Shakshuka is my comfort food when I want to go easy on the carbs but still crave a hearty meal.

It is an easy and delicious weekend brunch dish that anyone can master. Vegetarians and Carnivores alike will enjoy this North African and Israeli staple. Give it a try!

Step 1: Ingredients

3 tablespoons - cooking oil
1- medium zuchinni (chopped)
1-medium onion (chopped)
1-red bell pepper (chopped)
1 -small hot pepper (remove membrane and dice), optional
1 -tsp of cumin powder
1 -tsp of coriander powder
1-tsp of chili powder, optional
1-tsp of tumeric powder
1-large can of stewed or crushed tomatoes
5 -large eggs
1/4 cup -crumbled feta, optional
1 -bunch of cilantro or parsely
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Step 2: Cooking the Base

Take your time and don't rush the process of cooking the vegetables and spices. The sauteeing process is essential for building the rich base of this dish

In a wide flat pan on medium heat, heat up the oil. (I prefer to use my large size cast iron pan)
Add the chopped veggies and sautee for 1-2 minutes.
Add the spices plus a dash of salt and pepper to the mixture and sautee for another 4-5 minutes until the veggies are soft and the spices are fragrant. The mixture will turn golden brown in colour.

Step 3: Building the Flavours

Add the can of stewed or crushed tomatoes to the sauteed vegetables.

Cover the dish so that some of the liquid can evaporate by about 1/3. (~15-20 minutes).

We don't want our Shakshuka to be too watery so this step is important.

Step 4: Adding the Eggs

Once the tomato and vegetable base has thickened, make five indentations with a spoon to create some space to place each egg.

Crack an egg into a small bowl and then pour the egg (yolk +white) into one of the indentations on top of the tomato base. Do this for each egg until you have 5 eggs floating on top of your base.

Cover the pan and let the eggs cook until desired consistency. Poached eggs are the classic choice (~2 minutes) but I like my eggs cooked through and not runny so I let them cook longer (4-5 minutes).

For extra flavour, sprinkle some cracked black pepper on top of each egg.

Step 5: Garnishing

Sprinkle the optional feta cheese on top of the cooked eggs and add a pop of colour with either chopped cilantro or parsely.

Remove the pan from the heat and set aside for about 10 minutes to cool down.

Step 6: Serve!

Enjoy shakshuka with or without a few slices of toasted bread.

Make this recipe your own by substituting a vegetable of your choice. Mushrooms are a nice touch if you don't care for zucchini. Or, just the tomato, onions and bell pepper on their own will do. If you don't like spice, skip the hot pepper and chili powder. There are no rules so have fun in the kitchen and experiment . The versatility of this dish is what makes it a comfort food star!