As we stroll into the second half of 2012, I share this milestone with you – this is my 50th blot post. It has been a struggle to write for the last few weeks and my literary inspiration has been more technology/social media focused recently and this did not seem like the platform for that! Excuses aside and I am getting back to it. This weekend we host our first dinner guests in our new home and the kitchen is open!

Attention! Are you looking for a traditional shakshuka recipe? I have one of those too, and the pictures are awesome! Click on the image for the recipe.

We’ve been blessed with a son that sleeps. The occasional friendly comparison to a cat may be justified as he slept through the night since he was six weeks old but since moving in to our new home, he is waking up earlier. The 6 AM wake up calls do take some getting used to, but they are certainly welcome as I get to see him, spend time with him, and cook breakfast for the family before heading to work.

We might all be half asleep and drowsy, but breakfast as a family is something to treasure when it happens! Bagels, eggs or pancakes are easy go-to dishes, but I’ve had kitchen withdrawal so we’ve been eating well to start our days. In October of last year I flirted with Green Shakshuka when I made Tilapia with a spinach and sweet potato hash.

Shakshuka is usually a dish in which you poach eggs in a tomato and onion sauce. It’s a healthy, hearty, healthy and very Israeli way to start the day! Some cafes or chefs have been known to add pickled lemons, black olives or even tuna fish for a Tunisian twist, but one “out of the box breakfast” is the Green Shakshuka my dear wife and I shared one time on the streets of Jerusalem.

Green Shakshuka Recipe

Green Shakshuka is a variation of this traditional breakfast substitutes the tomato for fresh spinach and leans on onions, garlic and cumin for a delicious flavor. I wish I could bottle and share the smell coming from my kitchen this morning, this recipe doesn’t do the dish justice! If you do eat dairy (we have a dairy-free home) I recommend sprinkling feta cheese on this dish before serving. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

One onion

1 lb bag of spinach, frozen will work, fresh will transform this dish from delicious to exquisite!

Paprika

Cumin

Cinnamon

Coriander

Salt

Olive oil

Eggs, two per person. No more than six for this quantity of spinach.

Feta Cheese – optional

Dice your onion.

If you have time to season your onions with the cumin, cinnamon, coriander and salt and leave them in the fridge overnight, do so, just drizzle olive oil on them and make sure you put them in a seal-able tupperware. This is not essential but it’s a nice time saver if making this for breakfast.

Heat a skillet, medium heat is good, and start to cook your onions until they are soft. You don’t want them to be crispy! Cumin is the main flavor in this dish, so use 1/2 tsp of paprika, cinnamon and corriander and 2 tsp of cumin.

Salt to taste – omit it if you plan to add feta! Once the onions are soft, add your spinach and allow to cook for ten minutes. Stir occasionally so the dish does not start to burn. Make some space in the spinach to hold the eggs, a small indent will be enough to make sure they poach rather than running all over the skillet, and cook on a low-medium temperature.

Information! My breakfast bibimbap is another awesome family breakfast.

My preference is a runny egg, the buttery-yolky flavor complements the spinach nicely. Cover the skillet to cook the eggs a little faster. You can serve this with a side of freshly baked rye bread, or my favorite, bagels toasted with Zaatar and olive oil.