Nightshade-Free Rainbow Green Shakshuka
Shakshuka is an easy, healthy breakfast recipe in Israel and other parts of the Middle East and North Africa that usually combines simmering tomatoes, onions, garlic, spices and and poached eggs.
But sometimes nightshades - which includes tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant and certain spices like paprika - can be hard on those with a sensitivity to this class of plants. This can present as extra achey joints or digestive issues. So we’ve created a GREEN shakshuka without traditional tomatoes and added a little pizazz with rainbow Swiss chard.
And who doesn’t need to build a little ROYBGIV on their plate? Getting a wide variety of colors in the diet is a great way to ensure phytonutrient variety for the body, because all those colors signify different healthy compounds that your body needs.
While this is a traditional breakfast dish, consider having it for dinner too. Eating eggs for supper is a great way to get an easy-source of protein and melatonin - a naturally-occurring hormone that helps with sleep.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ - 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (optional)
1 red onion, chopped
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed
¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large bunch of rainbow Swiss chard, stems and leaves chopped (about 8 cups)
4 large pasture-raised eggs
For serving
1 avocado, sliced or cubed
1 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
1 lime, cut into wedges
Crushed red pepper (optional)
Directions
Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add jalapeno, leek / onion, fennel seeds, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until starting to soften.
Add garlic and Swiss chard and continue to cook until chard is soft, about 3-4 minutes.
Draw a horizontal and vertical line with your skillet to divide the vegetables into 4 portions. Crack eggs in each section, allowing the white to fall over the vegetables. Cover and cook on medium-low heat until whites are set, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro, lime and avocado for serving. Top with red chili peppers, if desired.
Recipe created with Stephanie Dow