Shakshuka
Shakshuka is a classic Middle Eastern dish featuring eggs that can be prepared for breakfast, or really, any meal of the day. The classic version entails eggs poached gently in a sauce of tomatoes, onions, peppers and spices. The recipe here was inspired by a mid-day meal at Oren's Hummus in Mountain View, and also by an abundance of leafy greens that had arrived the previous Saturday from Narci Organics and were weighing heavily on my culinary conscience as they started to show signs of 'un-freshness'.
Moreover, my family had had enough of sautéed kale and kale soup; I needed to present a more appealing kale dish! And eggs do make everything better.
Ingredients :
2-3 tbsp oil
1 bunch kale (curly or lacinato),chopped finely
1 large shallot, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp tomato sauce
Dried herbs of your choice
4 -6 eggs
¼ c Vegetable Broth (or water)
½ tsp Red chili flakes
2 tbsp Cream or half-n-half (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 350 deg.
Heat an oven-safe pan on the stove. (I used a cast iron skillet).
When hot, add oil and let it heat. Add the sliced Shallots and fry for a few minutes till they begin to brown.
Add garlic and stir for a Minute.
Add the tomato sauce, mix well and cook for a few minutes.
Add herbs and chili flakes and stir.
Add chopped kale in 2-3 parts, allowing it to wilt before adding more. Mix well and add broth or water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally till kale is well cooked, around 7-8 minutes. Add more broth or water if necessary. Add salt and pepper to taste and add cream if using. Stir well. Turn the heat off.
Make 4-6 ‘wells’ in the kale mixture. Gently crack an egg in each well. Sprinkle each with a pinch of salt and place the pan in the oven. Bake for around 12 minutes till the egg whites are cooked but the yolk is still runny.
Remove from oven. Sprinkle with za’atar if desired. Another wonderful topping is feta cheese.
Enjoy warm with pita bread.
-Vaishali