• Home
  • About Us
  • Work With Us
  • Social Media News
  • Privacy & Terms
  • Thunderbolt Social Media
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Dangerous Cupcake Lifestyle

  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • Food & Wine
    • Wine
    • Cupcakes
  • Disney & Marvel
    • Disney
    • Marvel
  • Crafts, Cars & Cool Things
    • Crafts
    • Cars
    • Dogs
    • Cool Things
    • Technology
  • Home & Life
You are here: Home / Food / Recipe for Traditional Shakshuka on a Polenta Base

Recipe for Traditional Shakshuka on a Polenta Base

July 22, 2020 By Donna Biroczky Leave a Comment

Tweet
Share
Pin2
2 Shares

Decades ago, I learned to make a traditional Shakshuka recipe. I have always loved it, and not just for the flavors. It’s an affordable meal that feeds a large family and you can get it on the table fast. For less than $10, Shakshuka provides protein and vegetables, flavor and texture, and for a bonus, it’s easy clean-up as it’s all made in one pan!

When you have four kids in a twelve-year span, you’re busy. Feeding palates in various stages meant I had to be creative. I also needed to stretch meals sometimes and change them up to avoid boredom. I have worked full-time since my 25-year-old daughter was born, and even though I always worked at home, I was always crunched for time. Doing homework with the kids, doctor’s appointments, errands, it was a busy period, even though my husband has always been extremely involved. Sometimes this meant throwing together whatever I had time for but I wanted to avoid food boredom, too. Not an easy task!

Food creativity becomes a habit. Even though I have more time to spend in the kitchen, I still like to change things up. That’s why I took my traditional Shakshuka recipe and added it to a base of polenta. It makes the meal go further, providing the next day’s lunch for the husband, and even breakfast for me the next morning.

Shakshuka can also be spelled Shakshouka. Original Shakshuka appears to have come from North Africa, but it’s strongly associated more recently with the Middle East and Israel. I found this to be fascinating, as my Ancestry DNA test confirmed that not only did we have Spanish ancestors (which I’d heard rumors of years ago) but that we’re related to North Africa as well, specifically Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia.

I’ve always loved learning to cook food from our ancestry, but I’ve got a long way to go. Who knew I’d been feeding the kids one dish all these years? They all love Shakshuka and the girls even make it on their own for their families.

Traditional Shakshuka’s a vegetarian dish, basically a tomato stew with eggs cooked on top. How cooked you let them become is up to you. I prefer them to be over easy, but I’ve also let them go to almost a hard yolk stage. The tomato base is all cooked in one pan, simmering to the point where you can eventually drop each egg in individually. In one large fry pan, I can make enough to cook eight eggs — two per serving — with a little of the stew leftover.

Some Shakshuka recipes call for chopped tomatoes but I used crushed and added some fresh chopped tomatoes from my garden. We’ve got a huge amount of tomatoes growing out there and I’m trying to find more ways to use them. You can use either option successfully, but I know a lot of people grew COVID gardens so there’s something satisfying about harvesting your produce and serving it to the family.

Melissa’s Produce had sent me a beautiful complimentary box of produce to use for our July blogger challenge. I made roasted grapes, a grape gin cocktail, pickled watermelon radishes, and I used the red bell peppers in this Shakshuka recipe. When rooting around the pantry for lunch that day, I realized I had two tubes of Melissa’s Produce Polenta. It’s easy to slice and pan fry, but you can also quickly rehydrate it. I chose to do that for this dinner, so while it added an extra pan to the clean-up, it’s SO worth it.

tomatoes and peppers for shakshuka recipe

Rehydrating polenta can be done a few ways. Place the tube(s) of polenta in a deep fry pan or wide sauce pan. Smash it down, use your choice of liquid(s), mix it together and heat thoroughly. The polenta is already cooked when you purchase it in a tube, so it comes together quickly.

By serving the Shakshuka on top of polenta, it’s not entirely traditional, but it’s a nice contrasting set of flavors and textures. It can also be served for breakfast and it’s easy to reheat. And for an extra few dollars, you’ve almost doubled the servings.

On with the good stuff, the recipe.

traditional shakshuka recipe on a polenta base

Traditional Shakshuka on a Polenta Base

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 white onion, chopped finely
  • 3 red bell peppers
  • 3 tbsp chopped garlic
  • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup chopped cherry or yellow grape tomatoes (or both)
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • salt and pepper
  • 6-8 eggs
  • 2 tubes of Melissa’s Produce original polenta
  • 8 oz chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half

In wide fry pan, heat up olive oil and add chopped onion and bell peppers. Saute for five minutes or until onions turn translucent.

melissa's produce polenta tubes

Prepare polenta in a separate fry pan. Place both tubes in pan, smash and pour in 6 oz of the chicken broth and 1/4 cup of the half-and-half. Heat thoroughly as Shakshuka cooks. As it heats, add remaining liquids until it reaches the consistency you like. Season with salt and pepper.

melissa's produce garlic in shakshuka recipe

Continue with Shakshuka. Add garlic, tomatoes (both kinds), paprika, salt and pepper. Simmer for 12-15 minutes.

traditional shakshuka recipe

Crack eggs on top, put lid on pan and cook until eggs are no longer runny and have reached your preferred level of hardness.

