Shakshuk-it-to-me. Say what? Shakshuka, that is. This Mediterranean dish is a one-pot wonder of poached eggs basking in a smoky, spicy tomato and bell pepper sauce. My version gets an extra kick from harissa, tempered with a dollop of creamy ricotta. And with a sauce like this, you need something to scoop it all up, so I’ve paired this with triangles of Simple Mills gluten free flatbread, made with almond flour – a staple that got me through my first Whole30. This dish makes for an epic brunch or a mindlessly easy meatless meal. Save this one for that next meatless Monday because it does. not. disappoint. Get the dEATs below!

In Israel, the word “shakshuka” is actually synonymous with breakfast. But this breakfast dish is hearty enough to fulfill your wildest meatless Monday dreams. It’s also a crazy simple one pot dish that really only requires a few minutes of “active work” in the form of chopping up an onion and a red bell pepper. My younger brother first tipped me off to this dish when he made it a few months ago. He’s vegetarian, but has been exploring more Paleo and Whole30 recipes to clean up his act. I couldn’t get enough of the savory slop and had to put my own spin on this traditional Mediterranean dish.

What I love about this dish is that it’s incredibly versatile. I like to try just throwing in a little bit of this and a little bit of that. This approach doesn’t work quite as well in baking, which requires more precision and knowledge of chemistry (xyz will help the baked good to rise, abc will make it crisp, etc.). That’s why I generally prefer the creativity in cooking over baking. If you’re one who likes to get those creative juices flowing in the kitchen, below are a few tips.

The trick to experimentation is:

1.) using ingredients that are commonly paired together or complementary
2.) layering one new addition at a time so you know when you’ve gone awry and
3.) starting small – you can always add more, but reversing is a bit trickier

I started my experimentation with a bit of harissa, a North African chili pepper paste. I like my eggs with a dash of hot sauce, so the slight smokiness of harissa seemed like a perfect way to turn up the temp on this dish. Next, I wanted to amp up the veggie content and had some extra spinach in the fridge, so I threw in a few handfuls. You really can’t go wrong with adding spinach to most savory dishes, especially with a flavorful sauce that masks just about anything you throw in it. Lastly, I wanted to thicken the texture and complement the acidic nature of this sauce and tomato + spinach immediately led me to lasagna. And lasagna means ricotta. Plus, already had some in my fridge – bingo! Again, started small and the result was magnifique!

Here are some additional thoughts on adaptations:

Traditional Shakshuka
-replace the harissa with 1/4 tsp of cayenne or chili powder

Italian Shakshuka
-incorporate spinach and ricotta

Southwestern Shakshuka
-add a chopped jalapeno pepper in place of the harissa and top with sliced avocado

Harissa Shakshuka with Creamy Ricotta
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
– 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
– 1 yellow onion, chopped
– 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
– 1 (28oz) can of crushed tomatoes
– 3 cloves of garlic, minced (or 3 tsp of minced garlic from a jar)
– 1 tsp ground cumin
– 1 tsp smoked paprika
– 2 T harissa paste
– 2 generous handfuls of fresh spinach
– 1/2 C of whole milk ricotta cheese
– 3/4 tsp salt
– 1/4 tsp black pepper
-6  large eggs

Directions:
Step 1: Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Step 2: Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onions and red bell peppers. Cook stirring occasionally until softened – about 10-15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until tender and fragrant, stirring frequently – about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients through the black pepper and allow to simmer until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
Step 3:  Create 6 small divots in the sauce. Gently crack the eggs in each of the divots. Transfer to the oven and bake until the eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes. Serve with pita bread, challah or other bread of your choice (shown with Simple Mills flatbread).

The post Mix ‘n Match Shakshuka appeared first on The Shooks Life.

When your furbaby is such a good boy that you *almost* want to share your backyard picnic – almost. This week I’ve been testing out plant-based meals from Sprinly, a company that delivers fully prepared, chef-inspired and nutritionist-approved organic meals across the Midwest. Most of the time when people hear “plant-based” or “vegan” they think soy or salads; the epitomy of boring. Here’s some straight talk from an omnivore who loves plants and meats alike: it just don’t gotta be that way. Check out the dEATs below.

The plant-based arena is exploding right now and for a good reason – more and more people are realizing the value a balanced, nutritious diet with plants as the center of plate. That’s not to say that meat doesn’t have a place for some. I like a good steak as well as any meat eater, but I do try to limit my consumption of meat for a variety of health and environmental reasons. Others are taking note after an Oxford study indicated that a shift to a fruit and veggie-forward diet could lead to 8 million lives saved by 2050, a two-thirds reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a multitude of healthcare savings.

Sprinly led the charge in May 2016 when Ray Lui, who was at the time a consultant working 120 hours a week , struggled to find the time to eat healthy meals. Lui found inspiration from all the global cuisines that he came across while backpacking across Asia, Italy and Brazil with his girlfriend, Mary McCann. After this epic trip, they took a leap of faith to begin a food start-up that would offer healthy meals to like-minded people like you, me and all your desk junkie co-workers looking to clean up your diet. Lui set out to prove that healthy food could not only be convenient, but also exciting! And Sprinly was born.

