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Perfect For Holiday Brunch: Shakshuka (A.K.A. Eggs In Purgatory)

It seems fancy and decadent, but it is so easy to throw together! Once you get your veggies diced up, which you could even do the night before, it's pretty much throwing ingredients into your pan and then leaving the flavours to simmer away while you enjoy Christmas morning with your loved ones.
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The countdown is on! Hopefully you're already enjoying days in pajamas and curling up by the fire, or maybe you're wrapping up before your holidays start. I love this time of year because it always means lots of time with family and a guaranteed good chunk of time with my sister Kristi, her hubby Sean and my ridiculously fun and cute niece, Mila. Usually they come to Canada for a white Christmas, but this year our whole family packed up to visit them there and help them celebrate their first Christmas in their new house!

One of my favourite holiday traditions growing up was lazy Christmas mornings. I can't say it was always like this, I definitely remember earlier years just counting down the seconds until we could go jump on our Mom and Dad and see if Santa had eaten out cookies and milk! I'm guessing that this year, with a two-and-a-half-year-old in the house, will be more along those lines which is why this recipes is perfect for Christmas morning brunch.

It seems fancy and decadent, but it is so easy to throw together! Once you get your veggies diced up, which you could even do the night before, it's pretty much throwing ingredients into your pan and then leaving the flavours to simmer away while you enjoy Christmas morning with your loved ones. Whether this is lazy mornings spent in PJs, drinking coffee and Baileys and listening to Christmas tunes, or chasing little ones around and seeing their excitement as they ponder the magic of Old St. Nick, having delicious food to add to the cheer doesn't have to mean slaving away in the kitchen all day!

With a big turkey dinner on the horizon, this will satisfy the need for a celebratory brekky without the heaviness so you are ready to go when that bird comes out of the oven!

I love serving this dish with a nice piece of warm, toasted sourdough bread. Perfect for soaking up all the extra sauce :)

Sending lots of love to you and yours and don't forget to take some time to relax and take it all in amidst the craziness.

Shakshuka (a.k.a. Eggs in Purgatory)

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

- 1 Tbsp olive oil

- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes

- 1 red pepper, diced

- 1 x 796 ml can diced tomatoes

- ½ cup tomato sauce

- 4 eggs (Add more if desired)

- Coarse salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

- ¼ cup grated parmesan

- ½ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

- 4 slices multigrain sourdough bread, toasted

- Optional Spices: I like this dish simple and spiced as is but a bit of smoked paprika or cumin are also delish if you want to spice it up a bit!

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in cast iron skillet or large frying pan, allowing it to get hot, approx. 1 minute. Add garlic and chilli flakes stirring, for 1-2 minutes, until it becomes fragrant. Add the red pepper and sauté an additional 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, stirring to combine and let it come to a boil. At this stage you can leave it simmering while you relax or if you are ready to eat, time to add the eggs!

3. Create little divots in the sauce to crack the eggs into. Add the eggs, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and partially cover the pan, allowing the eggs to steam and cook. Cook for approx. 5 minutes for runny yolks, or until desired yolk consistency is reached.

4. Remove from the heat and serve. Sprinkle with basil, a drizzle of olive oil and more parmesan cheese, salt or chili flakes if desired. Dunk your toasted sourdough in and you are set.

Enjoy!

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For more recipes and kitchen inspiration, check out www.lindsaypleskot.com or find Lindsay on Instagram here or Facebook.

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