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SHAKSHUKA



    Living in Middle East for more than a decade, you tend to adapt the eating habits of the prevailing local community. Shakshuka has become one of the favorite weekend breakfast for my family.


    Shakshuka is an easy to make one pot dish which loosely translates to ‘all- mixed up’ in Arabic. It’s a delicious dish that is full of flavour and is originated in North African countries like Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria but traveled to Middle Eastern countries and is adapted by them too. It has all different variations to make this dish. I’m sharing my version with you and I like serving it with pita bread which is perfect for sopping up those oozing egg yolks with delicious peppery tomato sauce and crumbled feta. Crusty bread goes really well with that too.

    SERVES: 4 people

    PREP TIME: 15 minutes

    COOKING TIME: 14 minutes

    TOTAL TIME: 29 minutes



    INGREDIENTS

    • 2 x 400g canned tomatoes, chopped

    • 1 onion, chopped

    • 3 cloves garlic, chopped

    • 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced

    • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

    • 1/2 tsp paprika

    • 1 tsp cumin powder

    • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black or mixed pepper

    • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

    • 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt

    • 2 tsp sugar (optional)

    • 4 eggs

    For Garnishing:

    • 100g crumbled feta

    • 2 tbsp chopped parsley



    METHOD

    1. In a large pan, heat oil on medium low fire.

    2. Add onions, sauté for 1 minute and add garlic, cook for another minute and add chopped bell peppers, stir to cook for 2 minutes.

    3. Add paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin powder and salt, stir to roast the spices for a minute.

    4. Add tomatoes, stir to combine well, increase the flame and cook on medium high heat. Keep stirring in between for about 7-8 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked and water from the tomatoes is evaporated but they are still moist.

    5. Add sugar and mix. Taste, season more if required.

    6. Reduce the flame to low heat, make 4 cavities in the tomatoes, crack one egg in each cavity, cover the pan with a lid, let the egg whites cook while the yolks are still soft and runny for about 3-4 minutes. Remove from fire and uncover.

    7. Garnish with crumbled feta and parsley. Sprinkle freshly ground pepper and salt on eggs. Serve immediately with pita bread or sourdough bread.



    COOK'S NOTES:

    • I used Himalayan salt as it contains more minerals like potassium, magnesium and calcium than a normal table salt. You can use normal salt by all means if you cannot get hold of the pink salt.

    • I like my yolks runny and soft in the center, but if you like your eggs hard, leave for another 3-4 minutes on fire to cook well done.

    • You can also add sliced jalapeño peppers and sliced avocado on top to garnish and serve with bread of your choice.

    • I like adding sugar as it balances the tartness of tomatoes. You can omit if you don’t want.



    ZA'ATAR SPINACH PUFFS



      I tried this recipe sometime ago with ingredients on hand as I was craving to eat something salty and baked. These puffs are super delicious and so easy to make that you just can’t go wrong even if you are a beginner in baking. I just love these puffs so much that I always keep a batch ready in my freezer, all you need to do is just take them out from freezer, brush with some egg wash and bake it. It’s a great starter or an appetizer to serve during tea, as an evening snack or during Ramadan iftar. You can also serve it as a late weekend breakfast too.


      I made these with feta cheese but I also sometimes make it with ricotta cheese instead and then I omit adding egg in the filling as ricotta cheese is wet enough to keep the filling moist. And if you are using ricotta cheese then do add seasoning to it as feta cheese and za’atar are already salty enough and you don’t need any extra seasoning in the filling.

      YIELDS: 8-12 pieces

      PREP TIME: 10-15 minutes

      COOKING TIME: 20 minutes

      TOTAL TIME: 30-35 minutes



      INGREDIENTS

      • 200g/12 frozen spinach briquettes

      • 3 tbsp za’atar mix

      • 200g feta cheese, creamy and crumbled

      • 1 egg, lightly beaten

      • 1 tbsp milk

      • 12 frozen puff pastry squares, 4”x 4”



      METHOD

      1. Defrost and thaw spinach briquettes, put them in a strainer and squeeze out all excess water pressing down with the back of a spoon. Remove spinach in a bowl.

      2. Add, za’atar mix, feta cheese and half egg to the spinach, mix well; add milk to rest of the half egg to brush later.

      3. Thaw pastry squares but make sure they are still cold and not loose and saggy.

      4. Divide spinach mixture in 15 equal portions, place one on each pastry square; brush pastry squares with egg milk mixture about 1cm on each side; bring all 4 corners of pastry to the center and join all 4 open sides by pinching them gently with fingers to secure filling.

      5. Place the puffs on baking tray lined with parchment paper, brush the top with remaining egg milk mixture; bake in preheated oven at 210°C for 18 to 20 minutes.

      6. Serve it with sweet chilli sauce or any sauce of your choice.


      COOK'S NOTES:

      • You can also use ricotta cheese instead and you can prepare them days ahead and freeze it. If you are vegetarian or allergic to eggs, replace it with little cream in the filling and whole milk to brush the pastry.


      MANGO COCONUT CHIA SEEDS PARFAITS



        Sustaining this Omani heat by feeding our souls with this chilled breakfast on a hot summer morning, Mango and Coconut Chia Seed Parfaits. Made these for dessert last evening but saved a couple for the breakfast! Had it with granola on top this morning and it was just a perfect start of the day. Enjoy these summer beauties either at breakfast or as a dessert to end your meal...it’s that versatile. Replace the yogurt with your favourite alternative to turn this into a delicious vegan treat. What summer treats are you making with mango to start your day?

        SERVES: 6-8

        PREP TIME: It takes overnight or 4 hours for soaking chia seeds, 10 minutes to prepare mangoes

        ASSEMBLING TIME: 10 minutes



        INGREDIENTS


        For Coconut Chia Seeds Layer:

        • 400 ml coconut milk (full fat)

        • 4 tbsp mixed chia seeds (white and black)

        • 2tbsp agave syrup or maple syrup

        For Mango Layer:

        • 6-7 alphonso mangoes (medium to large), peeled and cut into cubes and keep 1 cup aside for topping

        • 1 1/2 cups of mango purée, made with the remaining mangoes

        For Yoghurt Layer:

        • 450g yoghurt

        • 2 tbsp caster sugar (optional)



        METHOD

        1. Soak chia seeds in coconut milk overnight or at least 4 hours until it’s swelled, slimy and thick. Add agave syrup, mix and keep aside.

        2. Peel mangoes, cut the cheeks of 4 firm mangoes and dice it into 1.5 cm cubes. Remove the pulp from rest of the the mangoes, blend them to a smooth puree. Keep aside to use later.

        3. In a bowl, take yoghurt and sugar and whisk together to make it smooth and creamy.

        4. To serve, arrange them in 250ml capacity glass goblets, drop few cubes of mangoes at the bottom of each glass, pour 3-4 tbsp of coconut chia mix, layer it with mango puree, then layer it with yogurt and finish with few more diced mangoes on top. Refrigerate to chill for 2 hours before serving.


        COOKS NOTES:

        • You can serve these for breakfast with granola on top. Replace the yoghurt with your favourite non-dairy yoghurt like coconut or almond to turn this into a delicious vegan treat.


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