on this dish, but I really liked it.  Turns out Jordan isn't a giant fan of artichokes, which is really unfortunate...for him.  Luckily, there are plenty of other things in this dish that still make it worth while.  If you or someone you might be cooking for aren't giant fans of artichokes, you could easily swap it out for almost any vegetable, they aren't necessary but they do make the dish tasty.

I would recommend making the dish the day or night before, just stop where you add the eggs and bake.  You can either throw the artichoke mixture into a skillet to reheat or toss it into the oven for about 10 minutes to get it warmed up before adding the eggs.  This way the eggs will cook evenly and not be done before the dish has a chance to warm up!

 Spicy Artichokes and Baked Eggs

• Olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 8 oz red-skinned or white-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (fresh tasted great, but dry would probably work too)
• 1 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 14 oz can of artichoke hearts (in water), drained and lightly chopped
• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes in juice (preseasoned if you like)
• 2 tbs drained capers
• 8 large eggs
• 1 tbs or so sriracha (if you want added heat) 
• 1 tbs crushed red pepper 
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Crusty bread for dipping

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
   
2. Heat olive oil in heavy skillet over medium/high  heat. Add onion, thyme and red pepper and saute until the onions should just start to caramelize (took mine about 12 minutes)
   
3. Add artichokes and minced garlic; cook for a minute. Stir in diced tomatoes with juice and bring to boil.
   
4. Reduce heat; cover skillet and simmer 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
   
5. Meanwhile, cook potatoes in salted water until tender, about 10  minutes. Drain.
   
6. Add cooked potatoes and capers to tomato-artichoke sauce; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with coarse salt and pepper.  I also added some sriracha to give it a little more heat
   
7. Pour tomato-artichoke sauce into baking dish (I used 13x9 and didn't have room for all 8 eggs).  Make 8 evenly spaced indentations in sauce for holding eggs. Crack 1 egg into each indentation in sauce
   
8. Bake until egg whites are softly set, 12 to 16 minutes.  I wasn't convinced the eggs were done, so let them go a few minutes longer and slightly overcooked the eggs, the yolks were already set.  It was still delicious, but make sure to watch it!
   
9. Remove baking dish from oven.  Let rest for about five minutes, sprinkle with grated cheese and serve with crusty bread.

Adapted from a recipe featured in Bon Appétit 

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