Shakshouka
A Middle Eastern dish of unknown origins, some food historians believe the dish spread to Spain and the greater Middle East from Ottoman Turkey. Others think it originated in Morocco or Yemen. I'm not sure if it matters. It's a great, cheap meal to feed a bunch of hungry college kids.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove of minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Pinch of cayenne pepper or more to taste
- Pinch of sugar optional, to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- *1 red bell pepper 6 oz, thinly sliced
- 1 large yellow onion 10 oz, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more for sprinkling
- One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
- One 15-ounce can Canneloni white beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 to 6 large eggs
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley or cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet (preferably cast iron.)
- Wilt the onion and pepper over medium heat, about four minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add the remaining spices and cook an additional two minutes to release the flavor.
- Add the canned diced tomatoes with their juices.
- Simmer for five minutes and then stir in the white beans.
- Return to a simmer and then reduce the heat until the mixture thickens, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Create a little indentation in the tomato mixture for each of the eggs. I crack mine separately to make sure there are no shells before adding them one at a time to the small indentation.
- Add a bit of salt and black pepper to each egg.
- Cover the skillet with a lid so the eggs can poach. (Any kind of cover will do in a pinch).
- Cook over low heat until the eggs are prepared to your liking. This can take anywhere from 5 to 7 minutes.
- Gently spoon some of the sauce over the yolk if you like the eggs firmer.
- Sprinkle with feta. Serve immediately from the skillet.
Notes
I had a few small red, orange, and yellow bell peppers and a stray jalapeno pepper in the veggie bin. I used those and it really boosted the flavor. I also threw in some leftover baby spinach.