Spring is nature's way of saying ‘Let's Party!' ~ Robin Williams
I can't get enough of the pretty blossoms on the trees – April 2017
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Spring in Iowa feels like a very big deal
It’s the parting of the clouds, the thawing of the ground, the great welcoming of all things warm-weather approved. It’s the official prelude to summer where our feet will be bare; the drinks will be cold, the days long, slow, and bright
I tell myself I won't, but every year, I forget. How good it feels when the chill in the air no longer bites at my cheeks. Instead, it's a soft hand on the small of my back. Spring is a gentleman in the truest sense of the word
We've been doing a bit of spring cleaning around our house. This weekend we'll finish the back deck. We're excited to have it all fixed up, (rather, all dressed up) for quiet evening dinners
After all, spring is knocking on the door, our date is here, and what shall we wear? Here, a swipe of lipstick. The black heels or the pretty sandals? A spritz of perfume (make that two)
Welcome, spring. It’s great to see you. How about dinner at our place?
Recently tasked with cooking something for a brunch get-together, I turned to a weekend standby, Shakshuka. Instead of my tried and true Ottolenghi recipe, Melissa Clark's golden tomato with goat cheese version. Her cookbook my latest culinary obsession
Shakshuka is a humble dish that's ridiculously easy to make
Eggs cracked into a skillet of tomato sauce and baked (or poached) until they're barely set. In the meantime, sauté some fresh spinach with garlic for on the side. Toast or broil a few slices of bread (a good sourdough maybe?), which would be extra wonderful rubbed with a roasted garlic clove or a drizzle of olive oil
In short order, breakfast/lunch/dinner is served
It’s one of these dishes, like avocado toast, or Huevos Rancheros that I feel a little silly offering a recipe for because it's so hodgepodge and easy. But just like tortilla eggs before it, I've gotten hooked. Warming it up for lunch nearly
every day this week
Shakshuka is the kind of dish that never fails when it comes to oohs and aahs. It's excellent for larger gatherings because, depending on the size of your skillet and number of eggs in your refrigerator, it can be made as small or as large as you'd like. It's always
fantastically good
Not to mention it's budget-friendly, waistline-friendly, and no-time-to-cook friendly. It can be anything from weekend brunch to a weekday dinner or lunch. It could be part of a Middle Eastern dinner party, alongside pitas and hummus, or it could be a knock-off of your favorite takeout place down the street
The kind of dish that would make the church ladies proud. Growing up on an Iowa farm, every family had their own recipe for dishes like meatloaf, sloppy joes, and chili. They never deviated; this is how it's always been done, amen.
Similar to the recipes from childhood, there are also a million and three ways to make Shakshuka. The differences are mostly found in the spices, red pepper content of the tomato sauce, and the firmness to which the eggs are baked.
This version has a piquant, garlic-flecked tomato sauce that's heavy on sweet onions and lighter on the peppers. As for spices, it's nice to taste the cumin and paprika but not be overwhelmed by them. The cayenne provides a gentle slap of heat that comes on at the end
A few notes about the recipe
The eggs should be just set but not quite solid. The yolks still wiggling and ready to flow at the merest suggestion of contact with a fork
You'll definitely want a hunk of crusty bread for yolk and sauce-mopping
Enjoy!
xoxo
~ Adapted barely from Dinner by Melissa Clark
Shakshuka (Spicy Tomatoey Eggs with Goat Cheese)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- ½ large yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- fine grain sea salt + freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less depending on your tolerance for heat)
- 2 lbs very ripe yellow tomatoes diced (~ 4-5 medium) - red tomatoes are great too or a combination of both
- 4 oz mild goat cheese, crumbled (~ 1 cup)
- 3 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped fine + more for garnishing
- 4-6 large eggs
- For Serving
- fresh pita bread, or homemade sourdough bread
- fresh chives, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F
- In a 10-12" skillet over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil.
- Add the peppers, onion, along with a heavy pinch of sea salt
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until they're tender (~ 10 minutes)
- Add the garlic, cumin, turmeric, paprika, and cayenne and cook until fragrant (~ 1 min)
- Add the tomatoes, a pinch of sea salt, and a few grinds of black pepper
- Cook, partially covered, until the tomatoes are very soft and have formed a thick sauce (~ 15-20 minutes)
- (If the sauce begins to stick to the pan before the tomatoes fully break down, stir in a splash of water)
- Stir in the goat cheese crumbles and fresh dill
- Crack the eggs over the surface of the tomato sauce
- Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the eggs have just barely set (~ 7 - 10 minutes)
- Finish with a few cracks of black pepper, fresh chopped chives, and dill, along with a dollop of yogurt. If you wanted to put more crumbled goat cheese on top, go for it
- Serve with bread alongside
84 Comments
What is this? Wow looks delicious !!! I’ve never taste itShakshuka! It looks easy to prepare. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
i have never been taste it. its so looks so amazing. !!!
I’ve never really been a huge goats cheese fan but this certainly does look delicious. I’ve never heard of this dish before either, but now I’m anxious to try it x
Lots of love,
Marina Rosie x
Me too! A spring clean was much needed in our house, I can smell the flowers!