This recipe takes about 30 minutes start to finish, and you do the polenta simultaneously. Two pans, not a lot of mess and enough to serve 4-6 people for $10. Budget-friendly dinners that taste delicious have become my preferred way to feed the family during this COVID lockdown. I can’t say yet that I’m a fan of cooking every day, but I will say that when we do have something delivered or we do a safe curbside pick-up, I appreciate it SO MUCH MORE than I used to.

And that’s a good takeaway from quarantine, right?

Stay well!

Tweet
Share
Pin2
2 Shares

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: recipe

Previous Post: « Scoob: The Story of Scooby, Shaggy and Mystery, Inc on Blu-Ray Now
Next Post: Summery Berry and Basil Lemonade Granita Recipe »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Follow Us

dangerous cupcake lifestyle club 33 profile
I’m Donna, and I’m not a mommy blogger.
I’m a Marvel geek and creator of Dangerous Cupcake, a Southern California lifestyle blog dedicated to life after the kids grow up. As my four kids enter different stages of their lives, I get to do the same, having fun, loving Disney, watching Marvel, and not letting my age define anything. Phase 2 of life is pretty amazing, and midlife isn’t a bad word. Join me in changing focus and enjoying life during our next adventure, without totally starting over. However you do it, life is short, live a little dangerously.
Donna@DangerousCupcakeLifestyle.com

We are an Amazon affiliate, which means some Amazon links you click may be our affiliate links. In that case, we may make some money IF you purchase using those links or other affiliate links.
We appreciate you!

STUFF WE WRITE ABOUT

Footer

dangerouscupcakelifestyle

Gen X mom breaking the mold of midlife.
Travel. Entertainment. Food. Fun things. NASCAR.
Rancho Cucamonga | DM for collab

Donna | Southern California Lifestyle Blogger
Moet-Chandon champagne at the top of the Eiffel To Moet-Chandon champagne at the top of the Eiffel Tower? Sign me up. Our anniversary trip to Paris, France, was at the top of my bucket list and it was everything I hoped for. We did so many things, but our visit to the top of the Eiffel Tower was a highlight. 

A few things to know before you go:

There are three “stories” to the tower. All are accessible via stairs/elevator, but you have to purchase a ticket to see any. Your ticket is specific to which floors you plan to visit, so purchase carefully. Your ticket is required at each level to ascend higher.

Buy your ticket in advance. They do sell out, and lines can be long for standby. When we went, the standby line was around 70 minutes. 

It gets cold. The summit, which is the ‘top,’ is very windy. Secure your hat. In March, I wore a puffy coat and a scarf. I was still cold and wished I’d had gloves. 

At the summit, there is a champagne booth. You can purchase Moet-Chandon (in plastic flutes you can keep) to cheers the city. Also available are macarons and caviar. If they are out of macarons, you can also get them on the second story. They are good!

Unless you are in tip-top shape and/or you really feel brave, take the elevator up. Save your energy for the view or for taking the stairs down, which is what we did. The elevators coming down can be delayed, so if you’re in a rush, descending via the stairs may just be faster or at least break even.

There are two restaurants and a bar. Both restaurants require reservations. The Jules Verne is very high-end and books up months in advance. (We were not able to get a reservation despite trying quite a while ago.) 

Security is very, well, secure. You and your items will go through searches similar to the airport. They have a bin next to the entry full of things they took — SO many butter knives, and I still have no idea why someone would have one on their person?

It’s beautiful, so take your time. It’s incredible. Do it.

#paris #france @toureiffelofficielle #eiffeltower #eiffeltowerparis #travelblogger #travel #parisfrance #parislove @moetchandon #champagne #frenchchampagne #parisview #paristour
Disneyland Paris is celebrating its 30th anniversa Disneyland Paris is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and walking through the gates for our first visit was amazing. Also amazing: the Phantom Mansion. It has a lot of similarities to our Haunted Mansion here in California, but with a scarier spin. And for those who frequent the HM here in Anaheim, you know how often it stops mid-ride. This one didn’t stop once! It also creeped me out, and I LOVED it. The outside has shades of the Bates Motel and doesn’t have the cute factor of Disneyland California. Newer and more cleanly laid out, this whole park is pretty amazing. More info coming here and on the blog soon. Still gathering photos and putting away/distributing souvenirs. 

