shakshuka

VEGAN SHAKSHUKA TOASTS /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

We’re still settling in to life in the new house. It’s a larger space than the apartments we’ve always lived in, so it’s a welcome adjustment. We also have a pretty spacious backyard that I’m looking forward to setting up, and hopefully having friends and family over when it’s safe. Warmer weather, more and more vaccinations everyday, it seems like things are finally inching towards a new day. With that in mind, I can’t help but want to make brunch food. A DIY bagel bar, a make-you-own-toast station, all the pancakes and waffles one could imagine, and a big pot of shakshuka. These are things that run through my head regularly.

In that vein, I thought a combination of a few of those ideas sounded super fun. So here we have it, Shakshuka Toast! Shakshuka is a staple in North African and Middle Eastern cuisine, which consists of: onions, pepper, garlic, spices (I like adding harissa paste, but it’s not a deal breaker), canned tomatoes, and in this vegan variation we use butter beans instead of eggs. We pan-fry some toast with olive oil, rub it with some garlic, sprinkle it with some flaky salt, then on goes the shakshuka sauce. We serve it warm with some chopped radishes, maybe some herbs - you could also top it with a dollop of plant-based yogurt as well. This kind of meal is made for a family style meal, and I actually love that with making this version vegan, here isn’t the pressure to poach the eggs perfectly. Super low maintenance, which is something to love.

We’re using Little Northern Bakehouse Sprouted gluten-free bread here. They sent me some try to a few weeks ago, and my kids and I love it. It does double duty as an everyday sandwich bread, while also being great to jazz up for a fancy toast brunch situation. It has an airy quality, but also has great texture and flavor (if you’re gluten-free, then I’m sure you know that’s a hard thing to come by!). I especially love using their sprouted bread for all these reasons, and also because the sprouting process makes nutrients more accessible and more easily digestible. It stands up great to the shakshuka here (but don’t let it sit too long, like with any bread, it will get soggy), adding a wonderful crunchy texture.

*This post was sponsored by Little Northern Bakehouse, as always all the thoughts and opinions are my own.

VEGAN BUTTER BEAN SHAKSHUKA TOASTS | GF

| makes 8 toasts |

print the recipe

ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for frying the bread

  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped

  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  •  1-2 tablespoons prepared harissa paste (depending on how spicy you want it)

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 1/2 teaspoon coconut sugar

  • 1 (28 ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed with a masher or your hands

  • 1 teaspoon fine salt

  • Fresh ground pepper, to taste

  • 1 15-ounce can butter beans, drained and rinsed

  • Spray oil (preferably high-heat oil like avocado)

  • 8 pieces Little Northern Bakery Sprouted 7 Grain Gluten-Free Bread

  • 1 clove garlic, sliced in half

  • Flaky salt

  • Sliced radishes, for serving

  • Fresh dill, for serving

method

  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low. Add onion and pepper, cook, stirring every so often until soft; about 15-20 minutes. Add garlic and cook until tender and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the harissa, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and sugar. Stir, and cook for another minute. Pour in the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Bring everything to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.

  2. Fold in the beans. Taste and adjust any seasonings, adding more salt or spices if necessary. Remove from heat and cover.

  3. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Once hot, spray with oil, place bread in the pan, and spray the other side of the bread. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side, until toasted. Remove from the pan and rub one side of the toast with the cut side of the garlic. Top with flaky salt, and repeat with remaining pieces of toast.

  4. Serve toasts with a heaping serving of the shakshuka. Top with sliced radishes, fresh dill, and more flaky salt. Serve immediately.

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green shakshuka w/ smoky socca /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

the other day i was up at some crazy hour in the morning thinking about this cute, wobbly old table i had purchased a few years ago.  the table made a brief appearance here in our new(er) apartment, but was sent to my parents basement - or as we call it, storage - for a day when we have a large enough place to fit cute, non-essential furniture.  anyway, the other day i was thinking that i missed that table's cheerful turquoise hue, and its random chips of paint.  i told my dad that i was thinking of a way to utilize the table and asked if there was a way to trim the legs and make a tray.  my dad, being a pretty smart (and rad) guy, transformed this once not so very functional piece of furniture into not only a large serving tray, but was also able to save other parts of the dismantled table for wall shelves!  the tray now sits comfortably on our ottoman in the living room, and makes a pretty backdrop for photographs ;)

on to this shakshuka.  like most people i eat a red shakshuka, and sometimes a reddish-green shakshuka.  that was until i ate green shakshuka at my most favorite restaurant, jack's wife freda.  the base of their green sauce is tomatillos, green peppers, cilantro, onion and garlic.  the shakshuka here is a riff off of theirs.  not knowing exactly how they prepare it, i took to making it how i would prepare a regular red shakshuka and frank and i love it!  the sauce isn't as sweet and i definitely make it spicier when it's green, and i LOVE the taste of the cilantro mixed with the heartiness of kale!  and whenever there's a runny egg in town be sure that there's a piece of bread around to sop up all its runny, yellow yolk goodness! enter: socca. essentially a flatbread, and super easy to make, plus, you can add virtually any spice or herb to it and make it to your liking.  some of my favorite additions include: tons of garlic and herbs, za'atar, and smoked paprika! 

green shakshuka w/ smoky socca 

serves 2

ingredients

  • 8 medium tomatillos (~1 pound), trimmed and cut in half
  • 5 large lacinto kale leaves, ribs removed
  • 1 cup cilantro
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, stem removed (i added some seeds for spice)
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 3 large free range eggs
  • olive oil, for sauteing  

smoky socca

  • 1 cup garbanzo bean flour
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  •  1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

directions

make the socca

  • in a medium bowl, whisk the garbanzo bean flour, salt and smoked paprika.  add the warm water while whisking.  add 2 tablespoons olive oil and minced garlic, whisk to combine.  cover mixture with plastic wrap and let it sit for 1 hour - or up to 12 hours
  • place a 12" cast iron skillet (or oven safe baking dish of same size) in oven and preheat to 450° 
  • once heated, remove from oven and add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan; swirl to cover the surface and edges.  give the socca batter one more whisk and add to hot skillet, return to oven and bake for about 13-15 minutes.  turn oven to broil and bake until edges and top of socca bread are lightly browned and crisp - about 3-5 minutes
  • carefully transfer the bread to a large plate or pizza pan and cut into wedges.  serve hot

make the shakshuka

  • combine halved tomatillos, kale, 3/4 cup cilantro, cumin and salt in a food processor, and pulse until contents are blended.  set aside
  • heat a 10" skillet over medium heat, add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute the onions until soft and translucent - about 3 minutes.  add the garlic and saute until garlic is soft and fragrant - about 2 minutes.  add the tomatillo mixture and bring sauce to a light simmer.  cook over medium-low heat for about 12-15 minutes, until half the liquid has cooked off
  • make divots in the sauce for the eggs.  one at a time, crack the eggs into a small bowl and gently transfer to the green sauce.  repeat with remaining eggs.  cook eggs until whites have set (i generally use a cover to speed this process up) about 6-8 minutes.    
  • garnish with leftover cilantro and serve with the socca...enjoy!