Baked eggs in spicy tomato sauce

Happy New Year! We are making an effort to reduce they amount of flour/carbs we are consuming starting this week I have done the Wheatbelly diet in the past, which is really a lifestyle change not a diet, and I felt pretty good while I kept that up. When you love to cook, eat bread and inhale pasta like I do it’s very difficult to keep wheat out of your life entirely. This time I’m going to try moderation, like an 80/20 split, being good the 80% side, I think I can stay on that longer. I have been seeing all kinds of versions of Shakshuka on TV and in my food magazines, so I thought I would give it a try for a new brunch item. Shakshuka is a Mediterranean dish with peppers, tomato, onions and spices that you finish by poaching an egg right in the sauce in the oven. I took what I liked from all the recipes I read and came up with my own. I also used some of the spices that I already have instead of investing in some of the more exotic (and expensive) spices I saw in some of the authentic recipes. This is just my take on it, but feel free to change up the veggies or spices to fit what you like.

• 3 tbs. olive oil
• 1 cup diced red pepper
• 1 cup diced yellow or white onion, whatever you have on hand
• 1/4 small diced poblano – check your pepper for spice level and adjust the amount according to your taste (a poblano’s spice level varies)
• 2 tbs. small diced jalapeno – more or less to your taste
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup small diced jarred piquillo peppers
• (1) 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 2 tbs. tomato paste
• (1) 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• kosher salt/black pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• dash of turmeric
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup crumbled or diced feta cheese
• chopped cilantro (or parsley) for garnish
• Pita bread for serving

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Heat the olive oil in a medium over proof skillet under medium heat. Add all the peppers and onion – stir to coat the veggies in the olive oil. Cook until the veggies start to soften, about 10 -12 minutes. Stir in the salt (I started with about 3/4 teaspoon), black pepper and the rest of the spices. Add the garlic, diced tomatoes (I used a pint of my own canned tomatoes, but a can of diced tomatoes with their juice works fine too) and tomato paste to the veggies. I decided the sauce was a little to watery so I threw in the paste – that’s why it’s not in the picture of ingredients, but it is in the list. Let that cook out about 10-15 minutes to let the flavors blend together. Taste the sauce and add whatever seasonings you like at this point. Now you are ready for the eggs.

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Create a small well in the sauce for the eggs. One at a time, break the eggs in a small bowl then slip into the wells you created in the sauce. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Add the skillet to a preheated 350 degree oven. I cooked mine about 12 minutes and my egg yolks were almost completely set. I think I would have liked my eggs a little softer, so more like 8-10 minutes would have been better, but cook your eggs to the point that you prefer. While the eggs were cooking, I put a couple of pita breads on a sheet pan and let them heat up for 3-4 minutes. I know, there’s flour in there but this is a spicy dish and I thought I would need it. You can totally eat this dish without the pita though. I also added some sliced ham on the side, but you can change up your breakfast meat or totally leave it out. I’m thinking some crispy home fries would be good with this too, but that’s for next time.

Remove the skillet from the oven and top with the feta cheese and cilantro or parsley. Cut the pita breads into triangles and enjoy!

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