Post: #1

Shakshuka is a common breakfast dish from Israel. It's extremely cheap, voluminous, filling, delicious and low-calorie. It's also very simple to make so if you don't cook often it won't be too hard.



Recipie: http://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2010/0...shakshuka/

Essentially, shakshuka is just a bunch of vegetables (onion, peppers, tomatoes) sauteed in oil with several eggs poached on top and garnished. The spices you use are really what make the flavor pop.

It can be made really hot with the amount of cayenne pepper you choose to use. Apart from being a large meal volume-wise, the added spiciyness makes it take longer to eat. I remember drinking a ton of ice water and blowing cool air out of my mouth while sweating profusely the first time I made it and used a ton of cayenne.

I first found out about this somehow about a year ago while cutting weight for a BJJ tournament. If you use 4 eggs with the recipe and a tablespoon of olive oil, the whole thing isn't much more then ~400 calories. But it's a very filling, satisfying and delicious 400 calories.

An added benefit of the shear heat and spiciness of the dish is that you'll actually burn some calories just from eating it due to the thermic effect of food.

I've cooked shaksuka with girls for dates. If you date a vegetarian girl this is one of the best meals I've found that they can cook and eat with you.

In keeping with the Middle Eastern theme, I really like eating shakshuka with some Middle Eastern bread from Trader Joe's.



This is a very popular meal in Israel. It tastes great on it's on merits but if you're in a calorie deficit and want to lose weight, I strongly believe that eating delicious meals like this prevent you from feeling deprived of anything.

Just waiting for the grocery store to open so I can go get a bunch of shakshuka ingredients and make it today!

Here is the first shakshuka I ever made. Garnished with a little bit of parsley.



Hope you guys give this recipe a shot! Both girls I've cooked it with have loved it but they have to like spicey shit.

Post: #2

gee, looks quite good! but the thing is, is it any good to eat 4 egg yokes in one day? I thought just one was enough.

Post: #3

(05-10-2015 07:29 AM)djk100 Wrote:  gee, looks quite good! but the thing is, is it any good to eat 4 egg yokes in one day? I thought just one was enough.

You might have a spontaneous heart attack. Better not even try it just to be safe.

Post: #4

In Turkey they have something similar. Its called Menemen, equally delicious.

Post: #5

The Greeks have Strepatsada as well: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strapatsada

Thanks for the post, I should try this - for a fuller meal, I'd pair with rice or potatoes, some cheese and 8+ eggs.

Post: #6

How is it pronounced?

Post: #7

I thought Shakshuka was an Egyptian dish, but ya that meal is fucking delicious and it will get you pumped up for maybe 4 hours of hard physical work. Been my pre workout meal when I did Judo.

Post: #8

The recipe says the frying pan has to be covered, but I don't have one with a cover. Can I just use a regular frying pan?

Post: #9

Also, this recipe isn't extremely cheap, given the two cans of tomato required. ~$2 of ingredients that have little protein, fat or starch, for a meal that only has ~400-500 calories to begin with is not cheap.

Post: #10

That seems like way too many tomatoes. It's like making enough spaghetti sauce for 4 people with some eggs on top.

Post: #11

(05-10-2015 10:46 AM)RexImperator Wrote:  How is it pronounced?

"Shaak-shoo-kah"

Delicious recipe. Nutritious and very filling. Learnt it from a Jewish friend of a friend called Amos, back in 2012 when I was in Nice. Its perfect for a heavy Sunday breakfast.

There is a variant where you can bake the dish after cracking the eggs on it. Tastes better apparently.

Post: #12

Good idea. I'm going to try this. But since it takes some time, I think it's better as dinner than as breakfast.

Might be good to add some crushed pita chips for some crunchy texture.

Post: #13

This is good. I've been having ever since I can remember it, something similar with tomatoes, onions, eggs and spices. You can add sausage to give an even more spicy edge to it. Very delicious and filling. Perfect for a great breakfast.

Post: #14

(05-10-2015 03:48 PM)capote Wrote:  

(05-10-2015 10:46 AM)RexImperator Wrote:  How is it pronounced?

"Shaak-shoo-kah"

Delicious recipe. Nutritious and very filling. Learnt it from a Jewish friend of a friend called Amos, back in 2012 when I was in Nice. Its perfect for a heavy Sunday breakfast.

There is a variant where you can bake the dish after cracking the eggs on it. Tastes better apparently.

