The Simply Sensational Shakshuka

I went out to brunch with my friends, Ali and Sam, and naturally Saturday brunch means being basic and heading to Newbury Street. We settled on Stephanie’s, somehow all ordered a side of home fries (apparently sharing wasn’t an option) and sipped on their spicy house-made Bloody Mary’s. (I’m slowly becoming a Bloody Mary fan, and even I want to buy their mix, so I’ll just let that sink in.) We were looking for a savory kind of breakfast — something hearty and filling. I tested out their shakshuka and am so glad I did. So glad, in fact, that I decided to recreate it at home. This looks complicated, but I promise you it’s not. The chopping is a bit time consuming, but otherwise it’s a dump and step back while this cooks kind of recipe — my favorite. I added in more finely chopped veggies for nutrients and depth, but the real flavors are the tomatoes and the spices. Any tomatoes work, but heirlooms are just so pretty and in season now. It would be so easy to serve as a brunch or dinner and you can tailor the poaching of the eggs to being over easy or soft/hard boiled. I’ve already stocked up on the ingredients to make Shakshuka a second (and a third) time.

Ingredients (serves 4).

• 1 T light olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/4 c matchstick carrots, finely chopped
• 1/2 c red pepper, finely chopped
• 1 container (20 oz) heirloom tomatoes, chopped
• 1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes, no salt added
• 1 t cumin
• 1 t paprika
• 4 eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Red pepper flakes or sriracha to taste (optional — adding these after allows you to control the heat per serving)
• Torn fresh basil leaves to garnish
• 4 slices of multigrain bread, toasted *
• EVOO to drizzle (optional)

* NOTE: You can use any type of bread like a crusty French bread, naan or pita — any bread conducive to dipping. If using this as dinner instead of a breakfast/brunch, pair with a side salad.

Directions.

1. In a large sauté pan or skillet, heat garlic and olive oil over medium until just sizzling. Add onions, carrots and zucchini. Cook until just beginning to brown.
2. Mix in chopped heirloom tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are just beginning to break down and a sauce starts to form. Add 1-2 c depending on how thick of a sauce you want.
3. Pour in the can of diced tomatoes and reduce the mixture to a simmer. Stir in cumin and paprika and cook for about 7-10 min.
4. Using a spoon, make 4 indents or “beds” to crack the eggs into. Continue to simmer over low-medium heat, cover the pan and cook until the egg whites have set, about 5-8 min. The shorter you cook the eggs, the yolk will be runny; the longer, the yolk will be hard boiled and set. Once done, remove from heat.
5. Meanwhile, toast or warm bread while eggs cook.
6. Spoon shakshuka into a bowl dividing the tomato mixture along with one egg. Serve with bread (or greens). Drizzle with EVOO for an added flare (optional).
   • If you’re really hungry, this can serve two — plate half of tomatoes with two eggs and one slice of bread (or swap for greens).
7. Top with torn basil, ground black pepper, red pepper flakes and/or sriracha for a kick.
8. Serve hot, dip that bread and enjoy!

Inspired by the Eggs Shakskuka I had for Saturday brunch at Stephanie’s on Newbury in Boston.

Nutrition for 1/4 tomato mixture with 1 egg & 1 slice of multigrain bread.

250 calories  •  6.6 g fat (19%)  •  47.6 g carbs (61%)  •  15.2 g protein (20%)  •  23.5 g sugar

* These are estimates based off specific products I used and how I entered ingredients in a fitness tracker. This is completely subjective and used to give a rough nutritional estimate.

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