Shakshuka

Adapted from Taproot Magazine Issue 31: Revive

I love this recipe because I can make it all year long. I always have some version of these ingredients on hand—fresh, frozen, and/or canned. I also like adding in seasonal ingredients to mix it up like summer squash, okra, or any greens you have on hand. Then cook up some rice or roasted potatoes to give you a complete meal for any time of day.

Serves 4

Total time ~ 1-1.5 hours

Ingredients

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper or escamillo pepper, cut into 2 inch slices

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes or about 3-4 c. fresh diced tomatoes

1 half or whole jalapeño (cater to your spice preferences)

Steps

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, pepper, garlic, and any additional veggies and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

  2. Add the tomatoes with their juice, jalapeño, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper and stir. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half. I tend to make it a little more liquid-y, so I have juice for my rice or bread to soak up. Simmer for longer if you want less juice. If you’re making rice, then start it now.

  3. Add greens and cook until wilted.

  4. While simmering, make four indentations, evenly spaced, in the sauce with the back of a spoon. Crack an egg into each indentation. Loosely cover the skillet with a piece of aluminum foil. Cook until the whites are firm and the yolks are still a bit runny, or to your liking, about 2-3 minutes.

  5. Serve and sprinkle with herbs!

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1/2 tsp. salt

Few pinches of ground black pepper

1-2 c. spinach or any green you have

4 eggs

Chopped fresh cilantro, parsley, and/or scallions for garnish