Wednesday, October 6, 2010

SHAKSHUKA, Israeli Breakfast

Peter Griffin, PDPictures.net

Properly turned out, shakshuka hits sweet, fiery, and filling notes all at once.
"Shakshuka, A Tel Aviv Mainstay," Ted Weesner, Jr., The Boston Globe
Shakshuka! Isn't it a wonderful word?  It means "all mixed up" or "all mixed together,"  something to that effect.  Essentially, it is eggs cooked in tomatoes.  Our instinct is, however, that like such dishes all around the world, good cooks vary the ingredients depending on what supplies they have in the larder or are able to get.  Even the name hints at that. The Boston Globe article quoted above is interesting and discusses regional variations for this delicious, budget-wise dish.

One of the things we like about this dish is that it doesn't have to involve bread or other wheat products, and  it gets us going on my veggies first thing.  On the other hand, it can, of course, be eaten any time of day. It has few ingredients and is quick and easy to make, so it's a fine choice for dinner after a long work day.  It lends itself well to adaption as a vegan option.  We prepared it Sunday morning for a friend; but, while his portion was made with eggs, ours was made with tofu.

We were inspired to make shakshuka on Sunday because we were a little too enthusiastic at one of the farmers' markets last week and had an overabundance of tomatoes, onions, peppers, and garlic, which we needed to use up.  We also had an amazingly wonderful and fresh batch of za'atarزعتر, a fragrant Arabic spice-blend of sumac, sesame seeds, thyme, and salt, which I was anxious to use.

The recipe:
For each person you will need:
  • one-half of a white onion,
  • one bell pepper,
  • one large tomato,
  • one tablespoon of tomato paste,
  • one large omega-three egg or a serving of firm tofu,
  • Aleppo pepper to taste, and
  • about a half-teaspoon or so of za'atar, depending on taste.
  • and one tablespoon quality olive oil for the pan.
Chop the vegetables and proceed with the recipe as in the video.  If you are using tofu, cut a few slices and brown them before adding them to the pan of vegetables. Add the Aleppo pepper during the cooking process.When the shakshuka is ready, sprinkle each serving with some za'atar.