2.3 min. read
I love Stuffed Bell peppers. And I adore Shakshuka. So, I can’t help but enthuse over a mashup of the two! And what’s best, today’s recipe opens the door to a whole new world of possibilities for elev-ating and updating stuffed Bell Peppers!
When I think of stuffed peppers, I automatically think of the distant cousin of the Cabbage Roll. But that’s merely the classic version of what can be a universal food form. You can stuff bell pepper with anything!
Breakfast with a boost
Bell peppers – particularly the red ones – are acknowledged as a superfood. And the stuff that goes into West Africa’s favourite way to start the day are almost as good for you!
Today’s featured recipe is a magnificent mash-up, a powerhouse breakfast, and a golden example of how to elevate and update a classic!
An anytime pleaser
The Shakshuka Stuffed pepper can be served anytime – breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. It’s simple enough to make for yourself or your family. Makes a great Sunday Dinner change-up! But you can also serve it with confidence to your most special guest.
A Shakshuka refresher…
“Popular in the Middle East and North Africa, Shakshuka is a breakfast dish consisting of eggs poach-ed in a spicy pepper and tomato sauce,” recipe contributor Taylor Ann Spencer reminds us. “Specific ingredients vary by recipe, but the base is typically onion and some type of pepper cooked down with garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and either a fresh spicy chili or a spoonful of Harissa for a flavorful kick.”
What you do
Whip up a simple Shakshuka, per the recipe. You can use either Harissa, or a fresh chili pepper as specified in the recipe. If you want to control the heat, use the chili pepper and use only as much, as suits your palate.
Make the Shakshuka while the peppers are par-roasting in a suitable-sized casserole dish. Spencer cautions us to choose peppers that are all around the same size and have flat bottoms, so they’ll stand up straight and tall in the casserole dish and keep their rims level. That’s important to ensure the ‘stuffing’ doesn’t leak out.
Some assembly required…
“[Choose] a baking dish that the peppers will fit snugly inside so they have the least chance of tip-ping,” Spencer also suggests. “When it comes time to stuff the peppers, make the well inside the shakshuka sauce deeper than you think.” But don’t cut through the bottom of the pepper!
Fill the pepper cavities only about 3/4 of the way up. You have to leave room for the traditional poached egg on top!
“And even if you typically crack eggs straight into the pan when frying them, make sure to pre-crack them into a small bowl here,” Spencer recommends. You’ll have much more control easing them into the pepper cavities without making a mess!
Top with Cilantro and cheese. Spencer specifies feta. They don’t use cheese in North Africa. But what the heck! Go for it!
My take
They put the peppers in the dish in West Africa. But putting the dish IN a pepper is an even better strategy, if you ask me. And it makes portioning and serving this savoury delight a lot easier!
Also… As I hinted off the top of this post, you’ve just been primed to consider all the other non-traditional ways you could staff a super-nutritious, super-flavourful Bell Pepper!
~ Maggie J.