A Meatless Monday Recipe: Shakshuka-Eggs Poached in Spicy Tomato Sauce

 Shakshuka: Poached Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce

¼ cup chopped onion

2 Tbls. chopped sweet red pepper (or yellow or green)

2 Tbls. chopped parsley

1 glove garlic chopped

1 hot red pepper or pepper flakes**

1 tsp sugar, optional

1 tsp. olive oil or spray

2 cups canned tomatoes with juice, chopped

1 Tbls. tomato paste

Salt and black pepper (optional)

**How hot and spicy you want your shakshuka to be-very hot: use a whole red pepper and leave it in all the time, medium hot-use a whole red pepper but remove the seeds, mildly hot-saute the hot pepper but don’t cook it in the tomato sauce. I make the mildly hot and then my husband adds some hot pepper flakes or tabasco sauce to his.

1. Saute onion and pepper.

2. When the onion and pepper are soft, add the chopped garlic and parsley and sauté for 1 minute. If using the hot pepper, add it with the chopped garlic and parsley.

3. Remove the hot pepper for mild heat, and add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste, (For a hotter dish, keep the pepper in. Add the sugar if using. Add a shake of salt and pepper

4. Let the sauce cook about 15-20 minutes covered, Remove the cover for the last five minutes if you see there’s a lot of liquid still.

5. Crack the eggs, one at a time, into a cup and gently slide them into the sauce. Cover and let the eggs cook a bit to firm up, then gently spoon sauce over the tops. Cook until done.

 Here's how the eggs look as they firm up enough to spoon the sauce on top:

 And here's the dish plated and ready to eat. Serve with bread and salad for a delicious lunch or light supper.

Meatless Monday Recipe: Tofu and Black Beans

I saw a news bit on BBC about Paul McCartney and his daughters calling for Meatless Mondays to help save the planet (you know, those methane emitting cows!) Most of my meatless recipes won't do much as they use lots of cheese or eggs, but this one recipe might.

It's Tofu and Black Beans and is super easy and quick to make and best of all, delicious. None of the Chinese restaurants around here make a tofu dish, so I often make this when we're having Chinese take-out...DH leaves to pick up the food, I make this and I'm often finished before he gets back! Yep, its that fast. DS loves this dish and believe me, he is not a tofu lover (meat is his thing, like his Dad!) These are your basic ingredients.

1) 1 half cake firm tofu--make sure you get FIRM tofu...its the soft tofu that is slimy! Cut the tofu into slices and then into square or rectangular pieces...if you're not sure your family will like tofu, cut the pieces small-tofu really has no taste in itself but absorbs the tastes its cooked with...so smaller pieces means more sauce per piece!

2)1/4 cup soy sauce

3) Black beans

Drain the black beans and add to the 1/4 cup soy sauce until cup reads 2/3 (about 4 tablespoons).

4) 2 teaspoons of sugar -add to measuring cup

5) 2 teaspoons corn starch-add to measuring cup and stir until sugar and corn starch are blended in.

To store the unused tofu, cover with water in a container with a lid and refrigerate. It will stay good for a week with daily changes of water.

Before using, dry tofu with paper towels. This is true every time you use tofu...you'll notice that it was packaged wet regardless of if you're using fresh tofu from the dairy aisle of your super or boxed long life tofu from the health food aisle.

Cooking directions: Spray a frying pan with Pam and saute the tofu until lightly browned. You can see the golden color of the tofu pieces on the left-I hadn't turned the right side over yet.

Pour in the measuring cup ingredients.

Stir until thickened.

Serve with steamed broccoli and rice. (This is the only home made Chinese food I have ever made that looks like restaurant food! :)

Easy to copy and print recipe:

1/2 brick firm tofu, cut into cubes

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons white wine

about 4 tablespoons drained black beans

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons corn starch

Spray frying pan with Pam and saute tofu. Mix all the rest of the ingredients together. When tofu is lightly browned, add mixed sauce ingredients, and stir until thickened.


Check out the other recipes at Kelly's Monday Blue Plate Specials. (No, they aren't Meatless Monday Blue Plates :)