Middle Eastern cuisine is so diverse, delectable, and different that you can’t really define it by any one category. Food from this region is all over destinations like Israel, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Persia, Turkey, and more. You can dabble in spice galore, try delicious shish kabob, and find legacy dishes that have been passed on from generation to generation. While we love recipes like kebob and falafel, this week we decided to learn how to make an incredible breakfast shakshuka. Shakshuka is a popular breakfast throughout the Levant and North Africa. It’s the perfect centerpiece for your breakfast table.
Our resident Middle Eastern cuisine expert Crista is a chef, entrepreneur, and world traveler who has developed over 40 different highly-successful restaurant concepts in her culinary career. But, she’s most passionate about her current project, Mezze. A nod to her Syrian-Armenian routes, Mezze is a celebration of life, seen through the lens of Middle Eastern food, culture, and experiences. Visit her here at Mezze.
Healthy, Rich Breakfast 7-Spice Shakshuka
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion halved and thinly sliced
- 2 red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 ½ tbsp Baharat spice blend
- 1 (28-oz) can whole plum tomatoes with juices
- ¾ tsp salt, more as needed
- ¼ tsp black pepper, more as needed
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Method
Heat oven to 375°F. Heat Olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook gently until very soft, about 20 minutes. Add garlic and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes; stir in the spice blend, and cook 1 minute. Pour in tomatoes and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; simmer until tomatoes have thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in crumbled feta. Gently crack eggs into skillet over vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with cilantro. Serve in the pan with bread & enjoy.
