Shakshuka
Dishes with foreign sounding names are normally simply assumed to be more complicated than those with more easily pronounceable or more recognizable names. Thankfully, this Israeli dish is wonderfully easy to make.
Shakshuka is one of those dishes that can be as simple or as complicated as you wish. You can make shakshuka with freshly ground spices, a cast iron skillet, fresh vegetables and a process that involves a mortar and pestle, several types of knives, the stove and the oven. You can also make it with nothing more complicated than a heat source and a can opener.
To make easy shakshuka, first decide if you feel more comfortable cooking with the stove or the oven. If you are cooking on the stove, cut up garlic, onion and a red bell pepper. Place the veggies in a pan and add a can of tomatoes. If the canned tomatoes did not have much juice, add either canned tomato juice or some tomato soup. Cook until the liquid is bubbling. Then, crack two or three eggs into the liquid, doing your best to keep the eggs from touching. Leave the pan sitting on the heat until the whites of the eggs are cooked. To make it traditionally, serve the shakshuka hot when the egg yolks hold their shape but are still runny. If you prefer, you can cook the shakshuka until the yolks are firm or solid.
The oven version of shakshuka is very similar. Once again, cut up the garlic, onion and pepper and mix it with canned tomatoes and as much tomato juice or tomato soup as necessary in an oven safe pan such as a Dutch oven. Instead of heating the mixture, crack the eggs into the mix immediately. Then, place the pan in the oven and cook until the eggs are cooked the desired amount. Serve immediately either alone or with couscous or pita bread.
