Shakshouka, a tomato based stew topped with eggs, has been trendy for awhile as breakfast,a brunch or a light supper. I’ve made and posted traditional shakshouka, green shakshouka and even a leftover corn bread version my daughter named Corn Shouka and enjoyed them all. I was surprised this month when one of my food magazines had multiple shakshouka recipes including one in an advertisement for a diet program’s new marketing plan. There were multiple spelling including the magazine’s Shakshuka version. All that got me shukaed up, so you might find different spellings scattered through here.  Yes, it is a terrible pun; just deal with it!
I decided to make shakshuka for breakfast, regardless of the spelling. The challenge was that most published recipes make a lot, come calling for a dozen eggs!  These days, I’m cooking for one. Reading some of the recipes, I got a feel for ingredients and decided to check out the fridge and pantry to see what I might scavenge for an impromptu shakshouka. You know how I enjoy playing with my food!

Scavenger Shashouka

Ingredients found on hand:
Diced canned tomatoes left over from another project
Onion
Garlic
Bell pepper
One foil packet (two tablespoons) tomato paste What a great convenience discovery they are! Six packets in a box so you don’t have to throw away most of a can of tomato paste.
Jarred red chile salsa (Chimayo brand is amazing!)
Greens (I happend to have some red Swiss chard)
Eggs
Feta cheese
Olive oil
My stove top blend of 60% kosher salt and 40% ground black pepper

Method
NOTE: Measurements included in the methods are eye-balled estimates. Trust your experience and instincts and play with that food! Makes two servings.

Heat up the broiler in your oven.
Add a splash (1 or 2 Tbsp) olive oil to an 8-inch non-stick sauté pan and heat until it begins to shimmer. Use a second-press inexpensive olive oil for this, save your EVOO for salad dressing or for drizzling over the shakshouka at serving.
Add chopped onions and bell pepper, about a Tbsp or two of each, and cook until tinder.  Lower heat if needed to keep from burning the onion.
Add a minced garlic clove or two and let them soften, but not turn golden, stir in the packet of tomato paste, but don’t include the foil. When paste is soften and blended in, add a cup of so of drained diced tomatoes. My pan was filled to about half an inch short of the top. Stir in the salsa (as much for Chile heat as you think you can take) onion, bell pepper and garlic and let it all simmer until reduced and not soggy wet. Add chopped greens to the pan, stir into the mix as the greens wilt and be come tender.
Make two wells in the tomato mix and crack an egg into each. When eggs begin to set, transfer pan to the oven under the broiler. Check it frequently and remove the pan when the egg whites are just set. The yolks should be just set.
Remove pan from the oven and sprinkle crumbled feta cheese on the tomato mix an eggs. Let it set up a couple of minutes and the cheese soften a little, salt and pepper mix to taste, then plate and enjoy.

Bulletin: Left overs were more flavorful than the first time around!  I may have to experiment making it a day ahead.