Christmas Morning Breakfast: Vegetarian Shakshuka
Sure, a lot of crappy things happened this year. But if you really think about it, how many of those events were in your control?
Probably not too many, if I was taking a guess.
Something I learned this year was that if everything else is going wrong, take it upon yourself to make something go right. Did you happen to drop the ball on an important conference call at work? When you get home, clean your room or whip up a fab overnight breakfast so you can wake up the next morning with a fresh start. Did a friend inadvertently say something to hurt your feelings? Send a quick text to another friend or family member letting them know how much you appreciate their support and presence in your life.
I promise that doing little things like this will make the lowlights in your life seem less bitter, all the while lifting your spirits to continue on in this (sometimes dreary, but mostly beautiful) world.
Okay so that intro might have been a little deep for a post about Christmas morning Shakshuka, but isn’t that like some blog requirement or something? When you click on a Pin to take you to a yummy looking recipe, you have to read through this random blogger pouring out their life for you first? I’ll be the first to admit that half (okay..most) of the time I just skip the words and jump straight down to the recipe. For those of you who take interest in reading more words first, thank you. It makes me feel less like I’m talking to a wall if I know even at least one person is reading. To those who skip straight down to the recipe, I applaud you for your efficiency in recipe searching and pin pinning. *Double-hands-in-the-air emoji here*
Anyways, on to the recipe. I searched through quite a few shakshuka recipes before getting a general idea on what I wanted mine to taste like before even attempting. (Yes, I’d never made shakshuka before testing this recipe!) Typically, I’m not a huge fan of red sauce. Give me white pizza and give me olive oil and pasta noodles. Hold the saucy tomatoes, please.
That’s why I was shocked when I loved this recipe. The tomatoes firm up and fasten on to the perfectly melted feta cheese to make more of a lasagna consistency, and boyyy do I love my lasagna. I honestly kept forgetting that there wasn’t meat in this dish, it was so thick and filling!
One of my favorite things about this recipe is how versatile it is. Not a fan of kale or chickpeas? Leave ’em out or swap them for something you’ve got on hand. Are you feeding hungry carnivore children? Brown some ground turkey and mix in with the rest of the veggies.
You really can’t go wrong!
Keep in mind that the recipe I’ve posted below feeds about 4 people and uses a large cast-iron skillet. If doubling, I’d suggest cooking in two separate dishes or skillets.
No skillet? No problem.
Just sautee the onion, peppers, other veggies, and tomatoes in a regular skillet, then transfer to an oven-safe dish when you’re ready to crack the eggs on top and bake. Wahlahhh.
If you have any other fave ingredients you always include in your Shakshuka, let me know! I love to change it up every time I make the recipe. Looking for another cast-iron skillet recipe to add to the spread? Check out my goat cheese and spinach frittata. It’s divine.
Merry Christmas and enjoy your time (and food, duh) spent with family!
Quick and Easy Veggie Shakshuka
I mean, the name says everything. Tomato, on.
Ingredients
- 4 tbs olive oil
- 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced whichever color you prefer!
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 handful of kale or spinach
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 2 (28-ounce) cans of whole tomatoes with juices
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, or cheese of your choice
- 8 large eggs
- cilantro, chopped for serving
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
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Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add onion and bell pepper. Cook until soft, about 20 minutes. Add garlic and kale** and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
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Stir in spices (cumin, paprika and cayenne), and cook 1 minute. Drain your canned tomatoes, chop into large pieces, then pour in season with salt and pepper. Simmer until tomatoes have thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and crumbled feta or cheese of your choice.
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GENTLY crack the eggs into skillet over tomatoes. (I think it's helpful to push down little "nests" in the tomatoes before cracking, this helps the juices from not running everywhere). Season with salt and pepper. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until eggs are just set, about 10 minutes. Top with cilantro!
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**Note: If you're using kale, add in with the tomatoes. If you swap kale for spinach, WAIT until right before you crack the eggs to stir in the spinach.
