Yield: 4 people
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Feta and Za'atar Shakshuka
Prep Time:
25 minutes
Cook Time:
8 minutes
Total Time:
33 minutes
Very versatile simmered eggs Israeli dish that's notorious for a weekend brunch, but would also be great as breakfast, lunch or dinner any day. Every cook has their own (best) version of Shakshuka and it's simple, delicious and nutritious.
You will enjoy it eating straight out of the cooking pan, family style, dipping fresh slices of Challah to the perfectly runny yolks and tangy tomato sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp Pilpelchuma or Harissa
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 large red bell peppers
- 1-2 hot pepper like Jalapano or Serrano, optional
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 5 large extra ripe tomatoes, chopped (2 cups total, canned are fine)
- 8 large eggs
- 4 oz Feta cheese or other similar sheep milk cheese
- 2 tbsp Za'atar seasoning mixed with 2 tbsp of good quality extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
To serve:
- Fresh Challah bread or other good white bread
- Chopped parsley
Instructions
- Using tongs, carefully place the Bell peppers and hot peppers on an open fire (on a gas range or using a blow torch), turning the peppers every few seconds so that it gets charred evenly all over. When done, place inside a closed plastic bag to chill (it will be easier to peel later). Once chilled peel and remove most of the burnt peel, and the seeds, don't worry if you left a bit. Chop roughly and set aside. This step can be skipped but it gives a really nice smoky tones to the dish. In this case, don't peel the peppers, just remove seeds and chop then set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and add the Pilpelchuma/Harrisa, tomato paste, bell peppers, garlic, cumin and ¾ teaspoon salt
- Stir and cook for about 8 minutes then add the tomatoes and peppers and bring to a simmer and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
- Make 8 little wells in the sauce, gently break each egg and carefully pour into a dip.
- Use a fork to swirl around the egg white while leaving the yolks intact. Crumble the Feta cheese in little wells of their own on top of the tomato sauce.
- Simmer for another 5-8 minutes until the whites are cooked and the yolks are still runny.
- Remove from heat, drizzle the Za'atar and olive oil mixture and allow to settle for a few minutes, then garnish with the chopped parsley.
- Serve in the cooking pan, with thick slices of fresh Challah bread.
Notes
- Variations: You can use another cheese like ricotta fresca or skip the cheese altogether to make it dairy free. Add a different protein instead of or, in addition to, eggs. Tofu is a great choice or a chicken thigh.
- To make it a green shakshuka, use a bag of spinach, and/or any combination of greens available (kale, Swiss chard, pak choy, etc. tough stems removed) and a sliced onion. Wilt the greens, onions and garlic with the olive oils until cooked and add Creme Friache (half and half to make it lighter or water to make it dairy free) to cream, then add the eggs and feta cheese.
- To make this individual plated, use a couple of smaller pans and serve an individual pan to each diner.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 560Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 414mgSodium: 1026mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 6gSugar: 13gProtein: 26g
Yield: 1 Pint Jar
Pilpelchuma
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Inactive Time:
30 minutes
Total Time:
40 minutes
Pilpelchuma is a red chili paste from the Libyan Jews of Tripoli. It's a sort of a curry paste made with garlic, chili, and spices to use as an ingredient for recipes like Shakshuka, Chraime, sandwich spread, meat seasoning etc.
This recipe makes a pint jar of pilpelchuma, which is plenty to use for multiple dishes and stores well for months in the fridge.
Recipe Adapted from the cookbook Jerusalem, Yotam Ottolenghi
Ingredients
- 1 large ancho or pasilla chile, or other dried chile with a little heat
- 4½ tbsp cayenne pepper
- 3½ tbsp sweet paprika
- 2½ tsp ground cumin
- 1½ tsp caraway seeds, ground
- 20 cloves garlic, peeled
- ¾ tsp salt
- 5 tbsp sunflower oil, plus a little extra
Instructions
- Place the chile in a small bowl, cover with hot water, and allow it to soak for 30 minutes. Drain and seed the chile and cut into large chunks.
- Spread the ground spices out in a frying pan. Place over medium-low heat and dry-roast them for about 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Put the spices in a small food processor, along with the chile, garlic, and salt. Process a little, then, with the machine still running, pour in the oil in a thin stream and process until you get a sticky paste.
- Spoon the mixture into a jar. Cover with a layer of oil, seal and store in the fridge, where it will last for up to 6 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
15Serving Size:
30 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 62Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 120mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g
Shakshuka goes really well with a side of tahini:
Yield: About 1 quart or 4 cups
Tahini in Three Colors
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Total Time:
15 minutes
In this recipe, we'll take the pure paste and make the basic white tahini sauce using just water, salt, and lemon. To make it into two more colors we'd put aside one-third as the white, and mix each of the remaining two thirds into a different variation: one heavily herbed and as spicy as you'd like - the green tahini, and the other blended with a cooked beet to make it deep pink in color, slightly sweet and savory, perfect as a spread or as a dip for a crudité platter.
Feel free to take this basic recipe and make it your own with some spices (cumin, paprika, chili, curry powder, turmeric...), herbs (parsley, mint, scallions, basil...), or other combinations: caramelized onions, garlic confit, lemon zest etc.
Ingredients
Basic, White:
- 1½ cup light tahini paste
- 1½ cup ice cold water
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 1 clove crushed garlic
- Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Green:
- 1 bunch cilantro, tough stems removed
- 4 tbsp Greek yogurt, you can skip it for dairy-free
- ½ jalapeno or serrano pepper, or more for more spiciness
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Red:
- ¼ cooked beet
To serve:
- Fresh Challah bread / warm pita pockets / crackers / tortilla chips
Instructions
- Put Tahini paste with the garlic in a food processor and while processing add cold water gradually then the lemon juice. Add salt and pepper and mix again. Taste for seasoning. The consistency should be velvety and running but not too liquid and can cover a back of a spoon.
- Put ⅓ of the tahini in a serving bowl (this is the white tahini).
- Put another ⅓ of the tahini aside and leave ⅓ in the food processor for the next step.
- Add ingredients of the green tahini and process until smooth. If needed, add 2-4 ice cubes to create lighter texture. Taste for seasoning.
- Transfer the green tahini to a serving bowl and wipe the food processor, then add back the ⅓ of the tahini left aside.
- Add the cooked beet and process for another 1 minute until the mixture is smooth and red. Taste for seasoning.
- Transfer the red tahini to a serving bowl and serve with fresh challah bread
Notes
- Make sure to use pure tahini paste for this recipe and not a ready-made tahini sauce, since making tahini from scratch is very easy, taste so much better and is a lot cheaper.
- If you want to make sure it's a pure paste - just check the label for ingredients: it should be only containing sesame seeds and nothing else.
- It's very important to use ice-cold water to make the tahini light and bright in color. You can also throw an ice cube in there to make sure it's nice and cold.
- The recipe yields about a quart total or little over a cup in each color. It's plenty for a dinner party of 10-12 people as a side dish. You can also just try one color by cutting the amount of the basic recipe in three to make enough for 2-4 people.
- The recipe uses a food processor or blender to blend the tahini, but for a smaller batch, it's super easy to just use a bowl and a whisk.
- Keeps in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
- To bring the tahini back to life from the fridge it's necessary to whisk it with a dash of water to return to the original consistency since it'll get a bit stiff.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g