Chickpea and Kale Shakshuka

As mentioned in my last post, I was in a quarantine rut, extremely bored of my own cooking and longing to eat someone else's food. Then, as if someone were answering my food prayers, this recipe showed up in my Instagram feed by Smitten Kitchen. It revived me. It's not the first time inspiration has come to me in the form of one of Deb's recipes. She describes it as one of her most beloved dishes, and I see why. It's one I want to practice making, so I can whip it up without needing to look at a recipe, and be able to confidently change it up a bit with ingredients on hand for equally satisfying results. It's  a perfect recipe to be able to make at a moment's notice for spontaneous dinner guests and still make them feel special. One of my dreams of hosting dinners is to have amazing al fresco dining experiences in my backyard. While they won't match the images I have from movies set in a Tuscan valley, I'd still like to give it my best try. I can easily conjure up images of this dish surrounded by a large green salad,  slices of avocado, a platter of grains, fresh bread and lots of red wine at my outdoor table. May we be able to have dinner parties again at some point in the not so distant future.

I served this with Israeli couscous and toasted slices of French bread, all drizzled with olive oil and more Feta sprinkled on the couscous. I thought it was a good combo. Martini with a twist made with Malfy, an Italian gin.  I didn't have za'atar but did have sumac berry and thyme. The sesame seed flavor would be nice, so hope to have that by the next time I make it. I think the fresh mint is an important flavor for the dish, but you can go without it if you don't have any on hand. The recipe calls for 2 cans of chickpeas, but I used only one, and I wouldn't want both. I also used more kale and would repeat that.

In case you're wondering as I was, I will save you the time in looking it up - to pronounce shakshuka properly, it appears the emphasis is on the second syllable "SHOO".

Shakshuka

olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon za'atr (I used sumac berry and thyme)
1/2 jalapeño de-seeded and finely chopped (I think it could take a whole pepper)
salt and pepper
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can of chickpeas
1/2 cup veggie broth
at least 4 oz of kale, chopped. I used 3/4 of a bunch and would do more next time
4 to 6 eggs
1 cup crumbled feta
handful of chopped fresh mint
greek yogurt for garnish (optional)

1. In a large skillet or dutch oven casserole dish heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, za'atar jalapeño. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add tomato sauce, chickpeas, broth, 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cover and lower heat if necessary to keep it from boiling over. Let the liquid cook down and thicken a bit, about 7 minutes.
3. Add kale, cover again and let it wilt, about 4 minutes.
4. Make wells for the eggs and crack one into each well. Sprinkle with salt pepper and the feta. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, depending on your egg preference. Maybe a little less if you want them runny.
5. Sprinkle fresh mint over the top. Serve and add top with yogurt if desired.