Shakshuka

By: Michael Aviad

Shakshuka is a traditional North African dish that is wildly popular in Israel.  You can find shakshuka on the menu in just about every café in Tel Aviv.  Shakshuka is generally eaten as a breakfast food, but makes a good meal at any time of the day. There are many shakshuka variation – some are spicer than others, some add sausage, some add cheese. 

Traditionally, shakshuka comes with a serving of bread to soak up the sauce.  As you can imagine, since I’m a serious low-carb dieter, I skip the bread altogether.  I don’t find that I miss the bread, as the dish is quite heavy on its own and very satisfying.

This dish is about as versatile as it gets – you can add more tomatoes if you like, make it spicy or mild.  Whatever you decide, you can be sure it will be delicious.

Ingredients:

5-6 Medium tomatoes, chopped

1 Medium onion, finley chopped

2 medium red bell peppers, chopped

2-3 hot peppers (use cayenne, jalapeños, Anaheim or any other according to your taste) 

3 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped

½ cup olive oil

1½ tablespoons tomato paste

½ cup water

½ teaspoon cumin

salt to taste

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

 

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and starting to brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and half a cup of water. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and stir.

Crack eggs over sauce so that eggs are evenly distributed across pan. Cover pan and cook until yolks are just set, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle shakshuka with parsley and serve.

 

Serves: 2-3

 

Variation: Sprinkle ½ a cup of feta cheese on top of the shakshuka before serving.

 

 

via asweetlife.org

Delicious