Pepper and onion shakshuka

I have been meaning to have a go at shakshuka for ages, and while I've made lots of baked eggs, remember this one? I have yet to have a go, until this weekend that is! This is the easiest recipe, made even easier if you have a spiralizer, and it really is delicious- perfect weekend food! One of my favourite things about this dish also is the fact it's a one pan dish, meaning less cooking, you can even eat it from the pan if you'd like cutting down on washing even more!

You will need (makes one skillet to share):

• 3 peppers 
• 1 medium sized onion
• 3 eggs 
• 2 cloves of garlic 
• a small handful of pinenuts 
• 1 tablespoon of mixed herbs, dried of fresh and finely chopped 
• Basil to serve 

It's also even easier if you have a spiralizer! I use this one

To make it:

• Chop or even better, spiralize the peppers and onions, you may wish to cut them down the side first so the pieces aren't too long, alternatively just chop them roughly once spiralized. Spiralizing them for this and in general is such a gamechager, especially where the onion is concerned, it's so much quicker and no tears! 
• Pop some oil in a skillet on a medium heat and let it warm for a few moments 
• Add the peppers and onions and cook for about ten minutes until soft and reduced 
• Make a few holes in the peppers using the back of a spoon and crack an egg into each hole. 
• Allow to cook until the white has all erm whitened!
• Scatter with the pinenuts and basil, I used microherbs here from Nurtured in Norfolk  but normal herbs would do if you can't find these 
• Remove and enjoy, best served shared with low carb bread dunked in 

Eggfast friendly parmesan crisps

It's been a little while since I lat did an eggfast but I feel one is definitely on the horizon. Christmas is now fast approaching and me and Mr Vatkinary have made a vow to lose 1 stone each (14lbs) before Christmas week. This is totally doable but it does mean I need to properly get back on it and a large part of that I think will be via the eggfast which is pretty much my go to diet when things need speeding up in a big way.

After seeing these multiple times online/ Instagram etc and also having them several times in restaurants, I decided to experiment with some Parmesan crisps and I'm never going back. These are literally the easiest ever recipe with a grand total of one ingredient, you can add a couple more but they are entirely optional, and about 2 minutes preparation and just a further 10 minutes of cooking time. You can eat them in lots of different ways, I've shown them here alone, piled high with a filling- I chose eggfast friendly egg salad, then also as a sandwich with egg salad inbetween. I also tried them as little taco shells which I'll show another time very soon!

Without further ado then, you will need (makes 9 large crisps)

• 50g finely grated Parmesan- another hard cheese will do like Pecorino, look for veggie versions obviously
• Some garlic powder (optional)
• Some chives to sprinkle

To make:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit 
• Take a baking sheet and place on a baking tray- no need to oil
• Use a tablespoon and place heaped spoonfuls of the cheese at equal distances apart
• Sprinkle with garlic powder (if using)
• Place in the oven for 10 minutes until they've browned and solidified 
• Remove, sprinkle with your chives, if using (I used dried ones) and leave to cool for a further 10 minutes 
• Enjoy either alone, or with dips, or make mini sandwiches... the world is your oyster!