The start of Summer has been grey & cold in London.  Apparently caused by the cold blob sitting in the Atlantic Ocean – sounds like something out of a sci fi horror movie. In contrast New York has been hot & humid.  This week I was excited to use my brand new food mixer, a fabulous birthday present from Mum & Dad.  I look forward to using it for future recipes as Simon & I approach our one year Anniversary as food bloggers. For a bold & beautiful vegetarian dish perfect for brunch, lunch  or any time of day you can’t beat Shakshuka. The dish originates from Tunisia and has become popular throughout the Middle East and in London.

Ingredients (Serves 1-2)

Ingredients

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 10 red & yellow cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 227g (8 oz) tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon of tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon of Harissa paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium eggs, at room temperature
• 1-2 tablespoons of Greek natural yoghurt

Chopped peppers, cherry tomatoes & garlic

Method

• Heat the olive oil on a medium heat in a small frying pan
• Add the peppers, tomato puree, harissa, garlic, cumin & salt and stir
• Cook on a slow simmer for 10 minutes until the peppers are soft
• Add the tomatoes and cook on a low medium  heat for 8 minutes until the sauce is thick

Tomato & pepper sauce simmering

• Make a dip with a spoon and carefully break the eggs on top of the sauce
• I break the eggs into a cup first to ensure I don’t break the yolks

Eggs gently cooking

• Gently swirl the egg white taking care not to break the yolks
• Cover and  gently simmer  for 5 minutes until the egg whites are set and the yolk still runny
  

  Happy Face!

• Take off the heat and leave for 2 minutes
• Serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and some sourdough toast

Shakshuka – a dish to brighten up any day.

Bring Me Sunshine!