Shakshouka

I'll admit: this may not be the most appetizing-looking food I've ever posted about. However, the simplicity and flavor of the dish far outweigh the not-so-perfect looking portions! Plus, there's only so much patience you have for pictures when you're hungry! Anyways, this dish should be no surprise to you that we made it because it involves many things we eat on a regular basis: onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, spices, and herbs. It involves so many of our normal foods that I'm surprised Will hadn't come up with it on his own already. Anyways, the appeal is that it is a Middle Eastern dish, which is why it jumped out at Will. It can be served either hot or cold (we chose hot) and goes beautifully with breads like our Dutch Oven Bread. Since it's super simple, I recommend giving it a shot!

Cooking Notes: The original recipe suggests using a chili pepper, which we skipped. We also used powdered cumin instead of cumin seeds, which were suggested. And I believe we used a red/orange bell pepper combo instead of the red/yellow combo in the original recipe. Lastly, the recipe called for you to peel the tomatoes, which this is how we responded. You can also just use canned tomatoes.

Shakshouka (adapted from PBS; serves 6)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, minced
2 bell peppers, minced
2 lbs. tomatoes (or 2-3 large tomatoes), roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1 egg per serving (4-6 total)

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add oil, allowing it to warm. Add the garlic, onion, bell peppers, and cumin, frying until they're tender and starting to caramelize, about 10-15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, and salt, simmering uncovered until the mixture is thick and chunky, about 15-20 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings to your liking.

At this point, if you are not serving it all at once, go ahead and separate out the portion that you will save into another container. Take 2 eggs and break them into the pot. Turn the heat down to medium low, covering the pan with a lid. Cook the eggs until they reach the desired level of doneness. Serve with bread when eggs are done!

Recipe: PBS: Shakshouka