the pollen count

While visiting with my daughter, Audrianna, in North Carolina a few weeks ago she showed me how to make one of her favorite quick dinners. It’s an Israeli dish called Shakshuka, a simple mixture of sautéed bell peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes and herbs topped with eggs that poach in the simmering sauce. You can add anything else that sounds intriguing (think mushrooms, eggplant, goat cheese) and make it mild or give it a kick with some hot peppers and chili powder. She had fresh tomatoes and peppers from her container garden so we included those in the sauce. This is definitely going in our family cookbook (the one we have yet to start writing)! 😃

RECIPE for Audrianna’s  SHAKSHUKA (makes 4-6 servings)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 large red sweet peppers, chopped
• 1  – 2 chili peppers, jalapeños or padrons are good
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2-4 fresh, ripe tomatoes, diced & save juices
• 2  15 – oz. cans diced tomatoes & juice
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• freshly chopped parsley, basil or cilantro
• 6 -8 fresh eggs

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in large skillet ( cast iron is best) & add chopped onions, garlic, diced peppers ( seeds removed) & all spices.
2. Sauté until peppers are soft, about 10 minutes. Add fresh & canned tomatoes & all their juices & bring to a boil.
3. Turn heat to low & continue to simmer, uncovered, for another 15 minutes or more until sauce thickens. Stir frequently. Taste and adjust seasonings.
4. Carefully crack each egg into a small bowl, one at a time & gently slide each egg onto the top of the simmering sauce.
5. When all eggs are in the sauce turn heat to lowest setting, cover the skillet & let cook until the egg whites are cooked but the yolks are still a bit runny.
6. Fill individual bowls with a cup or so of sauce & place one or two cooked eggs on top. Garnish with parsley, basil or cilantro.

Cooking with my daughter was such fun we were inspired to write a cookbook together someday, drawing on things I’ve learned from my mother and grandmother with a creative Millennial twist from Audrianna.  Stay tuned for more of our recipes😋