Shakshuka with Chard and Feta

Hope all you Mothers out there had a wonderful day yesterday, I know I did. For brunch I prepared a Shakshuka with chard and feta. Traditionally Shakshuka is a meal of eggs baked in a tomato sauce with peppers and onions. Many times this dish is served with some type of naan or bread but since we are watching our carb intake we enjoyed this dish just like you see in the pictures.

My tomato sauce preparation was very basic with an minimal amount of simmering. Saffron threads, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper were added for seasoning. Feta cheese was added at the very end and I served this meal in a bowl with a garnish of parsley. Cilantro would be another great herb to add as well or in place of.

Shakshuka made a wonderful brunch. The flavors were big; a little spicy and a little earthy. When the eggs were broken the richness of the yolk made the sauce creamy and rich. Enjoy with a side of bread, a light salad and fruit.

This dish was inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook “Plenty” and a "New York Times" online recipe by Melissa Clark.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion thinly sliced

3 small baby leek stalks, cleaned and thinly sliced

1 large red bell pepper, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 small pinch red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon saffron threads

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes and juice,(chop tomatoes before adding to pan)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ to 1 cup water

5 to 6 eggs

1/3 cup feta

Handful of parsley, chopped (optional)

Handful of cilantro, chopped (optional)

To prepare:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, (preferably cast iron) add olive oil, onion, red bell pepper and leeks. Cook gently on medium low heat until soft, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Add cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, saffron, salt and pepper. Stir constantly about a minute. Add tomatoes and juice and simmer about 25 minutes. Depending how thick mixture is add ½ to 1 cup water and mix in. (You want a saucy consistency).

Gently crack eggs into mixture, cover with lid or foil and bake about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, (careful use oven gloves pan is hot) remove covering add cheese and check eggs. Bake for another 2 to 5 minutes depending on how set you like your eggs. Remove from onion, garnish with parsley or cilantro or both. Serve with a side of bread, a light salad and fruit.

*To change things up a bit serve Shakshuka on a creamy bed of grits.