There are a lot misconceptions about plant-based meals being all salads and no substance. Now let’s be real – there were salads on Sprinly’s rotating menu, but they were anything but boring and were just the right amount of filling. Sprinly offers a variety of meals plans starting at 6 meals per week, with the option to skip a week or cancel at any time. All meals are vegan, gluten-free, organic and delivered to you fresh via FedEx or UPS in an insulated box each Tuesday.

Here are the six meals I received:

1.) Ancient Quinoa with Royal Beet Medallions and Greens (shown above, top)

2.) Grapefruit Citrus Tofu & Tempeh with Soba Peanut Noodles (shown above, bottom)

3.) Mediterranean Veggie Kofta Crumble with Vegan Tzatziki and Cucumber Tomato Salad (shown below)

4.) Citrus Detox Salad with Roasted Beets and Fresh Oranges

5.) Mushroom Bourguignon wiht Roasted Cauliflower Mash

6.) Pasta Primavera Marinara with Gluten-Free Pasta and Cashew “Parm”

My favorite of the meals was the Mediterranean Veggie Kofta, a unique spin on what is traditionally a minced meat dish with spices originating in Asia. The base was a blend of lentils, portobellos and walnuts that surprisingly matched the texture of ground beef and provided an earthy flavor. Lentils are actually higher in protein than quinoa (though not all 8 essential amino acids) and a good source of iron, which is key to energy production and a healthy metabolism. Many vegetarians and vegans struggle to get enough iron in their diets since meat is a primary source, so lentils are a great alternative.

What made this dish was all of the textures and flavors that fused together to deliver a plate of complex, but unified flavors. Atop the veggie kofta was a layer of turmeric brown rice offering a slight citrus and ginger scent. Pickled cabbage woke up your tastebuds with some vibrant acidic flavor. The dish is then topped with a fresh salad of cucumbers and tomatoes, layered with a creamy vegan tzatziki sauce to tame all of the flavors. This dish was a mastery of global fusion and all you had to do was heat, and eat!

The Citrus Detox Salad was the lightest of the six meals, but was also surprisingly filling, fresh and perfect after a sweaty session at the gym. Atop the bed of greens were: cooked beets (my favorite!), matchstick carrots and radishes, Valencia oranges, pea shoots and crunch pumpkin seeds. Fun fact that 1/4 C of pumpkin seeds has as much protein as an egg! Who knew? The salad was then topped with a refreshing, yet creamy grapefruit vinaigrette that brought to life the salad. Despite the fact that I waited a day to eat the meal, the greens were still fresh. Note that Sprinly includes a stamp on some of the meals that says “Eat me earlier” to let you know which meals you should prioritize eating first to avoid spoilage. Generally all meals will last up to 5 days in the fridge though.

The Pasta Primavera was the most traditional of the meals. Gluten-free pasta was tossed with a marinara sauce filled with sauteed veggies like zucchini, summer squash, portobellos and spinach. I also like that each box lists some of the health benefits of the ingredients. On this box, Sprinly shared that, “Summer squashes are rich in minerals, and a valuable source of copper, manganese, magnesium, and more! Yellow varieties in particular are loaded with carotenoids, helping reduce the risk of certain cancers and eye diseases.” The unique aspect of this dish was the cashew “parm” which was a vegan take on Parmesan cheese made with cashews, nutritional yeast and lemon juice. I’ve written about nutritional yeast in some of my other blog posts – it really is amazing how it can mimic the flavor of cheese.

To be completely unbiased, the Mushroom Bourguignon was my least favorite of the meals, though still good. The sauce was a little too acidic for my taste, but my husband liked it. And while I liked the consistency and flavor of the cauliflower mash, it still felt like something was missing from the dish. There was a lot of “gravy” compared to the mash and I was yearning for something to bit into like a piece of paleo cornbread to help scoop up the extra sauce.

The last two meals are the Beet Medallions and Tofu with Peanut Soba Noodles. I snuck a taste of both, but am planning to fully divulge this evening. Both held up well through Saturday (five days after receiving the meals) and the peanut soba noodles get a fresh spin from chopped grapefruit and alfalfa sprouts. The beet medallions are a bit of a take on a veggie burger with a blend of black beans and beets to create a patty that holds together well as the main stage of this dish, which is served with a smokey and creamy paprika sauce.

All in all, Sprinly impressed with its unique flavor combinations that were anything but the standard vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free fare – which can get old. And if you’re like me and live to eat – this will send you on a flavor adventure with limited effort. Highly recommend you check out Sprinly if you’re in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Kentucky or the Chicago area. And if not, write to Sprinly to let them know the rest of the world needs this!

If you’re looking for a convenient option way to incorporate more healthy, plant-based meals into your diet, I’d highly recommend Sprinly!

The post Adventures of Plant-Based Eating with Sprinly appeared first on The Shooks Life.