Green Shakshuka! Inspired by my recent trip to La Crosse, Wisconsin, this is a play on traditional shakshuka. This flavorful, bright green dish is made with leeks, Swiss chard, spinach, celery and more! You are going to love this!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions are honest and 100% my own.
My family and I got to visit La Crosse, Wisconsin last weekend and had a blast! We went for the 1st annual Driftless Sports Convergence in Onalaska, Wisconsin, which showcased outdoor sports, recreation and activities from top experts and retailers in the area! There were kayaks, canoes, bikes, camping, fishing, archery, hiking and more! My family got to do a 7 mile bike tour in the Onalaska area and had so much fun.
This was our second time visiting La Crosse and we got to stay at The Charmant Hotel again. I cannot rave about this hotel enough! It’s stylish, unique and so lovely! This is the only independent boutique hotel in La Crosse and the staff is outstanding.
Each guest room is so charming and unique. I love the decor, exposed brick and how they decorated each room. You don’t feel like you’re staying in a hotel, but rather a lovely home where you feel welcomed and taken care of.
We dined at the restaurant at The Charmant Hotel (on the first floor, next to the lobby area and bar) and had probably the best breakfast ever!
This is where I had Green Shakshuka for the first time and it was incredible. I knew I had to re-create this dish at home and share the recipe with you all!
If you’re here for the Green Shakshuka recipe, keep scrolling down! You have to try this!
A cast iron skillet is perfect for this Green Shakshuka recipe! It’s easily transferable from the stovetop directly into the oven. I used two sizes, a 9 inch cast iron pan and a mini. Feel free to use one large sized cast iron skillet to make this recipe. You simply sauté the leeks, garlic, Swiss chard and spinach in the skillet, add the feta, crack in the eggs, and finish it off in the oven! It’s so good! I really hope you try this Green Shakshuka recipe!
On Saturday, we walked around the downtown area and did a little shopping. We stopped into Duluth Trading Company and the cutest toy store ever on 2nd Street, The Toy Shop. My kids had a blast, of course, and we left with some toys that the girls love.
When I first learned that we would be visiting La Crosse again, I immediately knew where I wanted to go for dinner. The 2018 James Beard semi-finalist list for Best Chef Midwest had been released and Chef Jay Sparks from Lovechild Restaurant was there!
We had the most amazing meal! We started with their bruschetta, Triple-cooked French-fried potatoes with horseradish sauce and a shrimp dish. For our entrees, we ordered two of their pasta dishes, they make the pasta from scratch in house (everything except the spaghetti). The Maltagliati with carnitas and roasted polano crema and manchego cheese was my favorite. This pasta was INCREDIBLE!
We also ordered the Baked Catalan-style halibut with tomato, chorizo, potatoes and olives (pictured above), the “Peposo Notturno” braised beef (freaking incredible) and we ended the delicious meal with the Portuguese cinnamon-sugar doughnuts with lemon curd! I wasn’t able to take the best photos with my iPhone, so you will have to visit my Instagram page, and watch my highlights of La Crosse to see this fabulous dinner!
We will definitely be back in La Crosse and will dine at Lovechild again! If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend this restaurant! I also had a chance to say hello and take a photo with Chef Jay Sparks and Joan Ferris. They were so lovely!
We ended our fabulous weekend trip with a visit to Fayze’s – La Crosse’s Favorite Restaurant & Bakery! Kelcey overloaded us with some delicious goodies! You can watch the action here!
We had so much fun in La Crosse! A huge thank you to Explore La Crosse for the invitation! We can’t wait to visit again this summer, and next year for the next Driftless Sports Convergence!
Places to Eat and Stay in La Crosse
- The Charmant Hotel: To stay (I highly recommend!), the Restaurant, the Rooftop Terrace for pizza and drinks and The Parlour for coffee and croissants and other pastries!
- LoveChild Restaurant
- Pearl Ice Cream Parlor
- Waterfront Restaurant
- Fayze’s
- The Mint
- Two Beagles Brewpub: for casual pizza and beer (kid friendly!)
- Apothik Food Truck
Green Shakshuka
For more brunch ideas, check out: Fried Eggs with kale and mushrooms, Eggs Benedict and my Asparagus Quiche.
Green Shakshuka
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 2 large leeks thinly sliced and chopped (white and tender green parts only)*
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or 1 spicy chile pepper diced
- 1 bunch Swiss chard or collard greens cut into 1/2-inch ribbons (thick stems removed)
- 2 to 3 cups fresh spinach
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- crumbled feta cheese
- 4 large eggs
- fresh dill
- diced scallions
- Serve with thick toast
Instructions
- If using the oven, preheat oven to 375°F.**
- Over medium heat, heat the olive oil in a large sized cast iron skillet. Add the leeks and cook until the leeks soften, for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and sauté for another 3 minutes. Add in the Swiss chard, spinach, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika and cumin and toss together. Season with salt and pepper and let cook for a few minutes.
- Make wells in your cooked greens mixture for the eggs. Sprinkle some crumbled feta over the greens (you will add more later as well before serving) and carefully crack the eggs over the top and into each well, one at a time and spaced slightly apart.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes (less time for runnier eggs). Or, simply cover the skillet with a lid and cook over medium low heat until the eggs have reached the desired consistency and doneness. Remove from the oven and garnish with more crumbled feta, some fresh dill and diced scallions and serve with thick toast. Feel free to also season with more salt and pepper over the top. Enjoy!
Notes
Recipe adapted from here
The recipe and this getaway look incredible !
hipfoodiemom, thank you for this post. Its very inspiring.
Looks like you guys had a fun little getaway! I know my husband would LOVE this version of shakshuka for breakfast!
Love your spin on this and what a fun trip!
Looks delicious!
Sounds like you had an awesome trip Alice! Love this shakshuka too!
Looks like quite the trip! I love trips that are surrounded with good food. That shakshuka looks to die for. Thanks for sharing!
This looks and sounds great! Will definitely be trying this one too!