A while back I needed a fast vegetarian recipe that works well for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I was in charge of doing a virtual team building exercise for my team at work. We were split between Chicago and London with several different food restrictions. The decision was made for it be a “cook-a-long”. I decided on shakshuka, because it is fast, easy and works well for any meal. It is a dish of eggs simmered in a spicy tomato sauce that originates from the Middle East and North Africa.
Shakshuka is great recipe for the “nine days“. The nine days are time a traditional time of mourning when many Jews do not eat meat. While this recipe is already pretty easy, if you are is a rush you can take a short cut and use jarred salsa instead of peppers, onions, hot sauce, and crushed tomatoes.
Shakshuka is a fast vegetarian egg dish that works well for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, that is great for the "nine days".
- 1½ Cups Canned Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 Medium Onion Diced
- 1 Medium Sweet Bell Pepper Diced
- 3 Large Eggs Brought to room temperature
- 1/4 Cup Feta Cheese Crumbled
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Schug , Harrisa, or the hot sauce of your choice Optional
- Salt and Pepper To taste
- Crusty Sourdough Toast or Baguette For serving
-
Take the eggs out of the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature.
-
Place the pan over low heat and add the oil and the onions. Season the onions with salt and pepper to taste. Sauté the onions until they begin to become translucent.
-
Add the bell peppers to the pan and sauté until the peppers begin to soften. Add the crushed tomatoes and bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir in the schug, harrisa, or the hot sauce of your choice, if you want to add a kick.
-
Carefully crack the eggs directly in to the pan, making sure not to break the yolks. Allow the eggs to simmer in the tomatoes until the whites are set and yolks just stark to thicken. Top with the feta and a little more black pepper.
-
This is traditionally eaten right out of the pan accompanied by some toast or crusty bread.