Meatless Monday: Moroccan Baked Eggs

Moroccan baked eggs, or shakshuka, are a simple but delicious meal.  Eggs are cooked in a spicy tomato sauce that is flavored with smoked paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper.  You can make this dish in a large skillet or individually in ramekins (like this recipe suggests).  Garnish your eggs with chopped cilantro and feat cheese.

Moroccan Baked Eggs

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon EVOO
1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped
1/2 sweet red pepper, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika 
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 cup of chopped tomatoes 
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1/4 cup low sodium Vegetable or Chicken stock 
2 large Eggs
2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 green onion, finely chopped

Directions:

Preparation: make sauce ahead 1 day: In an large dutch oven heat oil and fry onions until translucent.

Add to onions the red peppers and garlic. Add all of the spices and heat just until you can smell the aroma (careful, the paprika burns very quickly)

Add tomatoes to onion mixture and mix well.

Cook over medium heat for 10-20 minutes until this mixture has reduced. If it reduces too quickly, add more stock.

The sauce is ready when the tomatoes have reached a beautiful dark red colour. Set aside one day.

Directions: Pre heat oven to 500° F. Pre heat ramekins. While oven is heating, warm up the tomato sauce until it bubbles.

Evenly divide the tomato sauce into 2 medium ramekins (I used Le Creuset mini casseroles). Return to oven and heat until sauce bubbles.

Create a divot on one side of the tomato sauce in each ramekin, break one egg into each ramekin.

Place the ramekins onto a cookie sheet and cover with foil or the Le Creuset mini casseroles' lid.

Bake in a preheated oven 2-4 minutes, depending on how cooked you like your eggs.

Serve one ramekin per person, garnished with green onions and cilantro. A dollop of sour cream, crème fraiche or yogurt might also be nice. Also make sure you have toast points to dip into the yolks!