Feel like brunching but you're stuck inside? We have got you covered, in just 7 easy steps you can have delicious, home-cooked shakshuka.
Summary
OK, so, we are all stuck in our homes and doing everything we can to be safe and keep calm, but we still have to eat. Creating meals can feel super daunting during uncertain times. We too have been tempted to say "fuck it" and toss a frozen pizza in the oven.
This recipe is great for breakfast or lunch, or dinner so you can still have the frozen pizza that you have been coveting( for when you are stoned out of your mind at 1 am). No worries! We got you covered. This spicy shakshouka is a one-skillet, dream, which means super easy cleanup so you can get back to your Netflix binging.
Ingredients
So for this recipe, you can make your own sauce, but that is totally optional. Using a jarred or canned sauce is perfectly acceptable. Plus it significantly cuts down on the time for this dish.
For the sauce you will need the following:
4 plum tomatoes
1 medium onion
4-6 cloves of garlic
1 tsp oregano
1 tbs tomato paste
4 anchovies (optional, but recommended)
1/3 cup of red wine (also optional, and remember if you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it)
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
For the Shakshuka
1/2 a bell pepper, sliced relatively thin
1-1 1/2 cups of your preferred sauce
2 large eggs, per person
1 tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or whatever kind you have)
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (goat cheese would also be a bomb choice)
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste
some toasted pita bread for dipping (or any bread that works well at sopping up the sauce)
PRO TIP: drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil on your pita, and sprinkle some Zatar on top, if you have it available. Heat your pita bread in the oven for 3-5 min at 325 degrees right before eating.
Sauce Recipe
Step 1: get a clean, medium-sized pot and place it on the stove on medium-low; once the pan has warmed up, add your oil
Step 2: toss in you diced onion, and cook for a few minutes until it becomes soft; about 3-5 min
Step 3: toss in your tomatoes and garlic, stir and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes; also, here is where you can add your salt and pepper as well as your oregano.
Step 4: toss in your tomato paste, wine, anchovies, and red pepper flakes
Step 5: let your sauce cook down for 20-30 min
Shakshuka Recipe
Step 1: slice your bell pepper into long thin strips
step 2: grab a small to medium-sized pan (depending on how many people you are feeding), and heat olive oil in the pan on medium-low heat
Step 3: toss in peppers; if you want to add more veggies like sliced onions, artichokes, etc. go for it, just be sure to season with a little salt and cook for about 3 min until veggies are becoming soft-ish but not mushy
step 4: Add your sauce to the veggies in the pan; if it is straight out of the fridge, warm it up for a minute, stirring to get everything well incorporated
step 5: gently, crack as many eggs as you intend to eat into the pan over the sauce, leaving the yolks intact; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika
step 6: cover the shakshuka with a lid, and let eggs cook for 4-7 min (depending on how runny you want your yolks to be); toss pita in the oven
step 7: garnish with chopped parsley and feta, and serve directly from the pan with bread
Pro tip: don't forget to congratulate yourself for cooking a healthy, delicious meal!
The Leftovers
If you made your own sauce, whatever sauce you don't use can be saved in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and is great over pasta with a little Parmigiano Reggiano
Or you can just make shakshuka again
We hope that in this time of uncertainty and panic, you can at least find some comfort in a warm, nourishing meal.
And be sure to wash your damn hands before cooking/eating
Be well, be safe, and be kind to one another.