Hey Foodies!
Good morning from Minnesota, where the weather is warming up and an awful cold is floating around. I mean it’s seriously vile and it seems to be here to stay. I always thought the end-all-be-all solution to a cold was a NyQuil, Ibuprofen, apple juice cocktail, but this cold has me trying methods I’ve never wanted to try. Currently, I’m drinking mint tea with honey, lemon and ginger… gag. I mean all those flavors are fine… but mixed together in warm water that you can only half taste… not so much. I’ve also been religiously dousing myself in Vicks’s, a VERY temporary solution to what seems to be permanent congestion. One person suggested a shot of tequila, at this point, I’m considering it. So, any suggestions? Let me know in the comments.
Aaaaanyways, I’m super excited to share todays recipe with you all. It’s a super delicious easy to make breakfast and you can make it as difficult or simple as you want by using either canned or fresh vegetables. Also, on the note of vegetables, throw in whatever you like. This recipe was made to highlight spring/summer produce. You can spice it up by adding some hot peppers to your mix, fresh serrano peppers would add a really fresh, clean spice. Some dried pasillas or guajillo chiles would add a deeper, more rich spice. If you’re going for a simplistic approach, a few big splashes of your favorite hot sauce would likely do the trick.
Personally, I think the best way to do this is to throw everything in a crockpot the night before and let it stew on low heat, then finish it in the morning. That way you get the most flavor out of all your spices and produce. Then in the morning you can throw it all in a casserole dish, crack some eggs on top and bake it up. You could also easily do a fried or poached egg and eat it just like that. Don’t even get me started on the different ways you could make your eggs, just make sure you have a runny yolk. It makes the dish that much more delectable. You can make a big batch for a crowd or you can portion it out to individual sized servings for a super easy meal prepped breakfast. My point is, it’s super versatile and ya girl loves versatility.
Beyond that, this shakshuka is living proof that healthy food can be absolutely delicious. It’s all fresh vegetables, healthy fats, and proteins. It’s vegetarian, dairy free, and it could even be vegan, see my notes on that below. It’s a great Sunday meal prep project. You can throw all your vegetables in a crockpot and let them stew all day, then portion it out. While you’re rushing to get ready for work in the morning you can crack an egg on top and throw it in the oven, then in 5-7 minutes you have a great breakfast to keep you full all day.
ALSO GUYS, it’s about to be farmers market season and you know the best produce comes from the farmers market. So get the good stuff and turn it into this. If you have a garden, even better.
So if you don’t know what shakshuka is, it’s a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern breakfast dish. It’s really just whatever vegetables you have on hand, stewed with tomatoes and a variety of spices, then you crack an egg on top and bake it. You can eat it as is or with bread, I like it with bread.
A Note For Vegans
Up until the eggs, this recipe is completely vegan. If you wanted to add tofu, that would be a great egg substitution, or it could be eaten as is since chickpeas are a great source of protein and it’s hardy enough as is.
Recipe
| Prep Time: 1hr-8hrs | Cook Time: 20 Min | Servings: 8 | Difficulty: Easy |
- 2 TBSP EVOO
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion, diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Large Carrot, diced
- 2 Celery Stalks, diced
- 2 Red Bell Peppers, Sliced
- 8 (about one carton) Button Mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 3 Small or 1 Large Zucchini, large diced
- 2 Small Yellow Zucchini, large diced
- 2 Jalapeño, seeds removed and diced
- 28oz can Crushed Tomato, or 6-8 fresh tomatoes
- 15oz can Chickpeas, or 1C fresh chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 2TBSP Cumin
- 1TBSP Paprika
- 2tsp Coriander
- 2C Vegetable Stock, or water
- 8 Eggs
- Fresh Cilantro, for serving
- 1 loaf crusty bread, for serving
- In a large skillet or crockpot on high heat, add oil, onion and garlic and sweat.
- Add red pepper, mushrooms, zucchini, yellow zucchini and jalapeño, sauté until soft and aromatic.
- Add tomato, chickpeas, cumin, paprika and coriander. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Turn heat to low and add vegetable stock, simmer on low for about one hour, stirring occasionally. If using a crockpot, simmer 4-8 hours, adding more stock as needed.
- If you are using this recipe to meal prep, place the mixture in individually sized oven safe dishes and save for later, when ready to eat, crack an egg on top and bake according to directions below. Or heat up as desired and serve with a fried or poached egg.
- When finished cooking, preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Pour the stewed vegetables into a lightly greased 9×13 casserole dish and crack eggs on top.
- Bake 15-20 minutes or until egg whites are just set, but the yolk is still runny.
- Cool for 5 minutes and serve with fresh cilantro and warm, crusty bread.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please let me know and share your results in the comments! Thanks for reading!
Quarter Cup Kitchen 