This Shakshuka, or Shakshouka if you prefer, is why I’m so glad the show/blog/channel is called, “Food Wishes.” This North African one-dish-meal is so fast, easy, and delicious, but it probably wouldn’t have occurred to me to do a video for it, unless someone sent me a request.
I always appreciate these types of reminders, and seeing "Shakshuka" in a subject line does catch your attention, but now I have a little problem. I can’t stop saying it. It has basically replaced using profanity for me. Yes, now when I stub my toe, I yell "shakshuka!"
I know we did an Italian-inspired version of this idea, served in individual ramekins, but this is supposedly the original. The sauce is quite different, and I think more interesting. The peppers and mushrooms add another layer of flavor, and the spicing is much more complex. Not to mention, a large pan of this is much more of a showstopper.
Just be sure to cook your sauce until the veggies are nice and soft and sweet. I don’t think you want crunchy onions and peppers in this, so take a little time building the base. You will also have to monitor the liquid level as it simmers, but that’s very easy to adjust by adding a splash of water or broth.
Once the eggs go in, you can finish covered on the stove, or just pop the pan into a hot oven until they cook to your liking. I go for just barely set, and the advantage of that system is, if you do want them cooked more, you just need to stir the egg into that hot sauce, and it will firm-up instantly.
No matter how you like your yolks cooked, this makes for an impressive breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. And if you’re serving a large group, you can scale this up to any size pan or baking dish. I really hope you “shakshuka!” very soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 6 small portions: (one egg per portion as appetizer - double for a main course)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
large handful of sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 cup diced red bell peppers
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
28-oz can (about 3 cups) crushed San Marzano tomatoes, or other high-quality plum tomatoes. Of course you can use fresh tomatoes in season.
1/2 cup water or broth, or as needed
6 large eggs (or as many as you can fit in you pan)
One of my go-to "I have no idea what to cook tonight" meals is breakfast for dinner. It's different for the kids, it's easy, and you can get rid of all your leftovers. Just scramble eggs, and throw everything in it! I had never really thought about putting corn in my eggs until I had breakfast at Martha's 22nd Street Grill in Hermosa Beach, California. They make a white corn scramble that's to die for. During the summer, I almost always have leftover corn in the fridge, and I love slicing off the kernels into salads, pastas and now... scrambles! This was delicious, probably due to the cream and Boursin cheese I added (no judging) but also because of the delicious, fresh, summer corn.
1/4 cup Garlic & Herb Boursin cheese (or garden veggie flavored cream cheese), crumbled
1 T chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley)
Salt and pepper
In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. While heating, whisk the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Add to skillet, and cook until fluffy using a rubber spatula to stir eggs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Over the weekend, I was treated to the best homemade egg salad I've ever had. It was made by a great cook who didn't want to reveal her specific recipe... however, she did tell me it's basically mayo, dijon mustard, dill, parsley and of course salt and pepper. But the big revelation was her technique for making it the PERFECT fluffy consistency... she smashes the hard-boiled eggs with a fork. Brilliant! I've never tried that before, but you can better your bottom dollar that I will now (I like to talk like Orphan Annie). Soooooo good.
We will be traveling a bit this week, but I will try and post as much as I can. And heading to the Today Show next week, more on that to come!
I don't know why this idea hasn't occurred to me before. I love the combination of eggs and avocado! If I'm going to have a fried egg sandwich or an omelet I almost always slather the green stuff on top. So to add diced avocado to egg salad seems totally obvious and I'm smacking my own head for figuring it out just now. (Ok, I'm not really abusing myself, but there was that drunken period of time in college when I thought it was hilarious to slap my own face. Not sure why I admitted that.)
This is an easy and fun twist on regular old egg salad. Call it "green eggs" and serve it with ham! Or serve it on lightly buttered toast with lox and a squeeze of lemon, like I did. However you eat it, don't hit yourself, because that's weird.
Place eggs in a saucepan and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil on the stove, then cover, turn off heat and set timer for 15 minutes. Once time is up, remove from stove and rinse eggs with cool water. Peel. Dice eggs and avocado and place in bowl. Add mayo and mustard, and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
We're on our way back home today and I couldn't be more excited to start baking holiday cookies and treats. I am going to call myself "Intha" for the entire month of December, which is a name I just made up by combining Martha and Ina. It's a beautiful name, isn't it? I will most likely name my 4th or 5th or 6th baby Intha. What's more important, however, is the spirit that Intha represents, which is "holiday food and decor created in an obsessive and perfect way." Yeah, Intha be crazy. So look forward to that!
But first, please enjoy this easy (my phone just autocorrected "easy" to "rash" and that made me chuckle) breakfast snack. It's very simple to throw together and extremely versatile, meaning everything and anything can go into it. Here's what I did:
To make 6 bites, whisk 6 eggs together in a bowl with a couple tablespoons of milk. Add one cup of chopped kale, and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Spray a muffin tin with baking spray. Add one slice of pancetta to each cup (optional), and then evenly distribute the eggs. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees. I put the broiler on for the last few minutes to make them golden brown.
Let's face it, it's almost time to stuff ourselves to the brim with holiday feasts. I am not opposed to that, don't get me wrong. But before we fatten up for wintertime, how about a nice, light, healthy dinner? This is exactly that - a meal rich in nutrients but hearty enough to fill our tummies. Sorry I said tummies, but I have three children under six years old.
I loved, loved, LOVED this dish. And versatility is the best part about it. Quinoa instead of lentils? Sure. Poached egg instead of fried? Yup. Swiss chard instead of kale? Uh huh. Add sausage? Yes please! This is getting annoying. Everything worked so well together... and the crunch of toasted coconut on top sealed the deal. Even if you think you don't like coconut, toast some up and try it on this dish. I will pay you, except no I won't.
In a medium pot, combine lentils and water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat until only a few bubbles are left, and let simmer for 30 minutes or until lentils have absorbed water and are no longer crunchy. Generously season with salt and pepper. While lentils are cooking, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add chopped kale and parmesan, and sauté until kale begins to wilt (I still like a bite to my kale, so I only cook it for a few minutes). Place kale in a bowl. In same pan, add a splash of olive oil and turn up heat to medium-high. Crack two eggs into pan, and cook until edges start to brown. With a spatula, gently flip eggs and turn off heat. Assemble lentils, kale and sliced avocado into two bowls. Add one egg per bowl, sprinkle with toasted coconut and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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