This post is sponsored by La Brea Bakery. All opinions remain my own. 

In late October I was invited by La Brea Bakery & Eva Kosmas Flores, of Adventures in Cooking, to the stunning Fox Island, WA for a weekend retreat with Shelly from Vegetarian Ventures, Sasha from Tending the Table, Natalie from The Modern Proper, Alanna from The Bojon Gourmet & Krissy from The Cottage Farm. It was a beautiful weekend (punctuated by that moody PNW weather) with tons of delicious food, La Brea Bakery bread (so.much.bread!), music & wine. Each of us had created recipes we’d planned to share over the weekend but, of course, we left with so much more. Every time I’m surrounded by such a generous, creative group of women I’m reminded how fortunate I am to still be doing this blogging thing. There’s always something new to learn, always a new friend to make (or see again, hooray!) & always, always recipe inspiration. My hope is that you’ll leave this post inspired by the handful of recipes the other girls made & I’m so excited to share my Shakshuka with Chevré & Fresh Herbs.

The weekend retreat & all of our recipes were anchored around the beautiful La Brea Bakery bread. Fresh baked bread is an occasional treat in our house but to be quite honest, I’m not much of a baker. I love the quality of La Brea Bakery bread & I’m quite intrigued by the fact that all of their breads begin using the same starter they’ve been using since 1989! By letting their breads rise slowly over time, they’ve perfected their airy, open-hole interior, which translates to a better texture & flavor. It also makes the breads perfect for a variety of dishes, whether you’re tearing it up for a bread pudding or soaking up an egg batter for French toast.

Looking for more vegetarian meals? Check out my Crispy Tandoori Masala Chickpeas with Cucumber Dill Tzatziki! 

My Shakshuka with Chevré & Fresh Herbs had the perfect pairing with their Demi Sourdough Baguettes. Small enough that each person could have their own or great for sharing between kiddos. This Shakshuka is traditionally a breakfast dish but it also shines at brunch & I can say I’ve been known to make it for dinner too. It’s fast, full of delicious flavors & so simple. You can stick to the more traditional recipe using peppers & tomatoes to create the red sauce or get more creative, adding meats, chickpeas, etc. Think of this as a kitchen sink meal. Anything you add will be delicious.

How to prepare shakshuka with chevrè & fresh herbs

  • PREPARATION TIME: 10 mins
  • COOK TIME: 20 mins
  • TOTAL TIME: 30 mins
  • AUTHOR: Trisha
  • SERVES: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

  • La Brea Bakery Bread
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 Yellow Onion, approx 1 cup, thinly sliced
  • 1 Orange Pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 Red Pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 Green Pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin
  • 1 tsp Dried Chili Flakes
  • 1 large can (28oz) Stewed Tomatoes
  • Optional spoonful of sugar (see directions)
  • Salt to taste
  • 4 Eggs
  • Chevré
  • Fresh herbs like Parsley & Cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. For this recipe, it works best if you use a skillet that has a lid. You won’t be putting the skillet in the oven but you will need a lid to poach the eggs.
  2. In a medium sized skillet over medium low heat, drizzle olive oil & begin to sauté the onions & peppers. Allow the onions & peppers to caramelize by spreading them thin, letting them sit for a few minutes & then stirring to spread thin again.
  3. Once peppers are caramelized, add spices & stir for a few seconds to allow the spices to become fragrant.
  4. Add in tomatoes & stir to combine. Allow sauce to bubble & taste. If sauce doesn’t have a touch of sweetness or tastes too acidic, add a small spoonful of sugar to sauce. Season to taste with salt.
  5. Once sauce is seasoned to taste, lower the temperature a bit so the sauce is just barely bubbling.
  6. Using a small spoon, dig a ‘well’ for the eggs in 4 places in the sauce.
  7. Crack each egg & slowly pour into the wells.
  8. Using a small spoon, quickly try to surround the eggs with sauce to help cook the whites, leaving the yolks uncovered.
  9. Place a lid over the top of the skillet.
  10. Poach the eggs for approx 5 minutes. Then remove the lid to test the firmness. 5 minutes is always my starting point for poaching the eggs. Depending on the heat level, size of your pan or temperature of your sauce they may require more time. If my whites aren’t firm enough, I will cover & poach again in 1-2 minute increments until the white are firm & the yolks are still nice & runny.
  11. Remove from heat & crumble chevré over the top.
  12. Cover with fresh herbs.
  13. Serve with crusty bread.

Make sure you head over to see all the other amazing recipes from the weekend!

Fall Bruschetta with Roasted Grapes, Chevre, Rosemary and Hazelnuts from Shelly Westerhausen of Vegetarian ’Ventures

Smoky Aubergine Spread with Sliced Bread from Krissy O’Shea of Cottage Farm

Fall Veggie and Chickpea Minestrone with Parsley Pesto from Alanna Taylor-Tobin of The Bojon Gourmet

Fall Panzanella from Sasha Swerdloff of Tending the Table

Coconut Apple French Toast from Natalie Mortimer of The Modern Proper

Apple Raisin Pecan Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Drizzle from Eva Kosmas Flores at Adventures in Cooking

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