Aha. Thanks for clarifying. In the title it's misspelled and looks like it rhymes with something.

Post: #15

I posted up a recipe in the eggs thread:

/thread-12549-...#pid325906

I made it about a 1/2 dozen tines but never balanced the recipe out proper. It was still great for dinner, and leftover for breakfast. I've been meaning to get Veloce to drop some advice on some different variants and tweaks.

Post: #16

Great thread.

There's a place in Dubai I think it is called 'eggspectation' or something. I had it there I thought it was delicious.

May have to try whipping it up myself.

Post: #17

This looks tasty but I can't imagine myself coming to throw all those ingredients together early in the morning.

My go-to breakfast is scrambled eggs with a dollop of marinara sauce. Low-carb and delicious.

Post: #18

(05-10-2015 03:08 PM)Basil Ransom Wrote:  Also, this recipe isn't extremely cheap, given the two cans of tomato required. ~$2 of ingredients that have little protein, fat or starch, for a meal that only has ~400-500 calories to begin with is not cheap.

I'll have to look up how much the cans of diced tomatoes from target cost me. I consider it pretty cheap. A few eggs and vegetables.

Depending on how many eggs you use, it can have 24g-48g of protein. It's fat-heavy but doesn't skimp on protein. The result is extreme satiety which is why I found it so effective to eat while losing weight.

Post: #19

I just made a ramshackle version of it, tasted pretty good. I was missing some ingredients, and some of my spices were stale, but still came out pretty hearty. You have to put a lid on the skillet, or else the eggs don't fully cook. By combining steps, you can cook it a lot faster (like sauteing the onions, pepper, garlic and spices all at once - not sure how this affects the taste though).

1 14 oz can of tomato sauce is plenty for one person. I'd use one can's worth, and add Italian or Moroccan sausage and possibly feta for added protein.

(05-10-2015 08:21 PM)Checkmat Wrote:  

(05-10-2015 03:08 PM)Basil Ransom Wrote:  Also, this recipe isn't extremely cheap, given the two cans of tomato required. ~$2 of ingredients that have little protein, fat or starch, for a meal that only has ~400-500 calories to begin with is not cheap.

I'll have to look up how much the cans of diced tomatoes from target cost me. I consider it pretty cheap. A few eggs and vegetables.

Depending on how many eggs you use, it can have 24g-48g of protein. It's fat-heavy but doesn't skimp on protein. The result is extreme satiety which is why I found it so effective to eat while losing weight.

I was comparing the cost to eating the eggs alone, more or less, because the tomatoes don't add calories. But you can use 1 can instead of 2, and if you're really committed, buy a huge can that works out to $0.40 per 14.5 oz serving

Post: #20

(05-10-2015 11:36 AM)Brodiaga Wrote:  The recipe says the frying pan has to be covered, but I don't have one with a cover. Can I just use a regular frying pan?

You can use aluminium foil or a large plate as a lid.

Post: #21

Just made this today for breakfast, have never felt more satisfied and full in a good way. Thank you for this recipe

Post: #22

(05-10-2015 03:08 PM)Basil Ransom Wrote:  Also, this recipe isn't extremely cheap, given the two cans of tomato required. ~$2 of ingredients that have little protein, fat or starch, for a meal that only has ~400-500 calories to begin with is not cheap.

I use fresh tomatoes and add 1/2 a pound of shredded chicken. With that I am calculating close to 1100 calories with 100+ grams of protein, and most of the RDA of vitamin and minerals covered.

Post: #23

Also, from what I hear you shouldn't make it in a cast iron skillet due to the acidity of the tomatoes, but not sure if that is just a myth or not.

Post: #24

(05-13-2015 09:18 AM)Harvey Specter Wrote:  Also, from what I hear you shouldn't make it in a cast iron skillet due to the acidity of the tomatoes, but not sure if that is just a myth or not.

You don't cook it long enough or hard enough for the acidity of the tomatoes to do much of anything to a well-seasoned pan. It will only affect the seasoning anyway, so if the seasoning comes off, it only takes a little vegetable oil or bacon grease and an hour in the oven at 500 degrees F to re-season.

Post: #25

Curious about the acidity as well.

Given the prolific use of cast iron to make shakshuka and other tomato dishes, I'm guessing it's not a big deal, especially if you cook it quickly. I think you can get your cooking time to 10-15 minutes if you combine steps. Just dont let the acid linger in the pan when you're done eating.