By Kristin went back to New York on Monday and the house got quiet again the way it always does after she leaves — she is the loudest person in any room she inhabits, not in volume but in presence, and when she goes there is a specific vacancy. I drove her to Midway on Monday morning and she hugged me at departures and said "You're going to be a really good teacher, you know." I said "I know." She said "Good. Don't let anyone talk you out of it." Nobody is trying to, I said. She said "They will." Then she went through the doors and I drove home on the Stevenson.
Back to normal. Pool schedule, cooking, reading for the fall. I have been doing background reading on the student teaching placement — a self-contained SpEd classroom on the southwest side of Chicago. I spend about an hour each evening reading about instructional modifications, communication strategies, behavioral support frameworks. I am not anxious about it. I am preparing. These are different things.
Made shakshuka this week — eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce, the kind of thing that looks and tastes like it took effort but actually takes about twenty-five minutes. A can of crushed tomatoes (79 cents), half an onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne, two eggs cracked right into the simmering sauce and then covered until just set. Ate it out of the skillet with bread for dipping.
It was the first time I had made shakshuka — I found it on a cooking blog and it seemed like exactly the kind of thing I would eat. Satisfying, cheap, feels like a real meal. Total cost under two dollars. The eggs cook in the sauce and absorb the flavor and everything is red and orange and warm. I ate it for dinner twice and then made it again on Saturday morning because I wanted to. Some recipes just belong to you immediately.
I found this recipe during the same week I was deep in reading about instructional frameworks for my placement — the kind of week where you want dinner to feel like something without requiring much of you. Shakshuka turned out to be exactly that. I made it four times in six days, which is the only endorsement a recipe needs. Below is as close to how I made it as I can write it down.
Shakshuka (Eggs Poached in Spiced Tomato Sauce)
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 1 (easily doubled)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced small
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 large eggs
- Crusty bread or pita for serving
Instructions
- Soften the onion. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just beginning to turn golden, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic and spices. Add the minced garlic, cumin, paprika, and cayenne. Stir and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Build the sauce. Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, stir to combine, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the flavors have come together.
- Add the eggs. Use the back of a spoon to make two shallow wells in the sauce. Crack one egg into each well. Season the eggs lightly with salt and pepper.
- Cover and poach. Place a lid or a sheet of foil over the skillet. Cook on medium-low for 5 to 7 minutes — until the whites are fully set but the yolks are still soft. Check at 5 minutes; they can go quickly.
- Serve from the skillet. Bring the pan straight to the table with bread alongside for dipping. No need to plate it.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 330 | Protein: 17g | Fat: 15g | Carbs: 33g | Fiber: 7g | Sodium: 610mg