the other day i was up at some crazy hour in the morning thinking about this cute, wobbly old table i had purchased a few years ago. the table made a brief appearance here in our new(er) apartment, but was sent to my parents basement - or as we call it, storage - for a day when we have a large enough place to fit cute, non-essential furniture. anyway, the other day i was thinking that i missed that table's cheerful turquoise hue, and its random chips of paint. i told my dad that i was thinking of a way to utilize the table and asked if there was a way to trim the legs and make a tray. my dad, being a pretty smart (and rad) guy, transformed this once not so very functional piece of furniture into not only a large serving tray, but was also able to save other parts of the dismantled table for wall shelves! the tray now sits comfortably on our ottoman in the living room, and makes a pretty backdrop for photographs ;)

on to this shakshuka. like most people i eat a red shakshuka, and sometimes a reddish-green shakshuka. that was until i ate green shakshuka at my most favorite restaurant, jack's wife freda. the base of their green sauce is tomatillos, green peppers, cilantro, onion and garlic. the shakshuka here is a riff off of theirs. not knowing exactly how they prepare it, i took to making it how i would prepare a regular red shakshuka and frank and i love it! the sauce isn't as sweet and i definitely make it spicier when it's green, and i LOVE the taste of the cilantro mixed with the heartiness of kale! and whenever there's a runny egg in town be sure that there's a piece of bread around to sop up all its runny, yellow yolk goodness! enter: socca. essentially a flatbread, and super easy to make, plus, you can add virtually any spice or herb to it and make it to your liking. some of my favorite additions include: tons of garlic and herbs, za'atar, and smoked paprika!

green shakshuka w/ smoky socca

serves 2

ingredients

8 medium tomatillos (~1 pound), trimmed and cut in half
5 large lacinto kale leaves, ribs removed
1 cup cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, stem removed (i added some seeds for spice)
1 small onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3 large free range eggs
olive oil, for sauteing

smoky socca

1 cup garbanzo bean flour
1 cup warm water
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

directions

make the socca

in a medium bowl, whisk the garbanzo bean flour, salt and smoked paprika. add the warm water while whisking. add 2 tablespoons olive oil and minced garlic, whisk to combine. cover mixture with plastic wrap and let it sit for 1 hour - or up to 12 hours
place a 12" cast iron skillet (or oven safe baking dish of same size) in oven and preheat to 450°
once heated, remove from oven and add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan; swirl to cover the surface and edges. give the socca batter one more whisk and add to hot skillet, return to oven and bake for about 13-15 minutes. turn oven to broil and bake until edges and top of socca bread are lightly browned and crisp - about 3-5 minutes
carefully transfer the bread to a large plate or pizza pan and cut into wedges. serve hot

make the shakshuka

combine halved tomatillos, kale, 3/4 cup cilantro, cumin and salt in a food processor, and pulse until contents are blended. set aside
heat a 10" skillet over medium heat, add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute the onions until soft and translucent - about 3 minutes. add the garlic and saute until garlic is soft and fragrant - about 2 minutes. add the tomatillo mixture and bring sauce to a light simmer. cook over medium-low heat for about 12-15 minutes, until half the liquid has cooked off
make divots in the sauce for the eggs. one at a time, crack the eggs into a small bowl and gently transfer to the green sauce. repeat with remaining eggs. cook eggs until whites have set (i generally use a cover to speed this process up) about 6-8 minutes.
garnish with leftover cilantro and serve with the socca...enjoy!