Nermo

Shakshouka is the Israeli equivalent of Huevos Rancheros or the Turkish dish Menemen. Here’s my take on the theme, which makes an amazing, complete breakfast that will impress.

If you are expecting a date to end after breakfast, or you are having someone over for brunch and would rather hang out over coffee than over the stove, you can make this dish the night before, then just reheat it, crack in some eggs and toss it in the oven for a few minutes.

This dish is also great because you can make with just one pan, one knife or a mandolin and one spoon.

Huevos Kibbutz

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 roasted green pepper, thinly sliced
1 roasted red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 small bay leaf
1 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper
3 large eggs
1/4 cup grated parmesan or any other cheese
1/4 cup chopped scallions
Crusty bread

1. Add the oil to an ovenproof skillet and cook the onion and garlic over medium heat until the onion becomes soft and translucent. Add peppers and cook for 2 minutes. Add the paprika, red pepper flakes, cumin, sugar and bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste.

— This is where you can let the pan cool, cover it and toss it in the fridge overnight.—

3. Preheat oven to 400. Bring the sauce back to a simmer on the stove (this would also be a great time to toss in some chopped up, cooked bacon, if you’re into that sort of thing), then crack the eggs over the sauce and transfer the pan into to the oven and bake until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still soft and runny, about 7 minutes. Garnish with cheese and scallions and serve immediately with crusty bread for dipping.

Note: To roast peppers, hold them with tongs over the flame on a gas stove until black and blistered on all sides, then rub off the skin under cool tap water.

A colleague asked me sheepishly for recipes the other day because, she admitted, she doesn’t know how to cook meat. I was shocked, because she is an amazing baker, and I have had many tasty delights created by her hand. I am starting off with a foolproof steak procedure. It’s hardly a recipe; there just isn’t that much to it.

Simple Steak

1 1-pound New York steak, about an inch thick, room temperature

Sprinkle both sides with salt (twice the amount you would expect) and fresh cracked pepper.
(I also use the generic spice blend from Trader Joe’s that comes in a grinder, but it isn’t crucial.)
Get a skillet flaming hot while you olive oil both sides of your steak.
Put the steak in the pan, prettiest side down and sear for 4 minutes to get a great crust.
Flip the steak, sear another 4 minutes and remove to a plate to rest for 10 minutes.

That’s it.