Shakshouka
... my spicy and bright variation of this dish with Aubergine
This is such a rich, wholesome and cozy dish perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner, I tend to have it as a brunch mostly though. It is a twist on the classic shakshouka dish of eggs poached in a tomato sauce using aubergine to give it a bit more of a chunky texture and capers to brighten the sauce up. I also chose to use spring onions to save time, because, unlike normal onions, you don't need to spend ages cooking them to release their sweetness. If you have some mushrooms you can slice and add, go for it or maybe a cup of spinach to add when you simmer the tomatoes at the end, this can be nice too.
I hope you love this heartwarming dish as much as I do!
Alice x
Ingredients
VEG, Serves 1-2
1/4 Aubergine, diced
1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp capers, roughly chopped
1 tsp dried/2 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp dried/2 tsp fresh oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika flakes (or smoked paprika powder)
2 tbsp chopped chives or parsley, and some to sprinkle on top at the end
2 spring onions, sliced
tin of chopped tomatoes
cheddar cheese or parmesan, grated
1 egg (or 2 if you fancy)
slice of sourdough or seedy bread
Method
Melt a tbsp of coconut oil in a small heavy bottom pan on medium heat then sauté the diced aubergine until lightly browned. Chop the garlic, chilli, capers, chives (or parsley) up altogether on a board then chuck in with the aubergine followed by the spring onions. Add the thyme, oregano and paprika flakes then continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add the tin of chopped tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes, adding salt, pepper and more paprika flakes if needed.
Make a well in the sauce mix once it has thickened slightly and crack an egg into it (make two wells if you fancy two eggs...). Sprinkle this all over with grated cheese (maybe keep a little cheese aside to top with at the end) and cover partially with a lid. While this cooks drizzle some olive oil on the bread and pop it under the grill or just chuck it in the Aga in my case... alternatively just pop it in the toaster. The eggs will take around 5 minutes but keep an eye on them, you want set whites but a runny yolk.
When the eggs are cooked and the cheese melted, sprinkle some extra pepper, chives, parsley or cheese on and dunk the toast in the runny egg middle, yum!