Shakshuka Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce

I love whipping up this delicious, spicy Middle Eastern dish for breakfast, especially when friends are over. Tastes even better if you prep the tomato sauce beforehand (even the night before), the flavours develop and makes brunch cooking much quicker and stress-free! Usual notes: I like to use organic produce and purified water in all my recipes, and I recommend you do, too. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your own palate. Remember that my recipes are only guidelines, not prescriptions, so feel free to improvise; you don’t have to follow them too rigidly. The one ingredient you must always include however, is LOVE!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp organic olive oil
• 2 cloves organic garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 large organic onions, peeled and finely sliced
• 4 organic capsicums
• 6 large mild chillies
• 4 tsp organic agave syrup*
• 2 organic bay leaves
• 6 sprigs organic thyme, leaves only, finely chopped
• 1 small bunch organic flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped
• 1 small bunch organic fresh coriander, leaves only
• 6 ripe organic tomatoes if in season, diced; or 2 cans chopped tomatoes
• ½ tsp organic cumin powder
• ½ tsp organic oregano powder
• ½ tsp organic coriander powder
• ½ tsp organic sweet paprika powder
• ½ tsp organic chilli powder
• ½ tsp organic turmeric
• ½ tsp organic saffron strands
• 2 tsp za’atar (a middle-eastern spice mix of sumac, spices and sesame seed)
• Himalayan salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• The juice of ½ an organic lemon
• 8 free-range eggs
• 200g goat’s or sheep’s feta, crumbled (optional)

Method:

1. Chargrill the capsicums and chillies, rotating constantly, until skins are slightly blackened/charred and flesh is soft, approximately 10 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle. When cooled, de-seed, de-stem and chop.
2. In a large pan, temper (dry-fry) the herbs and spices – cumin powder, coriander powder, thyme, oregano powder, sweet paprika powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder – not the saffron – for about half a minute, stirring constantly and taking extra care not to burn them. Place tempered spices into a small bowl and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add a dash of oil and heat on med-high. Add onions and cook until translucent for about 2 mins, then add garlic and cook for a further minute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, chargrilled capsicums and chillies, bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add the tempered spices, saffron, and agave and stir through well. Turn heat down low, cover and simmer for about 20 mins.
5. Uncover and stir in fresh parsley, coriander and lemon juice.
6. Make small holes in the mixture by pushing away sauce with a spoon, for the eggs to be cracked into, 8 holes for 8 eggs in total.
7. Sprinkle crumbled feta (optional) and za’atar over the top. Cover and cook until desired egg consistency is reached, approximately 5-10 minutes depending how runny you like your yolks, however, the egg white should always be fully-cooked.

To serve:

1. Place the whole pan, uncovered, on the table over a heat-proof placemat.
2. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh chopped coriander and parsley.

Accompany with pita or gluten-free toast, hummus, yoghurt tahini sauce, baked cauliflower, harissa and (of course) lots of love. Shabbat shalom! Annalise Braakensiek is an internationally recognised covergirl and Logie Award nominee. She is a keen designer, vegetarian chef and entrepreneur, whose passion for healthy living, the environment and animal rights shines through in all she does. Best known for her work as a model, actress and television personality, Annalise Braakensiek is one of Australia’s most popular and multi-faceted celebrities. Outside media and business commitments, Annalise willingly lends her time and energy to a number of cancer charities. She’s also a tireless advocate for animal rights and has lent her name to campaigns for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the Human Society International (HSI), and the RSPCA. Annalise links: Official website: www.annalise.com.au Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annalisebraakensiek Instagram: @annalisewithlove Annalise hashtags: #annalise #annalisebraakensiek Love Lunch: www.lovelunch.com.au Love Lunch Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovelunchbyannalise Love Lunch instagram: @annalisewithlovelunch Love Lunch hashtags: #lovelunch