The thing I love most about this project is learning about foods that are completely new to me, that I've never heard of. However, it's still fun when you get to make things that you've made several times before, because you already know it's going to turn out well! For Israel, I made shakshuka, which is one of my go-to meals when I have leftover tomato sauce. Shakshuka comes from North Africa originally, but is super popular in Israel. I paired it with a side of simple but fresh Israeli salad.
Shakshuka starts with sauteed onions, garlic, and peppers.
Then come the tomatoes, probably the most important ingredient besides the eggs. I used a combination of chopped fresh tomatoes and a can of diced tomatoes. In the past I usually just throw some leftover tomato sauce in the pan and heat it up before adding the eggs. It usually already has the sauteed onions, garlic, and sometimes peppers.
To season the tomatoes I used cumin, paprika, and chili powder.
Once the tomatoes break down they become a nice saucy consistency with plenty of liquid to poach the eggs.
Then, you just crack the eggs right on top of the tomato sauce. I usually make small divots for them to rest in, otherwise they might move all over the place. There's always one yolk that decides to break, but you can't really tell once the whites are cooked.
It can sometimes be hard to tell when they're ready, as the whites tend to remain more jiggly than they would if you cooked them in the pan. I like my yolks on the softer side, while Chris likes his hard so I usually try to go for still slightly jammy but not completely runny.
To add a little more substance to the dish as a dinner plate rather than breakfast, I decided to make an Israeli salad. It's a very simple salad, but is tasty and adds a fresh contrast to the warm tomato sauce.
I used small Persian cucumbers which are great for salads because they have a thinner skin and have smaller/fewer seeds. I also was able to use some cherry tomatoes from my garden last year. I cooked this last September so it was at the end of their harvest.
The third major ingredient is lots of parsley.
Finally, the salad ingredients are tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Again, very basic, but it's easy to throw together, cheap to make, and goes with pretty much anything.
I think this might have been the first time I made shakshuka for dinner. It's usually a quick enough meal to throw together for breakfast on a weekend since I use leftover tomato sauce most of the time. But shakshuka is one of those dishes that perfectly fits into whatever meal you want to make it for. I would certainly encourage anyone to try making it; it's super easy and satisfying. You can also add anything you want to it--I love to sprinkle some feta on top.
Recipes: Shakshuka // Israeli Salad
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