Shakshuka

Don't call it a comeback! Hello everyone!!! Well according to the internet, it's been 1 year, 7 months, and 19 days since I last posted. You may ask, where the heck have you been lady! Well, it's been a variety of things that have kept me away. It started off as work being incredibly being busy (which I don't recommend that anyone use an excuse to stop doing things you enjoy.), then unfortunately, my mom became sick and blogging didn't sit on my list of priorities, and then to be honest, for a while there I kinda just didn't feel inspired to do this anymore. But I am so excited to say, I am back!! I am really looking forward to sharing some new recipes with all of you. And the more days I live, the more I am obsessed with making sure that what we eat is not only delicious, but worth putting into our bodies. We are what we eat, right? So I look forward to having you share in this adventure of delicious and healthy eating!

Ok! So! Chances are that you've heard of some variation of Shakshuka. The ones I know of are versions of this called Eggs in Purgatory, Huevos Rancheros, and Menemen and they come from all different parts of the world, and yes there are slight differences to all of them, but at the heart of it they are pretty much the same. The basic gist is of all of them base of tomatoes cooked to a sauce,  with eggs added towards the end, sort of poached in that wondrous sauce. And basically I am a major lover of all things eggs....poached being my absolute favorite way to eat them. And this is a versatile enough dish that you can have this for breakfast, lunch or dinner! And of course, the dish is as simple as it gets. So let's do this!

Ingredients:
3 tblsp olive oil
1 large onion
1 large bell pepper
5 garlic cloves
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne (more or less as preferred)
1 28 oz can tomatoes with juices
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 large eggs

Optional: 
Harissa
5 oz feta cheese
Ground sausage
Lentils

Step 1:
Heat oil in a large pan over medium-low heat.

Step 2: 
Thinly slice onion and bell pepper and add to pan. Cook until soft for about 10-15 minutes

Optional Step 2a: 
If adding lentils or sausage you can add them in at this point. They are absolutely not traditional and I don't suggest it the first time around, but it adds some additional substance to the dish if you need something more robust.  

Step 3: 
Slice garlic, add to pan and and cook until tender, about 1 to 2 minutes;

Step 4: 
Stir in cumin, paprika and cayenne, and cook 1 minute.

Step 5: 
Chop and pour in tomatoes and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper

NOTE: If possible, you want to buy canned tomatoes that are organic as well as in a BPA free can. The MUIR Glen brand is fantastic. It's organic, BPA free, no sugar added. We get ours from BJs, but I know you can also get them at Amazon.
And you may think, well I'll just use regular organic tomatoes. You can definitely do that, but it will have a different flavor profile. The canned tomatoes will be much more flavorful and are really preferred if you're making any type of cooked dish. 

Step 6: 
Simmer until tomatoes have thickened about 10 minutes.

Step 6a: 
If you have access to Harissa, I highly recommend it. It's a chili paste that's a bit spicy but more importantly, it's really aromatic and flavorful. You don't need more than 1 tsp but you can add as much as you like if you want more of a punch. 

Step 6b:
If you want to add in another depth of flavor, add in crumbled feta at this point. This is also not traditional, and I don't suggest it for the first go round of this, but we found it to be tasty for a small variation in this dish. You can leave it in chunks, or you can mix it in. It doesn't add much of a taste difference with everything else going on in the pan, but it adds this lovely creaminess to the dish. 

Step 7:
Try to dig a small well in the sauce, and crack the eggs an inch or so apart in the pan.

It is very saddening to see the yolk break. If possible, do your best to keep them whole. Trust me, when you break into that beautiful yolk in your dish, you'll thank me!  

Step 8: 
Cover and cook on low for 5-10 minutes, depending on how done you like your eggs to be. Some recipes suggest you put it in the oven at this point, and you can do that instead -  but I found that the oven cooked the eggs far too much and too quickly for my liking.

Step 9: 
After 5-10 minutes, open the lid and check on the eggs. The white should be completely cooked through, but be jiggly inside. Remember because the tomato sauce is so hot, it will keep cooking the eggs, so don't overcook them, and try to serve immediately.

Step 10: 
Serve with a crusty piece of bread or naan or pita.

This isn't the prettiest picture, and it doesn't do the dish justice. I'll try to take a better one next time I make this. But trust you me, it is absolutely wonderful and I hope you try it soon! Enjoy!