shakshuka

Literally one of the most fun words to say. Pronounced "shock-shooka", this dish is so easy to make and can be eaten for breakfast, brunch or dinner.

The origins of this dish are a little unclear, but it's consumed and loved from north Africa to the Middle East and even in Europe. Eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce? Sign me up! Simple, easy and quick- perfect for a Sunday morning brunch and tastes like you've been working on it for hours. Here's what you need: 

• 1 large yellow onion
• 4 ripe plum tomatos
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 28oz can of stewed tomatos
• 1 6oz can of tomato paste
• 1/2 cup shredded kale
• 1/2 cup of feta 
• 3 tablespoons diced piquillo peppers
• 1 tablespoon of turmeric
• 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons of sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon of garlic salt
• 4 large eggs

It's definitely a longer list of ingredients, and I've modified them to my taste. Traditionally the dish is made with cumin and bell peppers but if you know me you know that I HATE cumin and bell peppers. Instead of cumin, I used turmeric and instead of bell peppers, I used piquillo peppers. Both mild in flavor yet add a really nice depth to the dish. 

Start by dicing the yellow onion and garlic cloves and letting them sweat with the cored tomatoes and piquillo peppers in a large skillet over medium high heat. While those are sweating away, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Then add the spices and continue to cook over medium heat until everything is coated and the spices are fragrant. 

After about 7 minutes, add the can of stewed tomatoes and tomato paste and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. Once the sauce has reduced a bit, add a 1/2 cup of feta cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. It should be about the consistency of a rich marinara sauce, and in a lot of ways this is a very similar sauce! 

The next step is SO easy, and definitely the most fun part. Around the perimeter of the skillet, make little wells with a spoon and crack an egg into each crater. If you're feeding for a larger group, use more eggs! Then just pop the entire thing in the oven for about 5-7 minutes or until the eggs are set to your preference. For me, the perfect egg has a runny yolk and a completely cooked egg white. That takes about 6 minutes, depending on your oven.

Serve over breakfast potatoes and garnish with fresh cilantro and more feta cheese. 

This dish is so easy, so delicious and the presentation definitely makes it a crowd pleaser! It's at the top of my brunch go-to list! What are your favorite brunch foods? 

snacking with spice

Hey y'all! Just a short and simple snack post this week, as I gear up for my big Sauté + Rosé Takes New York post!

Have you ever been hungry and not known what you want? You just stare at the fridge, knowing that you want something to munch on but haven't the slightest idea of what you're craving. I wanted something healthy, instead of going for the barbecue chips or Hot Cheetos. Maybe something sweet, maybe a little spicy and definitely crunchy. I'm working from home this week, and that ritual of me in front of the fridge and then pantry and back to the fridge happens all to often. I started looking around to see what I could snack on and found some cashews. PERFECT! They're heart healthy (heart disease runs in my family on both sides) and they've been shown to lower blood pressure! I started snacking away but they quickly lost their luster and I though, DUH, just add some spices! That's exactly what I did. 

Here's what you need: 

• 1 cup unsalted roasted cashews (or your favorite nut)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest

Start by heated the oil in a small sauté pan, and just when it's melted completely add the nuts! Toss until the nuts are coated with the oil and immediately add the cayenne pepper, onion powder, and garlic salt. Toss for about a minute, until the spices are fragrant and fill the kitchen. Remove from the heat and add to a serving bowl.

Zest the orange over the nuts and enjoy! I love them warm, but cooled they're perfect for travel. Every time I make these I plan on taking them to the office, but they never leave the kitchen!