Shakshuka

stltoday.com
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Shakshuka is an easy, one skillet healthy breakfast (or any time of day) recipe in Israel and other parts of the Middle East and North Africa. It’s a simple combination of simmering tomatoes, onions, garlic, spices and gently poached eggs. It’s nourishing, filling and one recipe I guarantee you’ll make time and again.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• ½ to 1 chile pepper (or to taste), stemmed, sliced in half and minced; seeds removed for less heat if desired
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika, smoked or sweet
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed, or ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and diced, or 2 (14-ounce) cans of diced or crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
• 1 cup loosely packed greens such as radish greens, watercress, kale, Swiss chard or spinach, coarsely chopped
• 4 ounces (about 1 cup) feta cheese, cut in generous, bite-size cubes
• 4 to 6 eggs

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Preparation1. In a wide skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until soft and wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the chile pepper (if using), salt, pepper, paprika, caraway seeds, cumin and turmeric. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to release their fragrance.
2. Add the fresh or canned tomatoes, tomato paste, honey and vinegar, reduce the heat to medium and cook 12 to 15 minutes until the sauce has somewhat thickened. Stir in the chopped greens.
3. Turn off the heat and press the cubes of feta into the tomato sauce. With the back of a spoon, make 4 to 6 indentations in the sauce. Crack an egg into each indentation. Turn the heat back on to bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes, taking some of the tomato sauce and basting the egg whites from time to time. Cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until the eggs are cooked to your liking.
4. Serve with lots of crusty bread for scraping up the sauce.