I love eggs! They’re not rocket science, but sometimes one needs a little bit of egg-spiration. Below are the three versatile and adaptable egg recipes I’ll return to whenever I start getting bored with my breakfast.
- (“Fake”) Shakshuka – Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce
This is the perfect leftovers meal for me. Whenever I make a tomato based dish (say, a tomato sauce or tomato based curry), or if I have tomatoes that are going bad – I will make this dish. It is a great group or individual meal, and comes together relatively quickly.
Shakshuka is originally a North African and Middle Eastern dish. As you’ll also see below, my version is adapted depending on what I have in the fridge.
Ingredients
- Tomato base (leftover sauce/tomato-based curry, or fresh or canned tomatoes if making from scratch)
- Shallot or onion
- Bell pepper or other chili if you have it
- Garlic
- Eggplant/zucchini or whatever similar veggie you have on hand (optional)
- Spices (paprika, chili powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander – really up to you!)
- Eggs
- Some sort of crumbly cheese (feta, goat cheese, cotija)
- Fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, basil, anything really)
- Some sort of “bread” to serve with (sourdough, pita, naan, tortilla)
I begin by adding olive oil to a pan and sauteeing my onion, pepper, and other vegetable if using. I then add my garlic and any spices, cooking until fragrant, and then adding my tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes I will let them get stew-y and add water if needed.
I’ll let my tomato mixture simmer for a few minutes until some of the water evaporates. When it gets to the point where a thick sauce remains, I will create wells for my eggs and crack them in before covering with a lid. I’ll cook my eggs until a translucent white film covers the top, and then crumble on my white cheese and cook for a few more minutes. I finish with my fresh herbs, salt and pepper, and serve up with my bread.
- Brekkie Bowl (inspired by Jenn Im)
Brekkie bowl is a food lifestyle youtuber Jenn Im began including in her “What I Eat in a Week” videos back in 2021. I enjoy making brekki bowls because there are so many ingredients, they’ll distract me from the fact that I’m eating an egg. This “recipe” is not that deep – it’s just eggs, veggies, and rice – but it’s so effective it felt necessary to include.
Ingredients
- Some sort of fat (olive oil, butter, bacon fat, pesto, chili oil, etc.)
- 1-2 eggs
- Veggies (kale, broccoli, zucchini are some of my favs to cook; otherwise, I’ll include fresh mixed greens)
- Rice (fresh white rice, or make a quick fried rice using leftovers + garlic)
- Soy sauce
- Sesame Oil (optional)
- Sriracha (optional)
- Scallions (optional)
The perfect fried egg to me is a basted-one. Basted-eggs sound so much less appealing than their close cousin, the sunny-side up egg – but I assure you, are superior in every way.
I’ll begin in a non-stick pan and add a small amount of fat to crisp my fried egg slightly. I’ll crack in my egg and cook uncovered for around 30 seconds. Then, I will cover with a lid and add a tiny splash of water so the top of the egg cooks slightly. Cook to your desired doneness.
In my same pan, I will add my veggies with some more oil and saute slightly. I’ll serve everything on top of rice I’ve seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil. Finish with sriracha and chopped scallions.
- Cilbir
I learned about Cilbir (Turkish eggs) somewhere on the internet in 2022. I had never considered eating my eggs with yogurt, but this recipe opened up my world and quickly became a go-to egg staple in my household.
Ingredients
- Plain greek yogurt (ideally room temperature or I’ll heat it up for ~10 seconds in the microwave with a wet paper towel on top)
- Eggs
- Tiny bit of vinegar for poaching
- Butter
- Spices (chili, cumin, paprika)
- Some sort of bread
The first step is to poach your egg. Get your water to a slight simmer, add the vinegar, swirl slightly with a spoon, and crack in the egg. It can sometimes be easier to crack the egg in a bowl first, and then slowly pour the egg into the pot. After my egg is in, I will immediately set a 4 minute timer.
On a different burner, I will melt a couple tablespoons of butter and add my spices. I cook them just until fragrant making sure they don’t burn.
When it’s time to take my egg out, I will spoon it out and get rid of any excess water. Then I will set it on top of my warm yogurt, and pour my butter mixture on top. I enjoy with toasted bread.