Spring is busy for me and my family. Weekdays have us tumbling out the door and heading to school, work, and more. The evenings often have us enjoying warmer weather. Weekends can get even busier, with farmers' markets, spring celebrations, and wider gatherings of family and friends filling our days. So when we find ourselves on the go, we try to make sure we're fueled well enough to get through our day without becoming hangry-monsters by the end of it. And sometimes, this is how we do it:
That's Shakshouka, an Israeli Tunisian dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce. This particular version leaves most of the heat out (in deference to my daughter) and adds chunks of fried potatoes and crumbled goat cheese. If I can manage, I plan this hearty breakfast a day after I've made a batch of focaccia so we can use the tender chunks of bread to sop up the amazing sauce. That said, any crusty bread will do nicely for that purpose.
When it comes time to serve this dish, pull out some shallow bowls and ladle sauce, eggs, taters, and cheese into them and let everyone grab bread for dipping. You'll get a great breakfast to fuel your day and you'll have clean bowls, too. Trust me, your family is going to want to soak up every last drop of this amazing dish before they get on with their own busy spring.
Shakshouka with Potatoes
- 2 T. olive oil, divided
- ½ yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tsp. smoked paprika, divided
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ c. chicken or vegetable broth
- 3 ½ c. chunky tomato sauce (make your own or choose your favorite jarred variety)
- 4-5 eggs
- 1 c. diced potatoes
- 4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
To make the sauce, heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until very soft. Add the garlic, salt, two teaspoons of the smoked paprika, chicken or vegetable broth, and tomato sauce. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and remaining one teaspoon of smoked paprika. Sauté the potatoes for a few minutes until they are browned out the outside. Pour the tomato sauce over the potatoes and simmer for another 10 minutes to cook the potatoes.
Use a spoon to make little holes for the eggs on top of the sauce. Crack the eggs directly into the warm sauce and cover the skillet with a lid. With the heat on low (sauce barely simmering) and the lid on, cook the eggs for 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, top with the crumbled goat cheese, and keep the lid on for another 5 minutes. This should give you medium-soft yolks. Serve with pieces of focaccia or crusty bread for sopping up the sauce.
- Yields: 3-5 servings, depending on your appetites
- Preparation Time: 45 minutes