By Six weeks old. The pediatrician cleared me at the six-week appointment with the businesslike brevity of someone who has had this conversation ten thousand times: healing fine, everything normal, and yes I know I'm a nurse, and yes it's different when it's yours, and here's the developmental milestone sheet. I know the developmental milestone sheet. I still read it three times in the waiting room.
Liam is alert now in a way that changes everything. He tracks faces. He holds your gaze for long seconds and seems to be forming opinions about what he's looking at. Sean holds him up and talks to him and Liam watches Sean's mouth move with the concentration of someone learning a new language. Which is, I suppose, exactly what he's doing.
I made shakshuka for dinner on Saturday, which I do every spring when the tomatoes become worth eating again. I stood at the stove and built the sauce and cracked the eggs in and covered it to set and the kitchen filled with the smell of cumin and good tomatoes and I felt like myself in the kitchen again, actually present, not just feeding us out of obligation. Liam was in the bouncer on the floor and I talked to him while I cooked, describing what I was doing, which has become habit. He watched me with the patient attention of a very small restaurant critic.
Six weeks. We're figuring out the shape of a day, Sean and I. What Liam needs and when. What we need and when. How to be parents and also people. It's a project. We're both good at projects.
That Saturday shakshuka — standing at the stove while Liam watched from his bouncer like the world’s smallest, most patient food critic — was the first time in six weeks I cooked because I wanted to, not because we needed to eat. The smell of cumin hitting the tomatoes, the eggs setting under the lid, the whole kitchen warm and good: that’s the recipe I want to leave here, because it’s the one that reminded me I’m still a person who loves to cook.
Tex-Mex Breakfast Bowls
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 large eggs
- 1/4 cup crumbled cotija or feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 avocado, sliced
- Warm tortillas or crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
- Build the base. Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant.
- Toast the spices. Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, and cayenne. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until the spices are fragrant and lightly toasted.
- Simmer the sauce. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors meld.
- Crack the eggs. Use the back of a spoon to make 6 small wells in the sauce. Crack one egg into each well. Season the eggs lightly with salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still slightly runny, or longer if you prefer firmer yolks.
- Finish and serve. Remove from heat. Top with crumbled cheese, cilantro, and avocado slices. Serve straight from the skillet with warm tortillas or crusty bread for dipping.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 320 | Protein: 16g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 7g | Sodium: 680mg