Shakshuka

This dish is hearty without being heavy and makes a great meal at any time of day. The harissa (a spicy, flavor rich chili paste) really highlights all the vegetables in this sauce.

Ingredients

1-1/2 Tbsp olive oil

1-1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

1 cup sweet mini peppers, diced

1/2 large white onion, diced

1 jalapeno, diced (leave the spines and seeds on if you want a little more of a kick)

3-5 garlic cloves, sliced (this really depends on how much garlic you like)

1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

3-4 Tbsp. harissa paste

5 oz. spinach, roughly chopped (also great with arugula and other peppery/bitter greens)

Eggs (I used 4 in this batch, but you can really put in however many you'd like)

2.5 oz feta in brine, drained and cut into small cubes

Optional: bread or toast for dipping and scooping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and position rack to the middle.

2. Warm up a large dutch oven or oven safe skillet with lid over medium heat on the stovetop. Add olive oil, swirl to coat pan. Add in the onion, peppers, jalapeno, and salt, and sweat for approximately 5-7 minutes, until onions become slightly translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.

3. Pour the can of crushed tomatoes into the pan along with the harissa paste, stir to incorporate the harissa throughout and to coat the vegetables in the tomatoes.

4. Once the sauce begins to bubble, add in the spinach and stir. Cover and allow the spinach to wilt, approx. 3-4 minutes.

5. Create wells in the sauce with a spoon and drop the eggs in one at a time. You'll find that if you skip this step the whites of the eggs just run across the surface of the sauce. It will still cook just fine, but a little less visually appealing for the end product. (Cracking the eggs into a custard cup one by one gives you the most control on placing the eggs in the sauce - one hand can drag the spoon on the bottom to create the well while the other hand gently drops the egg into the well.)

6. Sprinkle the feta throughout the spaces around the eggs. Crack your black pepper over the top of the entire dish.

7. Place the dish into the oven and bake for approximately 8-10 minutes, until egg is cooked to desired doneness.

8. Remove from the oven and cool 3-5 min before serving, until bubbling stops. You can eat it alone or serve with toast/bread/crackers.