Led by Yotam Ottolenghi and Noor Murad, the revered team of chefs at the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen gives everyday home cooks the accessible yet innovative Middle Eastern-inspired recipes they need to put dinner on the table with less stress and less fuss. With fit-for-real-life chapters like “The Freezer Is Your Friend,” “That One Shelf in the Back of Your Pantry,” and “Who Does the Dishes?” (a.k.a. One-Pot Meals), Shelf Love teaches readers how to flex with fewer ingredients, get creative with their pantry staples, and add playful twists to familiar classics.

All the signature Ottolenghi touches fans love are here–big flavours, veggie-forward appeal, diverse influences–but are distilled to maximize ease and creative versatility. These dishes pack all the punch and edge you expect from Ottolenghi, using what you’ve got to hand–that last can of chickpeas or bag of frozen peas–without extra trips to the grocery store. Humble ingredients and crowd-pleasing recipes abound, including All-the-Herbs Dumplings with Caramelized Onions, Mac and Cheese with Za’atar Pesto, Cacio e Pepe Chickpeas, and Crispy Spaghetti and Chicken.

With accessible recipe features like MIYO (Make It Your Own) that encourage ingredient swaps and a whimsical, lighthearted spirit, the fresh voices of the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen will deliver kitchen confidence and joyful inspiration to new and old fans alike.

Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love: Recipes to Unlock the Secrets of Your Pantry, Fridge, and Freezer: A Cookbook is available at Amazon.com and Indigo.ca.  

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Sweet Potato Shakshuka with Sriracha butter and pickled onions

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes

A far cry from a classic shakshuka, yes, but we’ve found that sweet potatoes provide just the right amount of moisture and heft to serve as a base for these eggs. Serve this vibrant dish as a weekend brunch; it sure looks the part.

Serves 4

2 lb 2 oz/1kg sweet potatoes, skin on and scrubbed clean

1 small red onion, thinly sliced into rounds (3½ oz/100g)

2 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp olive oil

1 1/3 cups/150g coarsely grated mature cheddar

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp cumin seeds, roughly crushed with a mortar and pestle

8 large eggs

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2¼ tsp sriracha

2 tbsp cilantro leaves, with some stem attached

salt and black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Poke the sweet potatoes all over with a fork (about 8–10 times) and place them on a medium, parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until cooked through and softened. Set aside to cool and turn the oven temperature down to 400°F.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the red onion, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and set aside to pickle.
3. Remove the cooked potato skins and tear them into roughly 1 ½ -inch/4cm pieces. Transfer the potato flesh to a large bowl and set aside. Place the skins back on the baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon of oil, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and a good grind of pepper. Bake for 8 minutes, or until nicely coloured and starting to crisp up. Set aside to cool and crisp up further.
4. Use a fork to mash the potato flesh until smooth, then add the cheddar, garlic, cumin, another 1 tablespoon of oil, the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a generous grind of pepper, and mix to combine.
5. Put the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil into a large frying pan, for which you have a lid, and swirl around to coat the bottom. Spoon the mashed potato mixture into the pan, using your spoon to distribute it evenly. Place on medium-high heat and let cook for about 7 minutes, for the bottom to start to colour. Turn the heat down to medium and use a spoon to make eight wells in the potato mixture, breaking an egg into each. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, cover with the lid, and cook for 4–5 minutes, rotating the pan, or until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.
6. While the eggs are cooking, put the butter and sriracha into a small saucepan on medium heat and cook until the butter has melted, whisking constantly to emulsify. Remove the mixture from the heat before it starts to bubble—you don’t want it to split.
7. When ready, spoon the sriracha butter all over the eggs, then top with a good handful of the crispy potato skins, half the pickled onion, and all the cilantro leaves. Serve right away, with the rest of the potato skins and pickled onion to eat alongside.

Make it your own:

• Save time by cooking the sweet taters in the microwave instead.
• Use any kind of oozy melty cheese and any spice you like for the base.
• Experiment with other hot sauces, such as Tabasco or harissa

Excerpted from Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love by Yotam Ottolenghi and Noor Murad. Copyright © 2021 Yotam Ottolenghi and Noor Murad. Photography by Elena Heatherwick. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.