Shakshuka

It’s fun to say and it’s even better to eat. Okay folks. This is by far my favorite recipe of all time. I won’t waste time with a big lead in, but you need to try this recipe. It’s a game changer.

This whole meal goes into one pan on the stove top. You’ll need a lid for the final step.

1 medium onion diced
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 green pepper diced
1 jalapeno (cored and diced)
28 oz crushed tomatoes (I’ve liked using the fire roasted kind)
2 tbl tomato paste depending on how thick you want your sauce
2 bay leaves
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbl cumin
1.5 tbl paprika (I use Hungarian)
1 tsp sugar (helps cut the acidity of the tomato)
1-2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbl finely chopped cilantro
2-4 tbl feta cheese (trust me… this makes it awesome)
As many eggs as you want to serve

Saute the onion, garlic, green pepper, jalapeno, and bay leaves until soft. You could omit the jalapeno if you don’t want any heat but I think it adds to the flavor.

Add in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add all of the spices and cook for 1 minute. Carefully pour in the crushed tomatoes and be careful not to splatter since your pan will be hot. You can add some of the cilantro to the sauce now or wait until the final step.

Cook tomato sauce for 10 minutes on a low heat. Remove bay leaves.

Now for the fun part. Your sauce will be thick by this point. With a spoon make a well for each egg starting on the outside area. Crack your first egg and slowly fill the well. Repeat for each egg.

Cover your pan and cook on low heat until your eggs are poached to your desired consistency. I like mine a little runny but you can cook until completely solid.

Remove from heat and sprinkle top with cilantro and feta. Serve any way you like! Traditionally you’d eat this out of the pan with bread but it’s also good on couscous, rice, or just in a bowl with a spoon.