Shakshuka – Breakfast or Dinner.
Let’s face it. The idea of cooking eggs in a bubbling stew of tomatoes, peppers, onions and chilis is genius! One can debate whether it should be a dinner meal or a breakfast meal (this seems to differ country by country), but that is for people who have too much time on their hands. I am a breakfast for dinner guy and a dinner for breakfast guy, at the same time. I am the first to go for a waffle dinner and a pizza breakfast. The act of eating atypical foods for a given meal time should be added to the definition of flexitarian. It no longer should be only a meat or veggie question, but one of what time certain foods are eaten during the day. Meaty stews or fondue for breakfast, oatmeal for dinner, omelettes for lunch! I love to mix it up!
Eggs Poached in Tomato Goodness = Shakshuka
The beauty of Shakshuka is that it is not complicated and only one pan is needed. This is the perfect recipe for both a fast breakfast or fast dinner. Oh yeah, its really tasty, too! When the brightness and flavor goodness of a stewed tomato, pepper and onion mixture is brought together with the richness and refining affect of a beautifully oozy egg yolk, nirvana is reached. And, you can get to nirvana with a spicy Shakshuka or a not spicy Shakshuka – up to you! Shakshuka is a poached egg taken to the next universe with nothing more than some really basic ingredients and a nonstick pan – FANTASTIC! Add some pita bread or biscuits and you have real eating pleasure. After all, adding something to any meal solely for the purpose of “sopping up” the sauce or runny egg yolks is always a big step towards deliciousness! The other nice thing about Shakshuka is that it is a little different from the normal fare that might be in the weekly dinner rotation. A dish like this is certain to bring freshness to the routine of getting dinner on the table.
Shakshuka is a poached egg taken to the next universe with nothing more than some really basic ingredients and a nonstick pan – FANTASTIC!.
Here is how I make my Shakshuka.
- 8 eggs
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 bell peppers – any color
- 1 chili pepper – optional
- 1 tbsp mild paprika or chili powder
- 1 small can tomato puree
- 1 8oz can of pureed tomato
- 1/3 cup of water or vegetable broth
- 1 tsp of cumin
- 1 tub of greek yogurt
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- Finely chop the garlic.
- Clean and slice the peppers and chili (if using) thinly.
- In a large non-stick pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the garlic to the pan. Cook until the garlic is softened and aromatic. Add the peppers. Cook the peppers until they begin to soften.
- Add the tomato puree, paprika/chili powder and cumin. Mix well and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Add the can of tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Add the water or broth and continue to simmer on medium low heat for 6-8 minutes to thicken the mixture slightly. Season with salt and pepper
- Create 6 little wells in the tomato mixture to poach the eggs in.
- Crack the eggs into the wells.
- Gently poach the eggs in the tomato mixture until the whites are set and the yolk is still runny or to your taste.
- Add the oregano (plus more to your taste) and a dash of salt to the greek yogurt, mix well.
- Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over the greek yogurt.
- Serve the eggs with the yogurt.
- Poach the eggs just enough to keep the eggs yolks runny.
- The dish can be made as spicy as you would like.
- Serve with biscuits.
Making This Shakshuka Your Own!
There is more that can be done with this recipe, too! The addition of ingredients like cooked sausage would certainly be a great addition. A few dollops of ricotta right in the pan would be wonderful, too. With small changes to the herbs, spices and dairy a Shakshuka could reflect any cuisine – cilantro and chili powder for a tex mex feel with sour cream, herbs de provence and creme fraiche for a french country side taste, some olives and feta for a greek twist…you get the idea. A little inspiration from practically anywhere can go a long way to making this Shakshuka your own!
I hope you enjoy!
Keep Eating! Keep Innovating!
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