Most students turn to eggs as their quick ‘ food fix’.  Eggs are nutritious, easy to cook, cheap and there is so much you can do with them. But eggs can get boring if you cook them the same way all the time. I came across this recipe recently; the vibrant colors topped with the eggs looked so appealing, I knew straight away that I had to try it. I did not have all the ingredients for this recipe but I really wanted to attempt it. I decided to go with the flow; give it my own taste based on the items I had in my kitchen then. The result was a really yummy, easy and complete dish! It probably tastes a little like the original Middle Eastern dish, is filling and has that play on tangy-sweet-spicy! Once you attempt this dish, you will find yourself wondering of all the different flavor combinations that work well with it. It is a dish you can experiment with. 

• Cooking skills required: Chopping and stirring
• Equipment/Utensils Required: Oven, stove top, oven safe pan/skillet (small: for one person)  
• Items needed other than the basic stocked items: None!
• Prep Time: 10 mins.
• Cooking Time: 10-15 mins on a stove top, 7-10 mins in the oven.
• Serving size: One.
• Cost per dish: $2.5

Ingredients:

1. ½ medium onion: Roughly chopped.
2. 1 medium tomato: Roughly chopped tomatoes. Can also add chopped tomatoes/tomato puree (canned). 
3. 1 egg: Whole
4. 1 clove garlic: Finely diced. Minced garlic/garlic paste will work too.
5. ½  medium bell pepper: If you like colorful food, use different colored peppers.
6. Oil: 1 teaspoon
7. Spices/Seasoning: Ground cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, ground black pepper, herbs. (All or some of these are okay)
8. Salt and sugar
9. Cheese: Optional. (Swiss, Cheddar or Feta) about 1 teaspoon.

Most of the ingredients are available in canned or refrigerated form. I always prefer buying the fresh versions; it hardly takes a few extra minutes to chop/dice produce.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. You can also finish off the dish on the stove top and can skip the oven part.
2. Heat about 1-2 teaspoons oil in a pan/skillet.
3. Add the onions and bell peppers and sauté until soft/tender (Should not take more than 10 mins)
4. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 mins
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir. Add about ½ teaspoon sugar and salt. Based on your preference for heat/spice, add the spices. For a spicier dish, add about  • teaspoon of 4-5 spices.
6. Stir all the ingredients together and let them simmer on medium flame for about 7-8 mins. It is important that it be on medium, or else the sauce becomes too dry or too runny.
7. Taste and add spices, salt or sugar as per your palate. Even if you have never had it before, try to season it as per your favorite flavor combinations.
8. Gently crack the egg over the sauce once the flavors are right.
9. If you want to add the cheese, this would be the step to do so. I think it tastes great without, but cheese is always wonderful!
10. Lightly season egg with salt and pepper.
11. Place the skillet in the preheated oven and bake at 375 F for 8-10 mins. This poaches the egg nicely without giving it a runny texture. If you like your eggs runny, keep the skillet in for a 2-3 minutes lesser.
12. Alternatively, you can leave the skillet on the stove-top for about 10 mins with a lid on.
13. Try to pour the whole dish into the plate.

Calories: 220 – 280 calories

The poached egg is about 80-90 calories. The veggies in the sauce are about 50 calories and the oil is about 80 calories. If you’re watching your calories, this is a great dish to eat. High in protein, fat only from the oil and lots of veggies! The bread on the side can add 50-100 calories.

Suggestions: You can eat this with any sort of bread. I like eating it as is, or  with a slice of garlic bread, plain toasted bread. I even ate it with croutons once! For someone with an average appetite, this dish with a small piece of bread works as an entire meal and you will bot feel hungry for a couple of hours. 

When you look up Shakshuka online, it is always referred to as a breakfast dish. But I love it for brunch! think it is one of those foods you can eat for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner!