Shakshouka

I never understood what the big deal was with shakshouka - a tradition middle eastern dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce. It seems like a staple on every breakfast buffet, from the watery sauce to the over-cooked eggs.

Then my friend Tzippy took me to Shvil Izzim restaurant. We shared (among other things) the best shakshuka I've ever had. Sweet bell peppers in a flavorful sauce with fresh tomatoes and not too much spice. And the eggs! Not the baked-to-death eggs I'd experienced in my previous shakshouka history. Delicate, gently poached, with rich, runny yolks!  And, of course, fresh bread to soak up all that rich tomato-y goodness. (See my post on Shvil Izzim and my photo restaurant review on Facebook.)

When I saw heaping piles of brightly colored, inexpensive peppers on sale, I immediately had an itch to recreate this traditional dish.  Shakshuka is the perfect nonrecipe meal. You make it how you like it. I didn't use a recipe and I didn't have an Israeli (or Algerian or Tunisian) grandma to teach me how to make it. But whatever I did, it was yummy AND EASY!

First, a confession: I didn't use fresh tomatoes. Tomatoes are in season and so delicious. No matter how many I buy they get gobbled up! So, I didn't have any left by dinner time. You can definitely use fresh tomatoes, but starting with a base of pre-cooked tomato sauce is also a valid short cut.

Here's what I used:

• 3-4 orange bell peppers
• 1-2 green peppers
• 2 onions
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 finely chopped chili pepper (no seeds)
• 1-2 small packages of tomato sauce (no sugar added)
• tomato paste (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• mushrooms (optional)
• 5-6 eggs

optional spices:

• more chili pepper, cumin, coriander...
• I also put fresh chopped basil in near the end with more on top

1. Chop and gently fry all fresh vegetables.
2. Season to taste and add any pre-cooked tomato products.
3. Simmer until sauce is to your liking.
4. GENTLY drop raw eggs into the hot sauce and cover.
5. Cook for a few minutes, just until the top of the eggs turns almost opaque white.

Enjoy with fresh bread (or matza) and a lots of family.