This looks like such a simple dish to make but so yummy. I’m having a thing about eggs at the moment so sounds great x
I love the look of this dish. It looks simple but I bet it tastes amazing! x
Looks scrumptious! I love the ease of preparation and since there’s always eggs in the fridge, this recipe can be made on the spur of the moment – as long as I have goat cheese on hand. I look forward to making this in the summer when the tomatoes are fresh from the garden.
Hooray for Springtime! This recipe looks delicious, love goats cheese 🙂
Me and goat cheese have a weird relationship. I like it but in really small pieces because otherwise, it smells too much to me.
Shakshuka is a new recipe I have never heard of or tried out before. That will be changing in my kitchen. This looks delicious and thinking we could eat this anytime of the day.
This looks so yummy. Never heard of this dish but it has everything I would enjoy. Thanks for sharing and a new recipe in my box.
OMGosh! This looks so good and your description of it just wants me to try this. Plus…with me being on a low carb diet, this dish sounds perfect! I am going to try this next week! It sounds so easy and something I can make my whole family will love.
I have never had anything like that, but it looks so good! I love eggs because they are a great protein choice and they’re yummy!
Love your foodie recipes, this one looks yummy. I am going to give this a go over the weekend 🙂 x
OMG. Spicy and goat cheese in one sentence? count me in!!
This dish looks entirely tasty and I need to make it asap! This one looks super yummy.
We just got back from Israel and I ate shakshuka almost daily! Soooo good! The day we got back I had made shakshuka haha! I love it! I will try this recipe too it looks amazing!
I have heard people talk about Shakshuka before and have yet never tried. This one looks delicious. I love the addition of Goat Cheese.
I have always wondered how to make this recipe, as I have read many times about how delicious it is. I love that you used goat’s cheese, it is one of my favorites and I like how it gives the perfect saltiness to any dish you use it in.
Holy Smokes as Batman would say, now this looks so delicious! Creating the Shakshuka (Spicy Tomatoey Eggs with Goat Cheese will be on my list to try and I surely hope it turns out like yours. P.S. don’t tell anyone but I am not a good cook…LOL!
I’ve never heard of this dish before, but oh my is it pretty and it sounds so scrumptious! I love the healthy ingredients it is made from and I adore goat cheese. It really does look pretty easy to make, which is necessary for me!
Oh my goodness how absolutely delicious does this sound, I have to admit I don’t think I’ve tried anything like it before but it is now high on my must try list.
How delicious does this Shakshuka look. I have never had it before, but it does look scruptious and I bet it packs an explosion of delicious flavours. A certain must try.
This is my idea of heaven! I love anything that sits in one pot and is warming and homely. I would love to make this! x
Goats cheese is not something I’ve ever tried but I’ve heard great thing about it and in so many delicious recipes!
This sounds delicious, I am just starting to like goats cheese and cooked like this I am enjoying, this sounds amazing I am going to have to try this x
I just finished lunch but one look at the picture and I was hungry again lol. This looks like a pretty simple one to make! I’ll definitely have to give it a try!
It looks so delicious! I love that it is budget friendly. I’m always looking for budget friendly meals! I will have to try making this soon.
I have a friend who makes shakshuka all the time. I have never actually tried it before though. It sounds delicious.
This looks really good! I love that this is a budget friendly, waistline friendly and no time to cook friendly dish. I can;t wait to make this for my family.
Is this recipe your won piece? I think it’s delicious for an egg with cheese. I should try this.
I’ve had this before but never really cooked it myself. I think this dish will be a hit with my girls and I’d love to make this for them.
I’ve never tried this dish and it sounds so lovely. It’s a good choice to serve at brunch, without a doubt. I love how you described Spring!
Spring is a gentleman indeed. Lovely description! I think this recipe is worth a try. It’s packed with the beautiful Spring flavors and it looks so good too.
Oh my, that looks delicious! How have I never heard of this dish before? I’m definitely going to try this out!
Shakshuka is something I have never had or made before so I will have to try it. My family likes spicy foods too and it could be made for a different meal other than breakfast. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Shakshuka is my latest obsession but I haven’t been brave enough to try it out at home! I’ll have to follow your recipe 😀
never heard of this one before, but the tomatoey and cheese sauce part of it makes it a yummy delight for me.
This dish looks so appealing to the eye. I have wanted to make something like this for a really long time. I thought it might be too difficult, but you have shown me how easy it really is. This would be the perfect brunch dish to serve my girlfriends one day when I have an afternoon weekend brunch party.
This looks like the perfect brunch item! I love how it’s hearty and healthy too. I’ll have to try this recipe out!
What a great dish to serve for a brunch. Love adding a bit of spice to breakfast
I am so glad that spring is finally here and this spicy egg recipe would be perfect for my dinner tonight before I head out. Maybe a silly question but our oven is playing up at the moment, do you think this recipe would be okay in the microwave? x
Thanks for the recipe. I love quick and easy to prepare meals like this. It looks delicious and I am positive my boys would love it! The spicy kick to the dish sure makes it interesting and of course, the goat cheese! Yum.
