Low-Carb Spinach & Feta Shakshuka

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Do you have a recipe that you keep making over and over again? This low-carb Shakshuka is my go-to at least twice a week!

It's the kind of skillet meal you can make when you don't have time to cook or you're short on ingredients. You can use fresh, frozen or canned ingredients, just like we did in this Tuna Shakshuka where we used canned tuna and just a few pantry staples.

In this keto Spinach & Feta Shakshuka, spinach and bell pepper can be substituted with frozen spinach and canned peppers. If you don't have fresh onion and garlic, use onion and garlic powder.

I love adding some crumbled feta or goat's cheese, Italian sausage or even bacon. If you use sausage or bacon, add it after you cook the onion so it has time to cook through.

This recipe makes two generous servings or up to four small servings which is ideal if you only want a light breakfast, lunch or keto dinner recipe.

How To Build Your Own Shakshuka

I love experimenting with different spices, veggies and aromatics. Sometimes I add in some Mexican chorizo, sometimes I top it with some grated Manchego cheese and broil it in the oven. I never make it the same way although there are some general rules I follow:

• Aromatics. I start by cooking the onion and/or garlic in ghee or virgin avocado oil. If you follow a low FODMAP diet, you can simply skip the onion and garlic.
• Bell peppers. Once the onion is fragrant, I add some sliced bell peppers; red, orange or yellow for more flavour, or green bell peppers for less carbs.
• Tomatoes. Once the bell peppers are crisp-tender, I add some canned or chopped fresh tomatoes, or unsweetened tomato paste. If you use tomato paste you will need to add some water or chicken stock.
• Spices and seasoning. Next I add salt, pepper and spices such as cumin, turmeric an/or paprika. You could even use some dried Italian herbs or basil.
• Leafy greens. Soft leafy greens such as spinach, chard or collards are usually added just before the eggs. Both fresh and frozen (thawed and drained) spinach will work. If you're using kale, you will need to cook it for a few more minutes.
• Eggs. When the vegetables are tender, I create small wells by using a spatula and then I crack in the eggs. To prevent anything from burning, I lower the heat and then cover with a lid. The eggs are ready when the whites are opaque and cooked through, and the yolks are still runny.
• Cheese. When the eggs are almost ready, I crumble some feta cheese or goat's cheese on top and cook for another minute just to heat through. You could add the cheese earlier with the eggs and finish it under a broiler. If you're dairy-free, skip the cheese or use some Italian sausage, bacon or chorizo instead. If you do that you will need to add these after browning the onion.
• Fresh herbs and olive oil. Finally I add some fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro or basil, and then drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top for an extra ketogenic and healthy fat boost.

So here you go, this is how I make my all day breakfast skillet. Any more tips and suggestions? Let me know in the comments!

Nutritional values (per serving, 2 eggs + veggies)

Ingredients (makes 2 servings)

• 2 tbsp ghee or avocado oil (30 ml)
• ¹/₂ yellow onion, chopped or sliced (35 g/ 1.2 oz)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 small red bell pepper, sliced (85 g/ 3 oz)
• 4 tbsp tomato paste (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
• ¹/₂ cup water or chicken stock (120 ml/ 4 fl oz)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ¹/₂ tsp ground turmeric
• good pinch of sea salt and black pepper
• 200 g fresh spinach, chard or collards (200 g/ 7 oz)
• 4 large eggs
• ¹/₂ cup crumbled feta cheese (38 g/ 1.3 oz)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (30 ml)
• Optional: fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro or spring onion

Instructions

1. If you're using regular spinach, chard or collards, wash, drain and cut the crunchy stalks off. Roughly chop the spinach leaves and finely chop the stalks. Set aside. If you're using baby spinach you won't need to do this.
2. Heat a skillet greased with ghee or avocado oil over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the sliced bell pepper and the spinach stalks, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp tender.
4. Add the tomato paste and water (or chicken stock) and cook until it starts simmering.
5. Add the cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper. Add the chopped spinach leaves and cook for about a minute.
6. Mix to move it around until it's wilted. Using a spatula, create 4 small wells. Crack one egg into each one of them. (It's better if you crack the eggs one by one into a small bowl rather than directly into the skillet as you don't want any egg shells of bad eggs.)
7. Reduce the heat to medium and cover with a lid. Cook for about 5 minutes of until the egg whites are just about set and the egg yolks are still runny. Instead of the lid you could even place it under a broiler and cook for a few minutes.
8. Remove the lid and crumble the feta on top. Cook for one more minute just to heat through.
   
9. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and optionally sprinkle with fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro or spring onions.
10. Serve immediately while still warm.

Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving, 2 eggs + veggies)

Net carbs	Protein	Fat	Calories
Ghee
0 g	0 g	15 g	136 kcal
Onion, brown (yellow), raw
1.1 g	0.2 g	0 g	6 kcal
Garlic, fresh
0.5 g	0.1 g	0 g	2 kcal
Peppers, red bell, fresh
1.7 g	0.4 g	0.1 g	13 kcal
Tomato purée (paste, unsweetened)
2.1 g	0.5 g	0.1 g	11 kcal
Water, still
0 g	0 g	0 g	0 kcal
Cumin, ground
0.3 g	0.2 g	0.2 g	3 kcal
Turmeric, spices (dried, ground)
0.3 g	0.1 g	0 g	2 kcal
Salt, sea salt
0 g	0 g	0 g	0 kcal
Pepper, black, spices
0.1 g	0 g	0 g	0 kcal
Spinach, fresh
1.4 g	2.9 g	0.4 g	23 kcal
Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs)
0.7 g	12.6 g	9.5 g	143 kcal
Feta cheese
0.8 g	2.7 g	4 g	50 kcal
Olive oil, extra virgin
0 g	0 g	13.5 g	119 kcal
Total per serving, 2 eggs + veggies
9 g	19.5 g	42.8 g	510 kcal

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