Easy Shakshuka

When Tim and I moved to Seattle about a year and half ago (almost 2!), I started working for a family as a nanny.  It turned into a family assistant role as well, including prepping food and making dinner for them a few times a week, which is something I love to do.  Dream Job: being a Personal Chef... let me know if you're looking (!!!).  I help them out again every once in a while even though I have a new job now.  The last time I was at their house, they asked me to make them a shakshuka for dinner.  I have always wanted to try or make this type of egg dish, but I usually just go back to my tried and true favorites (Including my egg puff, my moms incredible + untraditional quiche, my versatile frittata... you get the picture.  So I have never gotten around to making Shakshuka.

Funnily enough, we were having two guests stay at our little home that same week.  My youngest brother Brett, and one of my new favorite humans: Zach, who grew up in Isreal.  This is relevant, I promise-- I am not just going on a tangent!

Shakshuka is a traditional Isreali dish brought to Isreal by North African immigrants centuries ago.  It is one of those dishes where the main ingredients are the same (eggs, milk, cooked tomatoes) but you can change up the spices to your liking.  Traditionally the dish is spicy and rich and you can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  When I told the boys that I was going to prepare shakshuka for them for Saturday morning breakfast, Zach informed me of the fact that he has traditional shakshuka at least once weekly back home in Isreal.  This is obviously so fun because, leave it to beautiful food, the thing we can all relate to, the thing we all need to bring his culture and home to our home.  For the record, he said this recipe is as good as any Shakshuka he has ever had (and he is a very blunt person, no frills or flattery on his lips) but he said it was unique to the way I decided to flavor it.  As with any recipe, I read about the way you make it traditionally, and created my own recipe with the ingredients I already had on hand.  It is so so good and I hope you make it.

It is one of those dishes that you really want to just plop down in the middle of the table and let everyone dig in, grab some bread and double dip until the cast iron pan is pretty much licked clean.

I hope you love it!

Kait's Shakshuka:

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil or Avocado Oil (for cooking)
• 6 Eggs
• 1 Bell Pepper (I love orange and yellow ones) (chopped)
• 1 Medium sized Onion (chopped)
• 3 Cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 Can Plum Tomatoes (Chopped)
• 1 Tsp Dried Oregano
• 1 Tsp Ground Paprika
• 1 Tsp Groung Turmeric
• 1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• Handful Feta Cheese
• Splash of Milk or Heavy Cream (Maybe 1/4 and up to 1/2 Cup if you need a measurement, I probably did less than 1/4!)
• 3 Oz Feta (Just enough to sprinkle well on top and have it all throughout)
• Salt to taste

How To:

• I always just do what I want so it is really hard for me to outline steps.  Basically, if you were with me in my kitchen (and if you have ever been with me cooking!!) I would just talk you through it, so that is what I am going to do.
• You will first chop everything: onions, peppers, tomatoes (and I chop them and out them in a separate container.  You can do diced tomatoes if you like, but I like the plum tomatoes and chopping them) and garlic.  Heat up the oil in your cast iron pan, and sauté the onions and peppers until they are slightly soft, but not completely sautéed because they will continue to cook in the juices of the tomato sauce.  So heat them until they are half way soft.  Hope that helps!
• Then add the garlic and the spices (also, you can swap out spices you like, coriander is good, cumin, whatever you like!): oregano, turmeric, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and salt.
• Add the chopped tomatoes now.  Let simmer and come together and thicken up, you might want to turn the heat down.  Just pay attention to this little love.
• Add the milk or heavy cream and then mix and let it come together again for a minute or two.
• Then make 6 wells in the pan (turn the heat really low!).  Grab your eggs and a separate small bowl and you are going to want to crack each egg individually in the small bowl and then fill the wells one at a time.  You will have to keep re-forming the wells as you go.  I like to make a well until I see the bottom of the pan!
• Sprinkle the eggs with salt and top with the feta all over.  Feel free to be generous!
• Now at this point, I pop a lid on the egg dish and turn the heat the medium-low and let cook for about 7 minutes, maybe less maybe more, but you really want the egg white to be fully cooked and pretty firm.  If you want to cook the eggs more in the oven, you totally can.  I am happy with slightly soft eggs yokes so we just took it off and I highly recommend it.
• Put everything on the table.  A baguette was the perfect addition for dipping in the sauce, but normal toast would be tasty or just eating it on its own.  Super filling, supper healthy and so so yummy!!

Show me your photos if you make this!  Would love to see what you guys do! Tag @kaityroses

XOXOXO Kait