Egg-static start to the day!

Shakshuka is a bright, spicy start to the day. If you aren’t familiar with shakshuka, I’m thrilled to introduce what it is to you! Though it's North African in origin, these days shakshuka is popular throughout the Middle East. It’s one of my favorite dishes—a simple meal that can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s a vegetarian one-skillet recipe of eggs cooked in a tomato-red sauce spiced with cumin and chilli. First you make that sauce, which comes together fairly quickly on top of the stove, then you gently crack each of the eggs into the pan, nestling them into the sauce. It is easy to make, very healthy and absolutely delicious.

All you need is:

5 eggs

1 onion

3 tbsp of olive oil

2 garlic cloves

1 red bell pepper

2 cups of blanched plum tomato puree

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp chilli powder

Feta cheese

Salt and seasoning to taste

Chopped parsley

Method

Heat a deep, large skillet or pan on medium. Slowly warm olive oil in the pan. Add chopped onion, red bell pepper and sauté for a few minutes until it begins to soften. Add garlic and continue to sauté till mixture is fragrant. Add the tomato puree to pan, stir till blended. Add spices the spices and stir well. Allow the mixture to simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes till it starts to reduce. At this point, you can taste the mixture and spice it according to your preferences. Add salt and seasoning to taste.

Crack the eggs, one at a time, directly over the tomato mixture, making sure to space them evenly over the sauce. Cover the pan. Allow mixture to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked and the sauce has slightly reduced. Keep an eye on the skillet to make sure that the sauce doesn't reduce too much, which can lead to burning.

Add feta cheese as topping and garnish with the chopped parsley.

Serve immediately with crusty bread.