I’m a big fan of eggs for dinner (and breakfast and lunch). Okay – let’s face it, I love eggs. I think they’re the perfect food. Luckily, my daughter loves them more than I and one of her favorite dishes (if not her favorite) is Shakshuka, a dish I believe she discovered in Israel, though originally from North Africa and popular now throughout the Middle East. So when she saw the picture of this dish on the cover of the March issue of Cooking Light, I knew I had to give it a go.
Saucy Skillet-Poached Eggs (aka Shakshuka)
This one has a more Italian than middle eastern flavor profile, but still very easy and delicious. We had it with some bread and it was a delicious dinner. Next time, I may saute some additional veggies, such as eggplant and zucchini to the mix. I did make a few adjustments from the original recipe to make it more Weight Watcher friendly and it came in at 6 points for a serving (sauce and two eggs) – if you only have one egg, than 3 points. Plus, it’s Simply Filling! Enjoy.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 large chopped red bell pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 (28-oz.) can unsalted crushed tomatoes
- 1 ounce fat free crumbled feta cheese
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Heat oil in a large oven proof skillet (I use cast iron). Saute red pepper and onion for about 10 minutes (nicely soft, maybe a little brown on the onion), add garlic and cook another minute. Add water through tomatoes, simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the feta cheese until melted.
Crack an egg into a small bowl, cup or ramekin, making sure not to break the yolk. Make an indent in the sauce and slide the egg in; repeat for 3 remaining eggs. Sprinkle black pepper over eggs and put into oven for 12 minutes or until whites are nicely set (and of course yolks are cooked to your desired degree of doneness – but I’m a firm believer in runny yolks here).
Sprinkle with chives and remaining oregano and serve in bowls (2 or 4 depending on how many you are serving).
This would also be really good over some soft instant polenta or grits.