Poached Eggs in Spicy Tomato-Chickpea Sauce

I’ll say it: I’m (very temporarily, I’m sure) over the carbmania of the holiday season.  The pancakes.  The breads.  The rolls.  It must (very temporarily) stop.  This is exactly what I want for a lazy weekend breakfast these days: savory, fairly light and delicious.  Way delicious.

May I suggest this (and mimosas DUH) for New Year’s brunch?

Because I like to know where things come from (like babies–someone ENLIGHTEN ME), I will mention that it’s an adapted version of shakshouka, a dish of Middle Eastern origin.

I don’t know how much convincing you need, but the smell of sauteeing onions and garlic never ends badly.  I could just dump this in a pita pocket and be done with it.

But it gets better.  It always gets better.  Chickpeas-and-spices kind of better.

Stovetop-to-oven transition is one of the many reasons you’d want a cast iron skillet.  It would also make a dandy, if unnecessarily large, paperweight.  In the game of Clue, it could serve as a weapon (seems like something Mr. Green would use; gender roles be damned). Multifunction!

Fresh herbs!  THAT is how you welcome 2012.  Happy New Year and I love you AND thank you AND you’re awesome!  I mean it from the bottom of my carbo-loaded heart.

Poached Eggs in Spicy Tomato-Chickpea Sauce
(recipe from Bon Apetit, Dec. ’11)

2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 a medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded if you prefer milder things, finely chopped
1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1-2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes, juices and all
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (any combination of parsley, cilantro and chives)
Warm pita bread, for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On the stovetop, heat oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and add onion, garlic and jalapenos. Saute, stirring often, until tender and fragrant, about 8 minutes.

Add the chickpeas, paprika and cumin and cook for 2 more minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and their juices and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes, until sauce thickens a bit. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle feta over the mixture and crack eggs one at a time on top. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, about 5-12 minutes. Top with herbs and serve with warm pita triangles.