Breakfast, New and Improved

Yesterday morning, I woke up, threw on a pot of coffee, and got started on breakfast: scrambled eggs with cheese and chives from the garden served with whole wheat toast.  Tasty, sure, but a bit tired.

So when I woke up this morning, I really wanted to try something new.  I flipped on the Cooking Channel and started scanning Tastespotting to see if anything popped up, and lo and behold, "shakshuka" appeared.  It looked delicious - poached eggs nestled in tomato sauce - but I wanted to investigate a bit further.  Queue Wikipedia!

Shakshouka (also shakshuka, shaqshuqa, chakchouka; Arabic: شكشوكة‎; Hebrew: שקשוקה‎) is Middle Eastern dish consisting of poached or fried eggs cooked in a sauce of tomatoes, peppers, onions, and spices (often including cumin, turmeric, and chillies), and usually served with white bread. It probably originated in Tunisia.

I was convinced.

Tastespotting lead me to a shakshuka recipe on a site called "My Jewish Learning."  The fact that this dish was a nod to my heritage was a surprising and added bonus.  I read the recipe, realized I needed to cut it in half (I hate living alone ... come home, Matt!), and went to work.

The recipe recommended cooking the tomato sauce for 30 minutes in a saucepan and then transferring it to a frying pan when poaching the eggs.  This seemed unnecessary to me, so I simply cooked the tomato sauce in the frying pan itself.  Why dirty an extra pot?  I also sauteed the garlic, tomato paste, salt, and paprika for a minute or two before adding the crushed tomatoes in order to really bring out their flavor.

(Note: if you don't have tomato paste in a tube, get some.  Recipes almost never call for a full can - what a waste!)

After the sauce had reduced for about 5 - 10 minutes (during which time I brewed some coffee and toasted two slices of bread), I gave it a taste and felt it was missing something.  I went back to my pantry and decided to add some smoked paprika (very strong stuff - use cautiously) and red chili flakes.  Much better.

The eggs took twice as long to poach than what the recipe called for, but it might have been because I didn't have appropriately-sized lid.  Don't forget to season the eggs themselves with a little bit of salt and pepper.

I finished the dish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.  It's pretty hard to go wrong when either of those ingredients are involved.  (I recently started finishing spaghetti this way - once portioned into bowls, I sprinkle the spaghetti with some Parmesan, drizzle over about a teaspoon of olive oil, and dust with freshly cracked black pepper.  It's divine, and actually inspired by that tantalizing De Cecco ad that runs before every episode of Lidia's Italy!)

In short, this dish is a great way to mix up a tired breakfast routine, never mind its low calorie, low fat, antioxidant and lycopene rich characteristics.  It's also incredibly simple and quick.  It would be especially great during Passover - just swap out toast for matzo!

SHAKSHUKA (adapted from My Jewish Learning)

(photo from TravelBlog)

1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

freshly cracked black pepper

1 tsp paprika

¼ tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp tomato paste

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbs minced fresh herbs (e.g. thyme, sage, parsley, basil) if desired

2 – 4 large eggs

2 – 4 slices of hearty bread (or matzo during Passover)

Heat 1 tbs of olive oil over low heat.  Add the minced garlic, salt, paprika(s), pepper flakes, and tomato paste and sautee for 1 – 2 minutes, until fragrant and slightly softened.  Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine.  (If using fresh herbs like thyme or sage, add now.  If using fresh herbs like parsley or basil, add just before serving.)

Allow the sauce to thicken over low heat for 5 – 10 minutes, stirring occasionally lest it burn.  Toast the bread while the sauce thickens.

Once the sauce is ready (make sure to taste and adjust seasonings if necessary), crack 2 – 4 eggs into the pan, depending on how many people want to eat.  Season each egg with a tiny pinch of salt and pepper, and gently pierce each yolk with a fork.  Cover tightly and poach until set, approximately 4 – 6 minutes.

Remove from the heat, drizzle with olive oil and Parmesan cheese (and fresh herbs if you have them, like parsley or basil), and serve in the pan with toast on the side.

You could easily make this an “anytime” meal by serving it with a simply dressed green salad and a big glass of red wine.  Give it a try!

-M