Poached Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce

This is a simple delicious Israeli dish.  It is officially called Shakshouka, but we just call it eggs in spicy tomato sauce.  We try to do meatless Mondays, and this is a great dish for that.  It is really hearty and filling.  Serve it with toasted pita bread.  Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:  
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes (undrained)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, more or less to taste, this make it pretty spicy (in my opinion)
pinch of sugar
pinch of slat and pepper (to taste)
4-6 eggs (It really depends on how many you can fit in your pan, it is just the 2 of us so we normally just make 4)
optional toppings:  Feta cheese, parsley, Sriracha 

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Add chopped onion and sauté for a few minutes until soft, then add garlic to pan and continue to sauté for about 2 more minutes.  Then add the chopped red peppers and sauté for about 5 minutes until peppers are soft. 

2)  Add diced tomatoes and tomato paste and stir.  Then add chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper, and sugar.  Stir until combined.  Simmer mixture over medium heat for 5-7 mins.

  

3)  Crack the eggs, one at a time, into the tomato mixture. Cover the pan and let simmer for about 10 minutes.  Keep an eye on the skillet and make sure that there is still liquid so the tomatoes do not burn.

4) While the eggs are cooking, prepare the pita bread by slicing each pita into 8 triangles (you will need about 1 pita per person).  Arrange on a baking pan and brush one side lightly with olive oil.  Sprinkle with sea salt and place in the oven at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.  

 








5)  Serve with pita bread and garnish with parsley, feta, and sriracha if desired.

Enjoy!
~ Amanda