Menemen – Turkish eggs delight

The biggest compliment I can pay to ‘Menemen’ is that it has become my ‘go to’ breakfast, replacing bacon, sausage and eggs, for an incredible 61p per portion. This tasty Turkish recipe from the Hairy Dieters’ fourth book is very easy to make – it’s just a case of lobbing everything into one pan and doing a bit of stirring. The flavours are brilliant, and if you like a bit of a kick to your mornings you can be generous with the chilli powder!

Leave out the feta if you’re seeking a vegetarian version (or can’t be arsed buying cheese), or if you’re being strict on your calorie count and shopping budget. To save time,  prep the onions and peppers the night before and place them in an air-tight container and get all of your ingredients out ready before you start.

If you’re wondering what to do with the 200g of chopped tomatoes leftover why not try  making Chorizo with Butter Beans for a healthy, low-cal lunch?

Recipe: Menemen (Turkish Eggs)

Calories: 211 per serving or 264 per serving WITH feta cheese

Serves: 4

Book: The Hairy Dieters Fast Food

Prep time: Approx 15 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 small red onion (finely chopped), 1 red pepper (finely diced), 1 green pepper (finely diced), 1 tsp hot smoked paprika or chilli powder, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tbsp tomato puree, 4 medium tomatoes (diced) or 200g chopped tomatoes, 8 eggs (beaten), flaked sea salt, freshly ground black pepper

Cost per portion: Approx *£0.95 *cost based on Tesco prices – December 2022

Method: Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan that has a lid. Add the onion and peppers and cook them over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, covered, stirring regularly. They should have some texture – you don’t want them too soft.

Sprinkle over the paprika or chilli powder and the oregano. Add the tomato puree and cook for a further couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.

Season the beaten eggs with salt and black pepper. Add them to the tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, uncovered until the eggs have completely combined with the tomato mixture and are just cooked through – the consistency should be soft.

Serve immediately, sprinkled with feta, if using, and parsley or mint leaves.