Moroccan Eggs

I'm currently enjoying a few days off of work because my company has a "use it or lose it" policy when it comes to vacation days. Last year, I had the same chunk of time off at Christmas and it was so great that I wanted to do it again and purposely saved a few days for the end of the year. It's been awesome having cuddles with George Michael, sleeping in, and relaxing. It has also been a prime time for blogging, which I love. I'm just cooking and crafting and vegging and it is amazing. This is what my life would be like if I were rich and I didn't need a real job. Dare to dream, right?

Lounging around at home also means having time to make luxe breakfasts. Lately, I've really been into eating giant breakfasts on the weekends (when I actually have the time to cook a hot meal in the morning) and today's post is a new favorite. The heartier the breakfast is, the less likely it is that I'll have to make a lunch. Not that I have anything against lunch, but a meal isn't that enjoyable if I have to peel myself away from a Law & Order: SVU marathon.

The breakfast I'm sharing today is super hearty and delicious and beautiful. It's my take on Moroccan eggs (which is also called shakshuka). I mean, it's colorful, seasoned with plenty of spices, and it's great for sharing. The recipe quantities below are for two people, but this can easily be doubled or tripled and turned into a brunch dish to share with a party of people.

Ingredients [for two]:

2 slices bacon, chopped

¼ onion, diced

¼ bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, sliced

1½ cups cherry tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 egg

crostini or pita bread

+ 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro

+ crumbled feta

Start by grabbing a loaf of crusty bread and whip up some crostini. I just drizzle a few slices of bread with some good olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. If you're not into crostini, flatbread pita is a great way to go.

Next, prep the vegetables. Dice up some onion, mince up some garlic, dice up some bell pepper, and roughly chop some tomatoes. Oh, and slice up a jalapeno pepper.

Grab a cast iron skillet and toss in some chopped bacon. Turn the heat on medium and render the fat and let the bacon crisp up a bit. Add in the onions, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapeno. Sweat until softened and then add in the tomatoes and spices.

Cook until the tomatoes break down and they make a little sauce in the pan. Make a little nest in the center and crack in an egg.

While the egg is cooking, chop up some cilantro and if you're into feta, crumble some up.

When the egg white has set, serve the dish up.

So, like an idiot, I completely forgot about the cilantro and feta, but it was still delicious without those garnishes.

To eat, grab a crostini and just scoop away. This is a seriously flavorful dish. The cumin and paprika and cayenne add so much spice and smokiness. The tomatoes are tart and sweet and the runny egg yolk adds a richness. Basically, it's just awesome.

Seriously, do it. It will be so delicious, you might cry. By the way, if you wanted to make this vegetarian, you could omit the bacon completely and just add a little oil to the pan to start. It's not as delicious without bacon but it's still great.

Here's the recipe page: