And just when you thought my collaboration with IKEA was over (read this, this, this and this), here I am back with a surprise that will interest you even more – I hope!

IKEA has revamped their menu and with that, introduced a range of new dishes and products including Veggie Balls. Hands up those who visit IKEA for food over furniture! Jason and I had actually tried these vegetables balls in-store, even before the good people at IKEA sent a packet over for sampling. At the IKEA restaurant, they serve the veggie balls with three sauces: yogurt based tzatziki, curry and black pepper. BUT of course, there are many other innovative ways to eat them.

For weekday lunches, I have had them rolled up in wraps (and crispy prata!) with chopped lettuce and a simple lemon-mayo sauce. I have also used them on top of Mesclun salads for the husband’s breakfast boxes. Today, I have an even brighter idea: Cook them in Shakshuka!

My family and I love Shakshuka, a dish of tomatoes, onions, peppers and spices topped with poached eggs, cooked in a skillet over the stove top, and usually served straight from the pan. In Israel, Shakshuka is often eaten at breakfast, but I have had this for all my main meals and my tummy more than agrees.

Last year, I cooked this for Christmas gathering with the besties, since Boon is vegetarian. Now I can add veggie balls. The addition of IKEA’s veggie balls – which are free of dairy and gluten – add more flavour and substance to the vegetarian shakshuka.

From the back of the packet:

There are many ways to cook Shakshuka. Everyone has their favourite recipe. For this variation, which is slightly different from my previous, I added a little bit of curry powder. If you eat meat, I actually like Shakshuka better with bacon and sausages, fried initially with the onions. This is an amazingly low carb dish – if you can resist mopping off the tomato gravy with slices of crusty baguette, that is.

The post IKEA Veggie Ball Cook-Off: Curried Shakshuka with Veggie Balls appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

If you’ve never heard of Shakshouka, you’re in for quite a treat!

Shakshouka is dish of tomatoes, onions, peppers and spices topped with poached eggs, cooked in a skillet over the stove top, and usually served straight from the pan.

According to The Book of New Israeli Food: A Culinary Journey quote in Wikipedia, “Shakshouka is a staple of Tunisian, Libyan, Algerian, Moroccan, and Egyptian cuisines traditionally served in a cast iron pan or tajine with bread to mop up the sauce. It is also popular in Israel, where it was introduced by Tunisian Jews.”

What I’ve read is that while Shakshouka is commonly served as a breakfast meal, it is also often eaten at dinner time in Israel. The dish is very easy to make, but the flavours by no means reflect that. I’ve had the chance to eat this dish on my travels, in Middle-Eastern type restaurants in Europe (I’ve never been to the Middle East and North Africa), but this is my first attempt at cooking it.

You need very basic ingredients: canned tomatoes, a yellow onion, garlic, green or red peppers, spices (black pepper, paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper if you so wish) and salt and sugar to taste. Let the stew simmer for a bit, then crack 5-6 eggs on top before covering briefly til the whites form.. til the eggs are half cooked and still runny.

Jason and I love this dish because it is both hearty and healthy. You can choose to make an all-vegetarian version, or add some chicken or beef sausages for even better flavour. I used pretty minimal olive oil for this, and if you leave out the meat, this dish is all about tomatoes, aromatics, spices and eggs. I served mine today with crusty baguette from the neighbourhood bakery (so good!), but you could leave out the bread if you’re cutting down on carbs.

If you have half an hour (including prep time!) to spare, cook Shakshouka. I bet you’ll fall in love with it like I did!

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