Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper - Easy Shakshouka Recipe!

When I was a kid, weekend mornings were spent at my grandpas, indulging in foul and hummos and at times a hot cheese mankoushe from the nearby bakery. During Eid Al Fitr Holidays, It was a tradition for us to have Kunafa as a special breakfast after missing a whole month of the morning meal in Ramadan.

Today, as full-time employees with busy schedules, most of us substitute a real breakfast with quick sandwiches or croissants, picked up from the nearest coffee shop to our offices. So breakfast on weekends became a means of reconnecting with the excitement I once had for the meal I shared with my Grandpa.

Three Years ago, a group of friends and I decided to explore the best places to have breakfast in the UAE. Week after week, we had different experiences, we had the good and the bad, indulged ourselves in a variety of dishes that ranged from avocado toast, eggs benedict, Turkish eggs, cheese platters, shakshouka, pancakes, foul and not to forget the famous Lebanese hummos.

With this new obsession on board, I have developed a series of breakfast specials from different cuisines. Some recipes I found online were a disaster and trust me it’s not always your fault. Some of these recipes don’t make sense at all and just don’t end up being yummy. Don’t get fooled by the pictures!

For Today’s Special, I will be sharing one of my favorite breakfast dish: The Easy Shakshouka Recipe! And the photo is real!

Quick Facts about Shakshouka:

The word "Shakshouka" is Tnuisian Arabic for "mixture". Shakshouka is originally from The Ottoman Empire, a dish of cooked vegetables and minced meat. The Moroccans took the dish and created the vegetarian option where they replaced meat with eggs.

Ingredients:

- Virgin Olive Oil

- 1 Large Yellow Onion, Chopped

- 2 Green Peppers, Chopped

- 2 Garlic Cloves, peeled, Chopped

- 1 tsp Ground Coriander

- 1 tsp Garlic Powder / Onion Powder

- 1 tsp Sweet Paprika

- 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin

- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

- Salt and Pepper

- 6 Vine Ripe Tomatoes, Chopped

- 1/2 cup tomato sauce

- 6 Large eggs

- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or mint leaves for garnishing

- Feta Cheese Cubes (Optional)

Directions:

- Start Sauteing, in a medium heated pan, the onions and garlic with the olive oil until turned yellow.

- Add Gradually green peppers and the ripe tomatoes, let it saute for 5 minutes.

- Add The Tomato Sauce and the spices (I always like to add some extra paprika)

- Let it cook on medium heat till the stew is thicker. And mix it from time to time so it doesn't stick to the pan.

- Once The stew is thicker, you can add the eggs. There are two options, you can just crack the eggs on top and mix it up, or you can create wells in the pan using a spoon and crack an egg inside each well.

- Final Touch, Garnish with Parsley and Mint Leaves and you can even add some Feta Cheese Cubes on top.

Bon Appétit!