Shake it Up, Shakshuka Style!

Recipe: below
Prep time: 25 minutes
Servings: 2-3
Rating: 5 (out of 5)

Shakshuka is one of those rare dishes that can be consumed for any meal. Breakfast? Great. Lunch? Yum. Dinner? Perfect. This recipe favors heft and flavor, and can be made for any number of diners. The amounts listed below are for 1-2 portions.

A word of caution before we begin: unlike omelets, which require a wide frying pan, shakshuka requires depth. Therefore, a small pot will serve you better (i.e. ignore the frying pan in the pictures...)

Chopped ingredients, ready to go!

Heat up olive oil, and saute 1/2 a chopped onion . Yellow onions are great, but you can add another layer of flavor by adding red onion, leeks, or green onions. After a few minutes, add 1/2 a finely chopped pepper (I prefer red). Saute for a few more minutes, until the pepper softens. Add 2-3 finely chopped ripe tomatoes, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and a handful of fresh, chopped parsley and cilantro. Add a 2-3 spoonfuls of tomato paste (or if you must, ketchup), and spices: a few dashes of ground cumin and paprika, a dash of black and/or cayenne pepper, and a few granules of salt (to counter the tomato paste's sweetness).

Spices and eggs, lined up for frying.

Cover, and lower the heat. Let the sauce simmer, stirring occasionally. Gradually, the chunks will melt into a delicious, flavorful sauce.

Chunky tomatoes, ketchup and general goodness

Turn off the heat. Make 2-3 dimples in the sauce, and pour an egg into each one. Try to keep the eggs intact (again, ignore the pictures...), and try to cover each egg with some sauce. Cover, turn on low heat, and wait for eggs to be thoroughly cooked.

The hot sauce helps cook the eggs

To serve, put a slice of good, whole wheat bread in a bowl and top with shakshuka. Add a few splashes of olive oil, and devour.

The bread makes the dish more filling, and the olive oil makes it more delicious.

Bonus: If you're short on time, you can make large quantities of sauce and freeze it. Besides shakshuka, the sauce works wonderfully in lasagna.