Last night, AK made me something for dinner I had never before even heard of: Shakshouka. A popular dish in Israel, shakshouka is a North African dish of eggs poached in a mixture of onions, peppers, tomatoes and spices.
It was, in a word, delicious (and I’m not just saying that :)). It’s also pretty cheap, considering you can serve it over toast or pita for a very filling meal.
Shakshouka
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 tsp vegetable or olive oil
1 large can diced tomatoes, half drained
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
6 eggs
freshly chopped cilantro or chives (optional garnish)
Directions:
- Heat oil in a deep saucepan and saute onion 4-5 minutes until soft and browned. Add peppers and cook 2-3 minutes more.
- Add chopped tomatoes and spices to pan and stir to combine. Heat until bubbling.
- Crack eggs and add to tomato mixture, ensuring they are evenly spaced around the pan. Using a fork, carefully stir tomato mixture around eggs so it mixes with the eggs whites and “there isn’t any white, everything is pink” (a direct quote from AK). Try not to break the yolks.
- Cover pan and cook 5-6 minutes until whites are solid and yolks are cooked to your liking.
- Serve over toasted bread or pita (or in my case, with a side salad). Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro or chives.
The cost:
onion: .45
pepper: 1.29
tomatoes: 1.49
eggs: .99
Grand total: $4.22; serves 2-3