At the start of the new year I intend to keep things light. After the dark days of December and too many rich meals around the Christmas table, along with copious leftovers lasting over a week, I am ready to go down the non-meat route as much as I can.
But first, something heavy in the form of my new Le Creuset Pumpkin Casserole. This is the big sister to my smaller one which I introduced with a previous Shakshuka recipe.
If you have eaten Shakshuka, you will understand that it hardly needs a recipe. As long as you have the basics of sweet peppers/ bell peppers and tomatoes, the rest of the ingredients can be adjusted to your own taste. Today’s Shakshuka reflects what I had in the fridge and store cupboard. It is a lighter version of the other two Shakshuka recipes in this blog as I omitted the requisite eggs. If you would like to add eggs, please see the end of the post for the instructions.
Start with some shallots and garlic
Add some sweet peppers and cherry tomatoes
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Harissa paste, capers and preserved lemon peel for layers of flavour
Top the Shakshuka with feta cheese, flat-leaf parsley and olives
For the Shakshuka:
3 tablespoons olive oil
135 g shallots, sliced
20 g garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons harissa paste
400 g mixed peppers, sliced
350 g cherry tomatoes
15 g (1 tablespoon) chopped preserved lemon peel
1½ teaspoons capers
A few sprigs flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 – 4 eggs (optional – see the end of the post for instructions)
Feta cheese and olives for serving
How to Make:
Heat the oil in a pan (I used a Le Creuset cast iron casserole pot) and cook the onions and garlic over a medium heat until slightly softened.
Add the harissa paste, peppers, tomatoes, preserved lemon peel, capers and parsley. Give everything a stir then cover the pan with a lid.
Cook for 30 minutes until the vegetables have softened in their own juices. Taste for seasoning and add more harissa paste if needed.
Reduce the sauce a little if you find it too runny. Now is the time to add the eggs if you would like a more substantial meal.
For serving, add the parsley, olives and crumbled feta cheese.
Homemade cheese scone and bagel to accompany the Shakshuka
We had the Shakshuka for lunch, which we had to eat in 15 minutes on account of a hospital appointment. I realised only after we had finished the entire pot that I had taken only one photo of the finished dish. It was truly light and delicious, perfect for any season.
To add the eggs:
Crack an egg into a small bowl.
Using the back of a soup ladle, make an indent in the tomato and pepper sauce and slide the egg into the the hole.
Continue to add in the other eggs this way.
Cover the pan and cook over a low heat for a further 5 – 10 minutes, until the eggs whites are set but the yolks are still slightly runny.