My first time being introduced to Shakshuka was actually in school. I expressed my interest in Judaism to some friends, and one of them became fascinated by the cuisine and insisted on making Shakshuka for me and one of my Jewish friends. I was a bit skeptical when I first saw it, but my hesitance was quickly overcome, and I fell in love with the dish. So, when I saw it as an option for my Blue Apron delivery, I jumped on it.
This is a fantastic vegetarian (not vegan) dish that features a tomato and pepper (as in bell) sauce and poached eggs. Poached eggs have actually become something of a treat for me, as one of my friends now is obsessed with brunch and insists on trying a wide variety of Eggs Benedict.
And, of course, in my delight over this dish, I apparently missed the opportunity to take a picture of it. Next time...
Summer Pepper Shakshuka
Originally found at Blue Apron
3 Eggs
2 Red Bell Peppers
2-4 Sweet Peppers (the smaller, colored peppers)
1 large Tomato
1 Red Onion
½ Pound Fingerling Potatoes
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 tsp chili powder (mild)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Olive oil
1 1/4 cups water
1 Large Bunch Parsley
½ Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Dice the peppers, tomato, onion, and potatoes. Remove parsley leaves from stems and roughly chop. In a medium skillet (preferably oven-safe), heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the potatoes and cook for 5-7 minutes, until browned and tender. Transfer to a bowl. Add bell peppers and onion to the pan, using more oil if necessary. Cook until softened, then add tomato paste and spices. Cook until fragrant. Add tomato, sweet peppers, cooked potatoes, 2/3 of parsley leaves, and water. Stir until thickened and saucy.
If not using an oven safe skillet, transfer sauce to an oven-safe dish. Create three wells in the sauce, and crack an egg into each well. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese over the sauce and eggs. Bake 6-8 minutes, until egg whites are set. Remove from oven and allow to sit 2 minutes. Garnish with remaining parsley.
My Notes:
Blue Apron sends you enough food for two people, and their vegetarian dishes are often very well portioned. So, I actually ended up making this two ways. I made the sauce and put everything into the oven as the recipe calls for. Seemed to take a really long time to cook, but my yolk ended up being a little more done than I would like, so I evidently left it in too long. The second time, I heated up the leftover sauce in a pot on the stove to boiling, then cracked the egg in and covered. Probably took a good 10 minutes before the egg started to cook, but that might've been because I didn't let the sauce heat all the way through before cracking the egg. None-the-less, both were good, and this dish made me remember how much I love shakshuka.
Play with the spices some too. I've seen several recipes with garlic powder included, and some with some other spices, including dried thyme. You can really make the dish with whatever spices you have available, though.
And, of course, the removal of the feta cheese makes this dish pareve, so adjust to suit your needs.