@disneylandparis #disneylandparis #disneyparis #disneylandparis30 #paris #parisfrance #paristravel #disneyfrance #phantommansion #hauntedmansion #disneylandparisresort #disneylandrides #genxblogger #genx #paristravel #paristrip #disneymoms #disneymom #disneylandparis2023 #france #francetravel #francedisneyland #disneytravel #travelblogger #travelblog #disneyblog #disneylandparis30thanniversary
A day in the French countryside is the stuff dream A day in the French countryside is the stuff dream vacations are made of. We drove two hours to Chablis, with new friends from Austin (private tour groups are the best!) and visited several wineries. Full confession: we tapped out early. ALL of us. So much wine. I should be embarrassed by that…maybe…but I’m not. We had an amazing French cuisine me lunch mid-day, where we enjoyed more wine. I’ll share lunch photos later. 

You save and plan so much for international travel, you need to try and relax and enjoy it. Not always easy, especially if your tour guide is sleepy or there are protests blocking the airport entry the day before you leave, but this pic kind of exemplifies our adventure. Go as far as you can. Do things you love. Be silly. And appreciate your partner’s goofy photo poses. 😆 Most of all, have fun. And drink wine. 

@jeanmarcbrocard #chablis #france #paris #parisvacation #paristrip #paristravel #midlife #midlifeblogger #winetasting #winelover #winetravel #chabliswine #chablisfrance #francetravel #francetravels #winetrip #frenchwine #frenchwineries #frenchwinery #chabliswinetour #winetourism #winetours #winetouring #francewine #jeanmarcbrocard #vineyard #frenchvineyard #vineyardviews #frenchchablis #blogger
That time, not long ago, that I spent my birthday That time, not long ago, that I spent my birthday feeding the giraffes. Bucket list ✅

Do the things you dream of. Wear the silly ears. Giggle like a kid. 

Life is way too short. There are only so many days to do all those things you’ve wanted to do. Make those memories. 

And feed the giraffes. This event is a private add-on when you visit the park. Reservations are required in advance. Worth every single penny….and I can’t wait to do it again.

#giraffes #feedthegiraffes #sandiegowildanimalpark #wildanimal #wildanimalpark #sandiego #visitsandiego #sandiegotravel #travelblogger #travelblog #midlifeblogger #midlifebloggers #midlife #californiatravel #sandiegotravel #giraffelover #giraffeears @sdzsafaripark #sandiegozoosafaripark #zoosafari #zoosafaripark #sandiegosafaripark
Shuri was out on a walk with Dad, but for Lady Sif Shuri was out on a walk with Dad, but for Lady Sif, patience is a work in progress. This is how our goofy but lovable big girl waited for her turn.

And yes, kids grow up so we dote on the pups now. Why not? Lots of rescues available out there waiting for forever homes! 

#labrador #labradorretriever #labradorpuppy #labradorretrieverpuppy #labpuppy #ladysif #twomarvelousdogs #shuri #marvel #dogtraining #sillydog #dogvideo #dogsofinsta #dogsofinstagram #blep #derpy #dogtongue #puppytongue #midlife #midlifewomen #midlifeblogger #dog #dogvideo #dogreel #instadog
The recipe for that deliciousness is below! After The recipe for that deliciousness is below! After an overindulgent holiday season…and a whole lot of excuses…I’ve finally been working on adding more protein into my diet to drop a few pounds before we head to Paris next week. One of my favorite meals — or meal replacement, call it what you will — is a protein shake. They can be made in so many ways, all depending on what basics you have on hand. I try to keep mine simple, using whatever fruit I have in the drawer. Right now, thanks to Melissa’s Produce, I have Ojai Pixie tangerines to enjoy, so I decided to craft a super easy protein smoothie. I feel full, it gives me a protein boost and I only have to clean out the blender. Easy peasy.

Ojai Pixie Protein Smoothie

1 frozen banana
1/2 cup ice
1 scoop of protein powder
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup almond milk 
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Ojai Pixies tangerines, peeled and sectioned

Blend in a powerful blender and serve with a fatty straw. If you don’t puree it, you’ll have some little chunks of citrus that will clog a regular straw, but for me, that makes it even better. 

Thick, cold, chunky, tangy citrus perfection. Grab some Ojai Pixie Tangerines soon! They’re only available through early June! 

@melissasproduce #melissasproduce #ojaipixietangerines #ojaipixies #tangerine #tangerines #tangerinerecipe #proteinshake #proteinsmoothie #proteinrecipes #proteinfood #proteinrecipe #mealreplacement #mealreplacementshake #breakfastrecipe @ninjakitchen #ninjablender #blender #blendershake #proteinpowder #citrus #citrusrecipes
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Life is short, so it should never be boring. Dangerous Cupcake Lifestyle is all about enjoying life, specifically midlife, finding yourself after your kids grow up and above all, keeping it real. Live dangerously. We'd love to hear from you -- let's work together!

Copyright © 2023 Dangerous Cupcake and Thunderbolt Social Media

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT