Shakshuka

So I stumbled across a blog called, The Shiksa in the Kitchen, a while ago from a Jewish woman who blogs Jewish and Mediterranean recipes that are simple and have authentic flavors.  She has a companion blog called The History Kitchen in which she explores previous eras of food and replicates them; she did a post on the Titanic's food for their 100th anniversary and recreated a dish from the night she sank!  How cool is that?  I LOVE Mediterranean food, so I was very excited to try some of her recipes!


One of the first recipes I saw was one for Shakshuka (no idea how to pronounce it).  It's a basic dish in Israel, but every family puts their own spin on it.  The original is meatless but does have eggs.  Unfortunately, my efforts to feed Ben vegetarian meals on the occasion has backfired--he is one of those people who thinks that it's not a meal unless it has meat.  But anyway--I knew I would love this instantly.  Aromatic spices with tomatoes topped with eggs?  Yes please!

This recipe was extremely easy, fast, cheap, and very healthy!  I used whatever vegetables I had in my fridge (peppers, mushrooms, and spinach this time) which means that this dish will never taste the same twice!  I have eggs and canned tomato products on hand anyway so this dish is for those nights I don't really feel like cooking.

I used roasted tomatoes in this recipe.  My grandparent's and in-laws's gardens were exploding with tomatoes and to keep up I roasted them like crazy and freezing them.  Roasting tomatoes gives it another flavor, and I can't wait to start making spaghetti and pizza sauce with it! 

Shakshuka (original here)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium brown or white onion, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium green or red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups your choice vegetables, chopped
4 cups roasted or ripe tomatoes (can sub 2 cans (14 oz. each) diced tomatoes)
1 can tomato paste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
5-6 eggs
1/2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley (optional)

1. Heat olive oil in a deep, large skillet or sauté pan on medium. Add chopped onion, sauté for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften. Add garlic and continue to sauté till mixture is fragrant.
2. Add the bell pepper, mushrooms, and other vegetables of your choice; sauté for 5-7 minutes over medium until softened.
3. Add spices and allow to saute for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes and tomato paste to pan, stir till blended and allow mixture to simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes till it starts to reduce.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste, add sugar for a sweeter sauce, or more cayenne pepper for a spicier shakshuka.
6. Crack the eggs, one at a time, directly over the tomato mixture, making sure to space them evenly over the sauce.
7. Cover the pan. Allow mixture to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked and the sauce has slightly reduced. Some people prefer shakshuka eggs more runny. If this is your preference, let the sauce reduce for a few minutes before cracking the eggs on top-- then, cover the pan and cook the eggs to taste.
8. Garnish with the chopped parsley, if desired. 

Ben loved the flavors, but he requested to add chicken next time including keeping the eggs.  Just add the meat (beef would be good with this too) to the first stage and go for it!Pin It