Shakshuka is a classic North African and Middle Eastern dish that’s eaten for breakfast or any meal of the day. Shakshuka means “a mixture” and the traditional version uses tomatoes, onions and spices as the base with eggs poached on top. The best Shakshuka that I have had was at Tatte in Boston. Everything there is delicious!

Serves 1
to serve 2, double the recipe and use a larger sauté pan.
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1 ½ cups bottled or canned tomato sauce(prepared with no sugar or seed oils)
½ teaspoon cumin, curry powder or other spice or spice mix
1 pinch crushed red pepper
1 small red pepper, sliced (bottled roasted peppers are fine too)
2-3 fresh eggs
Optional: Fresh parsley, basil, or cilantro, grated or shredded cheese of choice, leftover vegetables, shredded chicken, meat, seafood, olives, capers

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees or preheat your broiler. Warm the tomato sauce, seasonings, and red pepper in an 8-inch oven proof sauté pan. Heat until simmering and cook until the peppers are just beginning to soften-about 3 minutes.
2. Create a “nesting spot” for your eggs in the sauce. Break the eggs into the pan. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the eggs have set to your liking. Alternatively, you can place a tight-fitting lid on the pan and cook the eggs. Serve hot.

This is one of my favorite lunches. You can eat it for breakfast too! Egg salad is so good for you and really simple to make. I always have hard boiled eggs on hand so I can enjoy a hardboiled egg anytime in a salad or make egg salad when the mood hits. 
I often cook up a pound or two of bacon in the oven so I have cooked bacon available for any recipe. Sometimes I just snack on a crispy piece or use a slice to stir my Bloody Mary ;-). 
You will notice my specific use of Sir Kensington's Avocado Mayonnaise. It's a bit more expensive than Hellman's, but avocado oil is a healthier option to the soybean oil found in Hellman's. I love Hellman's Mayo, but recently gave it up when I took a closer look at the ingredients and saw that it contains soybean oil. I have eliminated highly processed seed oils from my diet and soybean and canola oil are right at the top of the list. 

Egg Salad with Bacon and Lettuce Leaves

2-4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and mashed
2-4 tablespoons Sir Kensington's Avocado Mayonnaise
1 tablespoons flat leafed parsley or mint, chopped (or both!)
salt and pepper to taste
Cooked bacon-I cook mine in the oven on a baking pan
Romain lettuce leaves

1. Combine the eggs, mayo, herbs, and salt and pepper together. 
2. Place two pieces of lettuce together and fill with egg salad. Top with bacon and serve.

Adapted from myfitnesspal.com

Makes 2 servings
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½ cup, All-purpose Flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt - Low-fat 2%

1. Add dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) to a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients (eggs and Greek yogurt) until well mixed.
2. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir together until well combined.
3. Spray your pan or griddle with cooking spray and place onto stove on medium-low heat. Use a 1/4 cup measure or cookie scoop to portion out pancakes that are about 4 inches in diameter. 
4. Cook pancakes until the bottom side is brown and a few bubbles form on the top of the pancake (about 3-4 minutes), then flip the pancakes. You’ll notice that these pancakes won’t bubble up too much like traditional pancakes. Leave extra room in the pan because the pancakes may splatter when you flip them.
5. After flipping the pancake, cook until the other side is brown (about 2-3 minutes). Repeat with remaining batter. Top pancakes with blueberries, and enjoy.

Let me begin this post with a big THANK YOU to my friend Kaaren who gave me this recipe years ago.  It has become a favorite dish on my Thanksgiving table and a favorite recipe at my cooking demonstrations.  I make batches and batches of this tart-sweet sauce to freeze and have long after fresh cranberries are no longer available at the grocery store.  I'll even buy bags of cranberries and freeze them to assure I have this sauce all year long.  I use frozen raspberries which are sweet and economical.  
On the sweet side, I serve this sauce for dessert draped over pound cake and ice cream.  I also use it the breakfast table served on oatmeal, yogurt, and cottage cheese.  To add a savory side to the sauce I've prepared it with 1 Tbs of chopped fresh rosemary to compliment chicken, pork, and roasted vegetables.  I'm sure once you try it you'll love it too.

​Makes 3 cups
 
1 12 oz package of fresh cranberries
1/2 cup of sugar
1 cup water
1 12 oz package of frozen raspberries
 

1. Combine water, sugar, and cranberries in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat.  Cool the cranberries to room temperature.
   
   
2. After the cranberries have cooled gently stir in the raspberries.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 
*Make this a savory sauce by adding 1Tbs of fresh chopped rosemary and ½ tsp of salt while cooking the cranberries and sugar.