Shakshuka
Hi guys! Quick post today so I can tell you about my latest obsession: shakshuka. It’s kind of a round-the-clock dish, just as appropriate for breakfast as it is dinner… which is how we’ve been enjoying it in our household. All three meals of the day, that it is.
A little bit of background, shakshuka is North African in origin, and it means ‘mixture’ in Arabic (thanks Wiki). And that it is. It’s essentially an egg dish, but it’s got a whole mess of tastes and textures to fill out all its nooks and crannies: slippery onion and bell pepper, a spicy and fragrant tomato sauce, salty briny crumbly feta, the cleanness of fresh scattered cilantro leaves. And to top it all off, barely-set eggs that tumble into puddles of yolk when prodded. Doesn’t that sound amazing? To me, it’s a dream.
A couple other items of note: our cast-iron skillet is monstrous in size and has a permanent place on the stovetop because it’s too big to go anywhere else. My efforts always feel so dwarfed by it—like I should be preparing dinner for six rather than dinner for two. This recipe, then, is perfectly-sized. And you’ll want to use your extra-large skillet so you too can make an extra-large batch to enjoy for multiple meals.
Also, for those of you who are, like me, efficiency nazis, I LOVE how easy this dish is to prepare! It’s one of those one-pot meals that Deb often extols. I totally get her. Even if I don’t do the dishes, I am a huge fan of the simplicity of One-Pots (deserving of capitalization, I think). They’re a whole class of recipes in themselves.
Alright, well, I feel awkward for checking out so abruptly, but… have great rests of the week and let’s re-convene next week, sound good?
Oh, before I forget, I wanted to tell you all about the nonfiction book club I’ll be helping moderate! Check it out! It’s headed by lovely Eva over at Adventures in Cooking, and the other moderators are Carrie, Izy, and Brianne. A fabulous group, right? The first book we’ll be tackling is The Disappearing Spoon, starting next week. Come join us! It’ll be fun.
SHAKSHUKA
Adapted from Melissa Clark for the New York Times
serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, sliced thinly
1 large bell pepper, deseeded and sliced thinly
3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
salt and pepper to taste
1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups crumbled feta
6 large eggs
cilantro, hot sauce, pita bread (or any bread really), hummus for serving
Directions:
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and bell peppers, and cook until very soft, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so until fragrant, then stir in the spices. Cook another minute, then pour in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and let simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the feta cheese.
Gently crack in the eggs evenly around the pan over the sauce. Top them with a little more salt and pepper, then simmer until the eggs are just set, about 10 minutes. Serve with lots of pita bread to mop up the sauce.
Related Posts
Subscribe for New Racipies
Get mental health tips, updates, and resources delivered to your inbox.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Wonton Cups
I hear there is a big football game coming up. We are not big football fans, but we are always up for a good party. And with good parties comes good food. I like to change up my party menu every once in a while, so we are not always eating the same foods. This time around, I decided to make our favorite family dinner into a cute appetizer. My family loves Chicken Cordon Bleu, so I thought, why not make it in a wonton? Chicken Cordon Bleu Wonton Cups are perfect for any party or just as a snack.
For these wonton cups, you are going to need some cooked chicken. I just cooked up a package of chicken tenders, but you can probably use some pre-cooked, packaged chicken also.
I found it easier to roll up the ham and cut it in eight strips, then add a strip to eat wonton cup. For the cheese, I cut each slice into small squares and added about 2 squares to each cup. I do recommend getting some good quality deli ham and cheese. I bought Boar’s Head Black Forest Ham and Boar’s Head Baby Swiss Cheese.
For the maple mustard sauce, I just mixed together some brown mustard, mayonnaise, and pure maple syrup. I drizzled on the sauce after the completed wontons were baked, but you can also add it before the final baking process. If you prefer dijon mustard, you can swap that out too. You can also adjust the ratios of mustard and maple syrup to your liking. My daughter and husband love this sauce with their Chicken Cordon Bleu.
You can dress them up with some fresh parsley if you like, or add some chopped tomato. I had my daughter and husband test these out and they agreed that Chicken Cordon Bleu Wonton Cups were a winner. My daughter ate some for lunch the other day and hubby had some as a mid afternoon snack. I did store the extras in the fridge and just reheated them in the microwave for about 10-20 seconds when needed. The wonton wrappers still stayed super crunchy.
These wonton cups have all the flavors of a Chicken Cordon Bleu dinner wrapped in a neat little package. I like the bit of crunch the wonton wrappers give to flavor experience. They will definitely go on the appetizer rotation list. Hope you guys all have a fun Super Bowl day!!
For more fun appetizers, check out the links below.
Chicken Quesadilla Wonton Cups
Chicken Cordon Bleu Wonton Cups
by The Sweet Chick
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Keywords: bake appetizer snack chicken ham cheese wonton wraps Super Bowl American French
Ingredients (36 wonton cups)
For the wonton cups
- 36 wonton wrappers
- 2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
- 5 slices Boar’s Head Black Forest deli ham
- 4 slices Boar’s Head Baby Swiss deli cheese
- 1/2 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
For the sauce
- 1/3 cup mayonaise
- 1/4 cup brown mustard
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Optional toppings
- chopped fresh parsley
- chopped tomatoes
Instructions
For the wonton cups
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line greased mini muffin tins with the wonton wraps, pressing down gently to mold the shape.
Place wraps in the oven and bake for 7 minutes, then remove.
Evenly distribute the chopped chicken pieces into the bottoms of the wonton cups.
Chop up ham and cheese slices. For the ham, I found it better to roll it them slice it into ribbons (about 8 cuts per roll) and add a ribbon to each wonton cup. For the cheese I cut the slices into small squares and placed about two squares to each wonton cup over the ham and chicken.
Next mix together the melted butter and panko bread crumbs and sprinkle about a 1/2 teaspoon of the mixture to the tops of each wonton cups over the cheese.
Place the wonton cups in the oven and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and bread crumbs are slightly golden.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before carefully removing from muffin tin. Serve warm drizzled with a maple mustard sauce.
For the sauce
Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, and maple syrup until smooth. Then drizzle it over the wonton cups. Enjoy!
Optional toppings
Feel free to add extra toppings if you like, such as chopped fresh parsley or chopped tomatoes.
Notes
Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container and reheated for 10-20 seconds in the microwave.
Related Posts
Subscribe for New Racipies
Get mental health tips, updates, and resources delivered to your inbox.