I have found my new favorite Brunch Dish. Recently, while going through old magazine clippings of recipes, I found a recipe for Shakshuka featured in Chatelaine magazine. I had never heard of Shakshuka before! It has several ingredients I love. Eggs, tomatoes, feta cheese, onions… I knew I had to try it!
When I looked up what Shakshuka is, it mentioned that cayenne pepper, paprika, and other spices that offer some heat are normally used. Since I was making mine with the possibility that children would taste it, I didn’t include those ingredients. The next time I make it for myself, I will be adding some heat to it. I’ll also use more feta cheese.
While the recipe I found uses pita bread, I baked sourdough bread from Breadbox Canada (no longer in business). It was the absolute perfect pairing for this dish.
It’s a vegetarian-friendly meal that uses only one skillet to make, is a great source of folate, and is only 255 calories. It is also extremely filling. If you like bruschetta, you’ll love this. Trust me.
Shakshuka
Ingredients
3 cups grape tomatoes
1 coarsely chopped onion
3 tsp butter
1 tsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
3 tbsp crumbled feta
A sprinkling of chopped parsley
Instructions
As mentioned, I baked sourdough bread for this recipe, however, the original recipe used pita bread. You can decide which bread you would like to use. I recommend something that can hold the mixture without getting mushy, i.e a crispy baguette or ciabatta bread.
Using an immersion blender (or another appropriate appliance), pulse the tomatoes and onion until they become finely chopped. Do not overdo it; you don’t want it to be completely puréed.
Melt butter in a medium-sized, oven-safe frying pan over medium-high. Stir in flour, granulated sugar, and salt. After 1 minute, add the tomato mixture and 1 tsp of za’atar. I also added 2 cloves of diced garlic because I love it, but that’s up to you. Season with fresh pepper. Gently boil until sauce thickens, about 7 minutes.
Make 4 wells large enough for the eggs in the tomato mixture with the back of a spoon. Crack 1 egg into each well. Sprinkle with crumbled feta.
Place the pan in the top third of the oven. Broil it until eggs are set but yolks are still runny- about 3 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
You can then either place the mixture on top of sliced, warm bread, or you can dip your bread into the pan. Enjoy!
Have you made Shakshuka? What do you enjoy adding to it?
