Shakshuka

Good morning..(or afternoon/evening), depends on when you are reading this! I hope you are well. That’s the great thing about shakshuka. You can have it any time.

Shakshuka

All you need with it is a hunk of bread and you can dip into it. It’s also a great sharing meal. We shared ours with our kids. This is a African baked egg dish. I add feta to mine like I generally have been doing with omelettes for a few years now. Although I know that isn’t a new thing.

Sometimes shakshuka can be very tangy and I don’t do tangy. By tangy I mean that salsa type flavour. I am not a fan of salsa. To counteract that, I add more onions and cook them until they are golden brown but not burnt. I also add a little sugar to the mix if needed.

My son isn’t a fan of vegetables. I know I have mentioned that a few times but even though this isn’t swimming in vegetables, the mere fact that he ate red peppers felt like a triumph. We were walking around like we had achieved great things. Like I said shakshuka feels like food to be shared and that’s how we had it and I would encourage you to share the love too.

Today, I’m typing this from the edge of my sofa. My daughter is sprawled across the sofa. She followed me down early this morning and then fell asleep on the sofa (It’s a 2 seater). I have a feeling, I will be on the floor soon. Oh and here comes my little boy..I mean what is the point of waking up so early to get work done? 

This post was supposed to be out last week, however it just wasn’t possible. 🙁 Hopefully once we have been doing this a bit longer and have ‘found our feet’ we will schedule the posts to go out at specific times each week. Although I make no promises because I know me..

Life Update 

My daughter was sick last week. I don’t want to be too graphic in a food post but it was not pretty and it stank. So I was knee deep in carrier bags/bins/cleaning products.

Alongside this, we were dealing with a few other things. As i have said, this year has been unusual in the amount of bad news that we have heard and that trend continued last week BUT honestly, it really makes you count your blessings. When I say this year, I am actually talking about February to February. So I am hoping that things start looking up on the sad news front.

Also Wednesday marks one year since we lost my beloved father in law. Sometimes, I feel like i talk about this too much but then I remind myself that me missing him is natural and even more so because of how special he was. I remember when I was newly engaged and I was stood at Preston train station. My phone rang and it was my father in law. (We had just found out that he was ill)..I hadn’t actually spoken more then 2 words to him yet and I was so shy around him at that time. (That soon changed). Anyway, I looked down at my phone and panicked. I then rang my husband to be and said ‘What should I do, your dad is calling me.’ He was like, ‘well just answer the phone.’ So I called my father in law back, He asked me about my train journey, times, stops, ETA. I come from a very laid-back family so this was alien to me but I soon found out that this was the norm for him. When anyone took a journey, he was always there like a protective hand to so many people, guiding them along their journey. When my parents broke down on the motorway once, he was in the background helping them making sure their insurance covered them, telling them what route to take etc etc. He was the most useful person I have ever known. He really cared about people. He was unbelievably bright and he was hilarious. He was loved by people young and old. He loved to sing. He was loud and proud and an amazing soul. He was mr.apple mac. He would go into the stores and teach them things they didn’t know. People would travel to have him fix any issues with their laptops/phones. He was a master at so many things. He was multi talented. For example, he was a graphic designer without having ever studied it academically and a great photographer without having the qualifications.

Somehow this week, it feels as raw as when he left us. Tears run down my face every time I think of him. Seeing my husband hurting is difficult. For a year, I haven’t seen my husband grieve. I have seen him cry once and seen his eyes fill with tears only once. My husband loved his dad. Dad was the first person he told me about. This week I have seen him looking lost. He mentions his dad and then closes down again. The pain is too much for him to deal with. For me, there are regrets of missed conversations for sure but more then that I miss how he loved us and our kids. I miss knowing that someone loved us like that. He did so much for us. I hate seeing my little boy sad. He is only 4 and I didn’t know 4 year olds could grieve but they can. They are resilient and matter of fact about it but they can also grieve. Imagine holding a 4 year old who in inconsolable because he wants his granddad? That alone breaks my heart. Please remember my pops in your prayers.

I also had an interview last week! After five years of avoiding social contact (haha, ok maybe not), I met with other humans for a coffee. Ok ok..after 5 years without interviews and being in a working environment i had an interview. I was so nervous even though it was for a voluntary position for a charity, but I got the job! Yay! It is a part time position and one that won’t require hours of my time which is why i felt I could squeeze it in and I was over the moon to be offered the job.

Anyway here is that recipe. 

How to make Shakshuka

Heat oil in a pan and add onions and peppers. Cook till golden brown.

Add the Garlic and saute for 2 minutes.

Add Green Chillies, Smoked Paprika and Cumin Seeds and allow to cook in the oil for 2 minutes.

Add the pureed tomatoes, season and simmer on low for 10 minutes. 

Make hollows in the tomato and crack in eggs.

Season eggs, cover and cook on low for 5 – 10 minutes or until eggs are cooked. 

Add Herbs of choice, Feta if using and a drizzle of Olive Oil.

More Egg Recipes:

Menemen – Turkish Scrambled Eggs

Egg and Potato Fry

Green Shakshuka

Masala Omelette

Middle Eastern Shakshuka with Burrata or Feta

***If you make this recipe, please comment/rate or tag us on Social Media.

5 from 3 votes

Print

Shakshuka

A delcious African baked egg recipe with peppers, herbs, cumin and paprika

Course African, TUnisian

Cuisine Breakfast

Keyword Shakshuka

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 233 kcal

Author Tiffinandteaofficial

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 Onion diced
• 1 Red pepper cut into long strips
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
• 400 g Plum Tomato Tin Pureed
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 4 Eggs
• 100 g Feta
• Parsley, Dill or Coriander to serve

Instructions

1. Heat the oil over high heat.

2. Add the onions and red peppers cook for 10 minutes until golden brown. Now add the Garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add the Cumin and Smoked Paprika ensuring it touches the oil. Saute for 2 minutes on medium low.

4. Pour in the tomatoes, season and simmer for 15 minutes on low. Check occassionally and add a splash of water if needed.

5. Made 4 spaces in the tomato. Crack in the eggs gently. Season each egg.

6. Cover and cook on low for 5 - 10 minutes until the eggs are set.

7. Crumble over feta. Serve with with olive oil and chopped herbs and crusty bread.

Recipe Notes

Taste your tomatoes and add a pinch of sugar if they are too sour.

Nutrition Facts

Shakshuka

Amount Per Serving

Calories 233 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 186mg62%

Sodium 343mg15%

Potassium 106mg3%

Carbohydrates 4g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 9g18%

Vitamin A 777IU16%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 155mg16%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.