Shakshuka. What a random name, eh? But the taste totally makes up for this dish sounding kind of weird.
To me, it is a taste of home – but without having to travel half way across the world… I haven’t had any in years until July of this year, when I headed to Israel to visit family and attend a friend’s wedding. One of the appetizers at the wedding was a huge pan of shashuka, cooked right on the spot. It was amazing.
Fast forward a few month to this weekend. Andrew and I headed to San Juan Island for a couple of days and in a little book store in Friday harbor, the book Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi caught my eye. Flipping through the book, I was sold when I saw a recipe for Shakshuka. The author is from Israel, so I am not surprised a dish like that made it into the book…
It is a traditional North African dish and it is extremely popular in Israel. There are many variations, but the general idea is eggs poached in a tomato sauce. Delicious simplicity, with LOTS of flavor.
The recipe below is adapted from this book, with several small changes to make it my own. Give it a go as post training fuel! If time is tight, make the sauce in advance and then all the have to do is poach the eggs.
By the way, I had some double smoked bacon with this, which is VERY non traditional… But it worked really well. So if you want to add some, go right ahead.
| Shakshuka |
- 1 yellow pepper
- 1 red pepper
- 4 very ripe tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 1/2-1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked hot paprika (more or less depending on your taste)
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp parsley
- 1 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled (more or less to taste)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 4 eggs
- Cut the peppers into strips
- Chop the tomatoes & onion
- Add the olive oil to a large pan and saute the onions until translucent
- Add the cumin, coriander and smoked paprika
- mix until the spices cover the onions
- Add the honey, thyme and peppers to the pan and cook on medium-high for ~5 minutes
- Add tomatoes, tomato paste, salt & pepper and reduce heat to medium-low
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for ~10-12 minutes. The mixture should be thick, but if it is getting too thick, add a bit of water
- Once everything is cooked, make 4 little ‘holes’ in the sauce (If your pan isn’t big enough, divide the mixture to 2 small pans)
- Crack an egg in each ‘hole’ and cover the pan with a lid
- Cook over low heat for 8-10 minutes or until the eggs are set
- Serve topped with parsley & feta cheese
Hey there! My name is Noa. I am an endurance coach, performance nutritionist, bike fitter, college lecturer, in the process of writing a thesis, coffee snob & a gluten free foodie. 
