5:2 Diet and Weight Watchers Friendly

“Shakshouka or shakshuka (Arabic: شكشوكة‎; Hebrew: שקשוקה‎ ) is a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chilli peppers, and onions, often spiced with cumin. It is a staple dish throughout North Africa and the Levant, and its origin is unknown. Shakshouka is similar to the Turkish dish menemen, and the Mexican breakfast dish huevos rancheros. Turkish cuisine has another dish with a similar name, spelled şakşuka, which is more like a ratatouille. Shakshouka is also similar to Spanish pisto manchego, a traditional La Mancha dish from south-east Spain, sometimes also accompanied by a fried egg” (Wikipedia)

Today’s Meat Free Monday recipe for “Mixed Bean Shakshuka” has already become a firm favourite in our household, and even though it is a low-calorie version of the original olive-oil laden recipe, it is enjoyed by all, whether they be dieting or not. It’s a cool 256 calories per serving, which means it’s the ideal recipe for all you who are following the 5:2 Fast Diet, and is only 5 Smart Points for those of you who are on the Weight watchers diet; but, what it lacks in calories and fat is NOT lost in flavour, as this delicious recipe is packed with spicy flavours emanating from the cumin, fennel seeds, chillies and lemon zest that are added to the dish.

A tasty North African and Middle Eastern breakfast dish, Shakshuka is a one-pot pan of deliciousness with tomatoes and eggs being the main protagonists. Today’s recipe includes tinned mixed beans and feta cheese for extra protein, along with fresh spinach for colour and added nutrition, but, I have made sure that the essential spices and herbs of cumin, chilli and coriander (cilantro) that I mention above, have been added for authenticity too. Using my own chicken’s free-range eggs completes the culinary picture and if calories are not important, then why not serve this dish with crusty bread for a simple “mid-week” family supper dish, as well as a filling breakfast or brunch recipe.

If you fancy adding some meat to the recipe, than a few chunks of high pork meat chorizo would be fab, as well as some smoky bacon lardons too. Although I am not a lover of being “spoon-fed” for on-line blog “food days”, such as silent Sunday, meat-free Monday, French Friday etc, today’s recipe would make a wonderful meat-free meal, whether it be Monday, Wednesday or Friday; and as it IS Monday, which is now a popular meat-free day, it seems perfect to share it today. One tip though, do try to use free-range eggs for a more ethical and tasty meal, as well as organic spinach if possible; these small changes DO make a difference to the overall taste of this simple dish, and you will be helping towards a more humane way of keeping chickens, whilst supporting sustainable vegetable cultivation.

If today’s recipe doesn’t suit, them I have another fabulous meat-free Monday recipe for Chole Chaat (Chickpea Curry), that is also low in fat and calories – see above! That’s all for today, but I will be back soon, with another Sri Lankan recipe, as well as more traveller’s tales from the Dordogne Valley, Astypalea, Canada and Sri Lanka, so please do keep popping back. Have a wonderful week, and do let me know if you make this recipe for Mixed Bean Shakshuka for Meat Free Monday. Karen 

Mixed Bean Shakshuka

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Serves	4
Prep time	15 minutes
Cook time	30 minutes
Total time	45 minutes
Allergy	Egg
Dietary	Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Meal type	Appetizer, Breakfast, Lunch, Side Dish, Snack
Misc	Serve Hot
Region	African
By author	Karen Burns-Booth

Ingredients

• 1 onion (peeled and finely diced)
• calorie controlled cooking spray (I used Fry Light)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 3 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
• 1 red chilli (deseeded and finely chopped)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika
• 1 red pepper (deseeded and diced)
• 1 yellow pepper (deseeded and diced)
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• 1 x 400g mixed beans (drained)
• 100g fresh spinach leaves (roughly chopped)
• 4 large free-range eggs
• 50g Feta cheese, crumbled
• fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped

Note

A tasty North African and Middle Eastern breakfast dish, Shakshuka is a one-pot pan of deliciousness with tomatoes and eggs being the main protagonists. (This recipe is a low fat, vegetarian and is packed with protein - it comes in at only 256 calories per serving and 5 Weight Watchers smart points per serving. Adapted from WW Magazine March 2016)

Directions

Step 1	Spray the frying pan with the calorie controlled spray to cover the base and fry the onion with the cumin and fennel seeds over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft. If the onions start to burn or the pan becomes too dry, add some water.
Step 2	Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes, then add the smoked paprika and peppers and fry until the peppers are just soft.
Step 3	Stir in the lemon zest and the tinned tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 4	Add the mixed beans and the spinach leaves, season with salt and cracked black pepper to taste and bring to the boil for 5 minutes before reducing the heat.
Step 5	Make 4 wells in the tomato and bean sauce and crack an egg into each well; Cook for 5 to 7 minutes uncovered and then 2 to 3 minutes covered until the egg whites have set but the egg yolks are still runny.
Step 6	Serve with the crumbled feta cheese scattered over the top along with the chopped fresh coriander.

As these are meat-free, I am entering this recipe into Jac’s Meat Free Monday event!