Snap Pea & Blood Orange Salad w/ Balsamic Vinaigrette

I had a leftover bag of snap peas that I wanted to use in a salad, but frankly my fridge revealed very few other vegetables (I was going grocery shopping later that evening). One of my twitter friends had suggested a while back that blood orange and balsamic are great flavors together, so I decided to make a balsamic vinaigrette and top everything with some chopped nuts from the previous nights candied nut adventure.

Snap Pea & Blood Orange Salad w/ Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1 bag snap peas
3 blood oranges
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp light olive oil
shot of agave
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
pinch of black pepper
handful of chopped nuts

Directions:

1. Cut snap peas into bite-sized pieces and place in bowl. Segment and blood oranges
2. Squeeze blood orange juice from center/membrane and combine with vinegar, oil, and spices. Pour over peas, tossing to coat.
3. Top with chopped nuts and serve.

The cost:

snap peas: 2.39

blood oranges: leftovers (2.99)

other ingredients: <1.00

Grand total: 3.39ish

Shakshouka

Last night, AK made me something for dinner I had never before even heard of: Shakshouka. A popular dish in Israel, shakshouka is a North African dish of eggs poached in a mixture of onions, peppers, tomatoes and spices.

It was, in a word, delicious (and I'm not just saying that :)). It's also pretty cheap, considering you can serve it over toast or pita for a very filling meal.

Shakshouka

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 tsp vegetable or olive oil
1 large can diced tomatoes, half drained
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
6 eggs
freshly chopped cilantro or chives (optional garnish)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a deep saucepan and saute onion 4-5 minutes until soft and browned. Add peppers and cook 2-3 minutes more.
2. Add chopped tomatoes and spices to pan and stir to combine. Heat until bubbling.
3. Crack eggs and add to tomato mixture, ensuring they are evenly spaced around the pan. Using a fork, carefully stir tomato mixture around eggs so it mixes with the eggs whites and "there isn't any white, everything is pink" (a direct quote from AK). Try not to break the yolks.
4. Cover pan and cook 5-6 minutes until whites are solid and yolks are cooked to your liking.
5. Serve over toasted bread or pita (or in my case, with a side salad). Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro or chives.
   

The cost:

onion: .45
pepper: 1.29
tomatoes: 1.49
eggs: .99

Grand total: $4.22; serves 2-3