Shakshouka - Tunisian Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce

Shakshouka - Tunisian Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce

I just tried these eggs for the first time today when I found the recipe on the PBS website.  This recipe is a keeper. What a great cheap meal and so delicious! It will be a great way to use our CSA tomatoes in July. You should give yourself the freedom to try it with different herbs as well. I think some oregano and basil would be nice, too.

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• About 8 tomatoes, preferably roma paste tomatoes but any will do (or about 2 x 14 oz can of chopped tomatoes)
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground caraway
• 2 tsp paprika (can be smoked paprika for added flavor)
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, or add more if you like it spicy)
• 1/2 tsp salt (more, to taste)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 4 large pasture-raised eggs
• 2 to 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)

Directions

1. Place a large skillet on medium heat and sauté the chopped onions in the olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the chopped garlic and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Add all the spices, stir, and cook for another minute.
2. Chop the tomatoes (preferably removing the seeds) and add them into the skillet, cooking for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce has started to thicken. If the sauce if too thick, add about 1/4 cup of water, stir, and cook for another couple minutes. You don't want your sauce to be too thick, so that the eggs will poach well. On the other hand, you don't want it to be too liquidey or the flavors will be diluted. Taste the sauce and add more salt, if needed.
3. Once your sauce is just right, carefully crack the 4 eggs on top of the sauce, leaving a space between each one. (If there's room, you might be able to fit an additional 2 or 3 eggs into the sauce). Put a lid on the skillet, and allow the eggs to cook for about 5 minutes, checking them often so that the yolk reaches the state that you prefer. (In Tunisia, the yolk is usually soft, but if you prefer a cooked yolk, simply cook it a bit longer).
4. Once the eggs are cooked to your liking, remove the skillet from heat, and sprinkle the chopped parsley on top of the eggs. Serve hot, with a good slice of bread to soak up all the delicious tomato sauce.

Maria’s Cucumber Tomato Salad

This is such a simple, yet delicious, salad that I enjoyed on numerous occasions with my friend, Maria.

During graduate school when we needed something quick to eat, we would go to the grocery store and pick up some ready-made chicken tenders to eat with stone-ground mustard and make this salad to accompany it.

Maria’s Cucumber Tomato Salad

2 cucumbers

3 Roma tomatoes

4 T olive oil

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

1 t dried basil

Cut up cucumbers and tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and dried basil. Enjoy especially with grilled meat.

Okra, Tomatoes, and Sweet Corn

Okra, Tomatoes, and Sweet Corn

I first experienced this combination of veggies at a restaurant in Lexington, KY called Ramsey's. It is truly delicious and something that I make with fresh or frozen vegetables.

1 lb okra, sliced fresh or frozen
2 lg tomatoes, diced (or 12 oz  can)
1 onion, diced
3 slices of bacon (optional, 1 T of olive oil can be substituted)
2-3 c of corn, sliced fresh from the cob or frozen
2-3 T worcestershire sauce
salt
freshly ground black pepper
splash of apple cider vinegar

Fry bacon in large skillet until crisp. Remove and leave approx. 1 T of bacon fat in the pan. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with crumbled bacon.

Easy Majorcan Tumbet (Eggplant, Potatoes, and Green Pepper Casserole)

 I had an abundant supply of green peppers, eggplant, and potatoes from my CSA, so I did a search for those ingredients and this dish popped up.  I read that this tumbet tastes best with roasted meat such as lamb. We tried it and it was wonderful!


2 1/2 lbs eggplant, thinly sliced
kosher salt, about 1 T
3 green peppers, thinly sliced
3 lbs potatoes, thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lg onion chopped
1 jar spaghetti sauce with roasted garlic and onion
1 can Italian plum tomatoes or 4-5 fresh roma tomatoes chopped
1 c feta cheese
sprigs of thyme
20 basil leaves
cooking spray
salt and pepper

Sprinkle sliced eggplant with salt and set aside for 30 minutes or longer. Drain and wipe off moisture with a paper towel. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook onion and garlic in 1 T olive oil. Add jarred spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, thyme and basil and simmer for 30 minutes.

Toss eggplant, peppers, and potatoes with 2-3 T olive oil and spread on baking sheets. Roast until peppers start to darken and remove from oven (more authentically, you can pan fry all of these veggies in a large amount of oil).

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking oil. Spread 1/2 c sauce on the bottom. Add a layer of eggplant with 1/2 c sauce spread on top. Sprinkle with 1/4 c feta cheese. Place layer of potatoes on top of cheese. Add 1/2 c sauce. Spread layer of peppers. Repeat layering until pan is full and end with sauce and feta.

Turn down oven heat to 350 degrees. Bake for 40 minutes.

Lamb Shanks/Chops in the Crock Pot

I just made some Majorcan Eggplant and the recipe suggested that it would be tasty with lamb. I had two lamb shanks in the freezer, so I put them in the crock pot thinking that I could go to the store and get some more to add to it, but there were no lamb shanks anywhere! Apparently they are strictly a fall item.  I added some lamb chops to the crock pot instead. My house smells so good. mmmm.

4 lamb shanks (or 2 lamb shanks and 3 lamb chops; or two lamb shanks and a 2.5 lb boneless leg roast)
2 lg onions cut into rings
10 cloves of garlic
1 lb sliced mushrooms
1-2 tsp or a couple of glugs of Worcestershire sauce
salt
Trader Joe's South African Smoked Pepper
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
4-5 smallish tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c double-strength beef broth
1/2 c red wine
1 T Herbes de Provence
1 bay leaf

Place the sliced onions on the bottom of the crock pot. Salt and pepper the lamb generously and place on top of the onions. Add the garlic, mushrooms and bay leaf. Sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce.

Mix the tomatoes, beef broth, wine, herbs, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Add to the crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve with Majorcan Eggplant and rice.

Note: You can convert the leftovers into an easy cassoulet. I shredded the remaining meat in the sauce and put it in a casserole dish. I added some broth, white beans and sprinkled the top with bread crumbs. and baked in a 350 oven until everything was nice and bubbly. It was amazing.

Tabouli

This salad would be good with many grains or foods eaten like grains: couscous, quinoa, spelt, amaranth, millet.

Tabouli

1 pkg of tabouli (often found in the health food section of the grocery store near the couscous), can also be labeled bulgar; use 1 cup and add dried parsley and mint, prepared according to package instructions

1 cucumber

2 large tomatoes

1 pkg of crumbled feta cheese

3 TBS olive oil

juice of one lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Optional:

1 can of artichoke hearts, chopped

1 can of heart of palm, sliced

freshly torn basil and parsley leaves

Toss to combine and refrigerate for several hours to let flavors mingle.