Breakfast might be my favorite meals of the day. Well, let me clarify that, breakfast on a weekend is my favorite meal. Weekdays I often skip it—don’t tell my mom! On lazy Sunday mornings donning my college sweats and a beat up T-shirt, I often find myself beginning my day head deep in the fridge looking for brunch inspiration. I love pancakes, French toast, slow cooked oats, fruit bowls, but most of all, I love me some eggs! I particularly love how many different ways you can prepare eggs. I’m a fan of scrambled, over easy, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, poached…you get the drift. I also love that there are limitless ways to dress up eggs—add vegetables, meats, cheese, beans…really eggs go well with just about anything. There are a thousand ways to make a frittata, not to mention that you could have a different egg sandwich every day of the year. Eggs really are incredible!
Eggs a new way!
Worldwide eggs are a basic, relatively inexpensive and readily available ingredient. Because of how important eggs are, most countries and cultures have their own version of a dish that highlights this versatile ingredient. Today we explore shakshuka—a Mediterranean staple popular in Northern Africa and the Middle East.
Simple ingredients
What makes shakshuka such an attractive dish to the novice and expert cook alike is that odds are you already have all of the ingredients: eggs, tomatoes, onion, spinach and spices. You might be thinking, “I always use these ingredients when making eggs”, but shakshuka will bring a new, unexpected twist to how you prepare them. You won’t be stuffing your omelet with tomatoes or mixing your onions into scrambled eggs. Instead, you will use them and their juices to perfectly poach your eggs. And trust me, you will fall in love with the result.
Choose your canned tomatoes wisely
This recipe call for canned diced tomatoes and it is important to be mindful when choosing what type you want to use since they are really the star of this dish. Diced canned tomatoes come in many different varieties and whichever one you choose will greatly impact the overall flavor of your Shakshuka. I tend to use either tomatoes with green chilis (it adds a nice spiciness to the dish) or fire roasted tomatoes (for some smokiness). Choose the variety that you like best or make this dish a few times with different kinds just for fun. Of course, if fresh tomatoes are in season, you could also use them too.
And choose your skillet wisely
The trick to mastering this recipe is choosing the right sized skillet. Since the eggs need to poach in tomatoey goodness, you will want to ensure that your pan isn’t too big or too small. Remember the Three Little Bears? Well, you want to use a pan that is “just right”. This recipe calls for four eggs, so a medium sized skillet pan should do the trick, however if you’re adding more eggs or taking some away, size up or down appropriately.
Get cooking!
Shakshuka is Arabic for “a mixture” and I invite you to do just that: mix in any other ingredients that you would like or that your taste buds are craving. It could be some additionally veggies or perhaps you want to crumble some bacon on top. Get wild and make this recipe your own. It’s your Shakshuka after all. And if you’re looking for some other breakfast inspiration, these No Fuss Egg Cups are a great mid-week choice, or I love a slice of this Carrot Ginger Bread or this Banana (Pea)nut Butter Bread. I often make this Broccoli Cheese Egg Bake for brunch and I always have some Loaded Veggie Biscuits in the fridge. As always, let me know how your Shakshuka comes out by leaving a comment below. Enjoy! Buen provecho!
Shakshuka (eggs poached in tomatoes)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 or more garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- pinch cayenne pepper optional for some spice
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup tightly packed spinach about 2 large handfuls
- 1 small can 13.5 oz of diced tomatoes with their juices
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup crumbled goat or feta cheese optional
- ¼ finely chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Sauté the onion over medium heat until translucent (about 3 minutes). Add the garlic, bell pepper and spices. Cook until soft (about 5 more minutes). Add the canned tomatoes and their juices to the pan and stir in the spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Using a spoon, make small wells (essentially clear a space of the veggies and sauce) and crack an egg into each well. Cover the pan tightly and reduce heat slightly. Cook for 6-10 minutes, until eggs are done to your liking. Top with cheese and parsley (if using). Serve immediately.
Notes
The trick to mastering this dish is choosing the correct size skillet since you will be poaching the eggs in the tomato base you create. Use a medium sized skillet pan for four eggs, but size up or down if you add or take away eggs.
