Whether it’s buttery, baked or blissfully spiced, each of these breakfast picks offers a warm welcome to your day.

Vegetarian gourmet shakshuka  

Serves 2  

Ingredients 

1 onion, finely chopped
2 red peppers, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ Tbsp red-wine vinegar
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tin chopped tomatoes
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
4 eggs
½ cup feta, crumbled 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Heat some olive oil in an oven-proof pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and red pepper and fry for 6–7 min.
3. Add the garlic and spices and fry for another 2–3 minutes.
4. Add the vinegar and tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and parsley. Season well with salt and pepper.
6. Make 4 wells in the mixture and crack an egg into each.
7. Sprinkle with feta and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, until the eggs are done.

Recipe: Chiara Turilli
Styling: Elizabeth Mackenzie
Photography: Jotham van Tonder // HMimages.co.za 

Sausage-stuffed sourdough breakfast loaf  

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients  

2 Tbsp (30ml) olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup chopped parsley
½ tsp (3ml) paprika
1 loaf sourdough bread
1½ cups cheese, grated
250g chicken sausage, cooked and sliced
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
Handful chives, sliced   

Method  

1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Heat oil over medium heat. Fry the onion and garlic until soft. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and paprika.
3. Cut the top of the loaf into 3cm-thick diagonals, making small diamonds. Only cut halfway into the bread and not the whole way through.
4. Separate the pieces of bread with a teaspoon. Fill the gaps with the onion mixture, grated cheese and slices of sausage.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the top is golden brown.
6. Sprinkle with spring onion and chives before serving.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Sean Dollery // HMimages.co.za  

Grilled breakfast naan with spinach pesto and chickpeas 

Serves 6

Ingredients 

For the roasted chickpeas 

2 tins chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp dried origanum
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp sesame seeds 

For the spinach pesto 

1½ cups spinach, stems removed
½ cup basil
3 Tbsp parsley
3 Tbsp almonds, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 Tbsp grated hard cheese
2 Tbsp lemon juice 

For the grilled breakfast naan 

1 cup sour cream
6 naans, toasted
6 poached eggs
½ red onion, sliced
2 discs feta, crumbled 

Method 

For the roasted chickpeas 

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray.
2. Spread the chickpeas on the prepared tray and drizzle with olive oil. Toss through the spices and sesame seeds.
3. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the chickpeas are crisp.

For the spinach pesto 

1. Blanch the spinach and squeeze out any excess liquid.
2. Add this, together with the remaining ingredients, to a food processor and blend.
3. For the grilled breakfast naan, spread sour cream and spinach pesto over each naan. Top with an egg and onion, feta and chickpeas.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za