Thursday, December 29, 2011

Rockin’ Shakshuka, Breakfast of Kings

This summer I went to Israel, lucky me. I stayed in the luxurious King Solomon Hotel. And while my travel mates were gorging themselves on the chocolate rugelach for breakfast (and who can blame them), I was madly, wildly in love with the shakshuka.

Not only did I have fun eating it, but talking about it was pretty awesome too. Go ahead, say it. Out loud. SHAKSHUKA!!! *fist raised in air* There! You are now so empowered that you don’t really need that second cup of coffee to get you going (have it anyway).
I’ve had shakshuka before and frankly it was either too spicy or had too many bell peppers for my taste, but this, this was bliss. At the King Solomon, there were big metal trays of chunky garlicky tomato sauce with eggs poached on top and fluffy pita bread on the side. Warm and nourishing, and like almost everything in Israel, healthy.
So I put the chocolate rugelach in my purse for later (my grandma would be proud), but for breakfast, only shakshuka!



Shakshuka, King Solomon Style
6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped (not from a jar)
¼  cup extra virgin olive oil
1-28 ounce can diced tomatoes (Muir Glenn is my favorite)
4 to 6 good quality eggs
Pita bread (if you live in The Lou I command you to go to Pita Plus and buy it there)
Optional: crumbled feta, chopped parsley

   1.      In a medium to large sized skillet warm the olive oil and the garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until garlic is sizzling. Make sure to keep it moving in the pan and do not let it brown.

2.      Add the can of tomatoes, a pinch of kosher salt and 1/8 of a teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicier).  Simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes.

3.      Crack desired amount of eggs on top, cover, and cook, 5 minutes for soft eggs, and 7 minutes if you like them cooked through.

4.      Scoop onto plates, sprinkling with feta, parsley, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper, which are all optional. Serve with warm pita bread, which is not. B’tayavon!


7 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful and delicious memory in Israel -- the breakfasts at the King Solomon Hotel. I do need the extra (two, three, four!) cups of coffee, but never have I tasted Shakshuka as delicious as that at the King Solomon. I cannot wait to try to recreate this recipe!!! Thanks for reminding me of another reason I love and miss Israel!

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  2. I went on the same trip the year before and it was definitely magical! I saw your blog link on Facebook from Yana and just had to try this recipe. I made it tonight...it was delicious! Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Kalanit, until you can go back for a visit, you will just have to eat a lot of Israeli food!

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  4. Hi Alana, I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe. I hope it brought back some of the magic from the trip! And any friend of Yana's is a friend of mine!

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  5. Aura - I'm trying this for dinner tonight. The tomatoes and garlic are simmering now and my kitchen smells great already!!! Hope it's as yummy as it sounds :)

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  6. Hi Alison! It is as good as it smells and tastes! So glad you tried it!

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  7. I've had a a few comments on Facebook and in person about different ways to make Shakshuka. Just to clarify, this is my version of the King Solomon Hotel recipe. I love it because it is easy to make and delicious. Feel free to add cumin, onions, roasted peppers, paprika, hot peppers, and anything else that is traditional to shakshuka or whatever sounds tasty to you. Just have fun with it and eat it often!

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