This looks amazing, and so unusual too! I love goats cheese, I could eat it all day long! I would definitely give this a try!
Oh I have never had eggs this way before. It sounds amazing and full of great tasting ingredients!
This looks so yummy, I have to try it since I love goat cheese.
The blossom is quite stupidly beautiful at the moment, as well as the food you seem to prepare! Every time i read one of these articles carefully prepared so i can’t screw up making it just makes me so much more confident when im trying to do this. Thanks!
I have to say, I’ve never gotten fancy with my eggs before. This seriously looks and sounds amazing.
Looks like a yummy recipe. Spicy too. Will try it without the eggs though. Hope my vegetarian twist comes out as well.
You had me at goat cheese sauce! This with eggs has got to be such an amazing flavor combination!
That looks really good! I am going to try to make this, this weekend.
I love the story line, it’s so cute. I’ve never heard of Shakshuka but I’ve learned something new.
Shakshuka is very popular dish for breakfast in Israel. I love it (although it takes time, so we only cook it at weekends).
This looks awesome. Of course, I will be upping the cayenne, as I love my meals a little more spicy. I will be trying this out in the near future.
This is making me hungry! These looks delicious. They look like they have a lot of flavour.
Alison, I just had this for the first time in Tel Aviv last month. Before visiting there, I’d never heard of it before.
I’ve never heard of or tried anything like this before. I’m going to pin this and make sure I try it soon, it looks and sounds delicious!
This looks really appealing I might need to give this a go once i get the ingredients in. It looks like some thing I will love!
Oh my! This looks and sounds AMAZING! I love goat cheese and the combo with the eggs and the fact that the dish has a little spice to it it right up my alley! Definitely want to try it out!
Oh my god, this looks so good! I am a huge fan of eggs and a perfectly cooked egg is amazing! The rich yolk goes all over everything and makes it so delicious!
That’s the kind of breakfast my husband would enjoy. Thanks for sharing this, I would love to give it a try one day.
MMM, you are making eggs so interesting again! I try to eat eggs most mornings, so they do become boring after a bit.
Never tried this Shakshuka dish before but it does look tasty. Well, anything with goat cheese is sure to be tasty! I’m saving the recipe and make some for breakfast. This is going to be an awesome power breakfast!
Eggs and goat cheese are my favorites! I have to make this Shakshuka dish. It looks so yummy. Breakfast tomorrow will be good!
Bookmarked – this looks so yummy, I will try it out 🙂
I eat recipes like those all the time that are super easy and I’m not sure if I need to share or not. A lot of my meals look more like appetizers. This dish looks really yummy!
Shakshuka looks so colorful, tempting and delicious! I’m pinning this and can’t wait to make it this weekend!
This sounds amazing! Goats Cheese is my favourite!
Goats cheese is one of my fave things but I struggle with eggs, am wondering if this could convert me?
oh my, I can imagine how good that must smell – tomatoes and goat cheese are a perfect combination – yummy, will try it out shortly – blessings!
Oh, you’re making me hungry just reading about this. Yes, I’m glad spring is on the way as well. Second, This Shakshuka looks AMAZING, and your photos are GORG! We may have to give this a try, it’s the perfect way to wake up to a delicious breakfast!
It’s one of my favorite dishes—a simple, go-to meal that works as a breakfast, lunch, or dinner (“brinner” might be the more appropriate word, since eggs are the star of the dish). I always have the ingredients for shakshuka on hand, and it never fails to make people say “yum!”
This looks like a very comforting egg dish and if we don’t get a good summer in Ireland this year I may very well need to be comforted. I’m so glad that you are enjoying the start of the Summer in Iowa. The cherry blossom has cheered up my day. Take care Hun x
This literally couldn’t be more delicious sounding to me if it tried!! YUM!!
hahaha! now I have the recipe to make this! YUM, I can’t wait to try it, thanks for sharing this it looks so amazing : )
Amazing! I might give these a go soon. They look amazing for brunch?!
This looks like art on a plate. It looks delicious. I’m not good in the kitchen at all, but I might just try this one.
mmm this looks yumm. I have been experimenting on egg recipes recently and this was on my list since I saw Jamie Oliver on his show cooking the same without effort. thanks for sharing the recipe.
Oh wow, these look ridiculously delicious! I have all the ingredients in to be able to have a go at making them as well. Guess what’s for tea tonight? Hehe
Louise x
Oh my, this looks delicious. I’ve never had Shakshuku before so I will have to give this a try. It looks like such a comforting food. You take beautiful food photography by the way, I got a lot to learn from you.
This looks really good! The surprising thing is that I don’t really like Goat cheese but I could definitely see myself try to give your recipe a go.
I love cooking with eggs so ridiculously versatile, I love anything spicy – this looks yum
WOW! This looks so good. I love that you use a cast iron skillet and put turmeric and cumin in the recipe. I’ll have the try this.
I first tried this dish when I was traveling in Israel some years ago. It is delish! I believe it originated in Yemen, or so I was told.