My Kitchen Go-To: Quick and Easy Shakshuka
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Quick & Easy Shakshuka
This, right here, is what I like to make when I’m in a bit of a kitchen rut and have no idea what I want to eat for dinner… or breakfast… or lunch… or when I’m having people over for brunch… Really, it’s an anytime dish that is way too easy to make.
Quick and smokey shakshuka with feta and lemon-y, parsley-y couscous is as easy as chopping a few things, boiling water, heating some sauce, and poaching some eggs. A delish anytime meal, lickety-split.
Quick and Easy Shakshuka
Serves 4
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons white wine, optional
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 – 796ml (28oz) can of crushed tomatoes
4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, divided
2 cups couscous
4 - 8 eggs, depending on how hungry you are
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Crumbled feta cheese, to taste
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and add the onions. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, for about 6 minutes or until the onions start to soften. Add the finely minced garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes or so just to cook off some of that raw garlic hit. Stir in the smoked paprika, chili flakes, and cumin and allow the spices to toast for about 1 minute or so. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, if using, or add two tablespoons of water.
Add the halved cherry tomatoes and continue to cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the tomatoes start to break down a bit. Add the canned tomatoes and stir well to combine. Cover the pan and lower the heat. Allow the sauce to simmer away for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in 2 tablespoons of parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, set your kettle to boil and pour your couscous into a heatproof bowl. When the water has boiled, pour 2 cups of boiling water onto the couscous, season with salt and pepper, stir, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow this to sit for about 8 to 10 minutes while you finish up your shakshuka.
Using a spoon, make slight wells in the tomato sauce and crack an egg into each. Cover and cook the eggs over medium-low heat until the whites are firm and the yolks are just slightly cooked but still runny, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Fluff your couscous with a fork, stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining parsley, and divide between four plates. Top each plate with an egg or two plus a good dose of that sauce and scatter with crumbled feta cheese.
*Personally, I’m a big fan of leftover shakshuka for breakfast after a late night out with too much wine ♥