When Life Falls Apart, Make Shakshuka

This week finds me at the end of my tether. I suppose one could argue it’s my own fault for a) having children in the first place, b) having a loose grasp on the school calendar and therefore making no substantial childcare plans during term-breaks that would allow me to work, c) not winning the £110m lottery last week. One could potentially argue that my husband shares equal responsibility for A,B and C -- but let’s be honest, even in 2026, no one ever would.

When everything unravels like this, I come back to food. When I’m eating well, I can hold it together. When I start skipping meals, eating out more than usual or solely grazing on kids’ leftovers, these weeks get the best of me. My energy drops, my sleep disappears, and I become the version of myself I’d rather my children didn’t see.

This is a recipe for the depleted days - when the fridge is nearly as empty as I am, but Spring is doing its glorious thing and even the stragglers at the bottom of the veg drawer are showing some hope. Instead of the usual tomato-rich shakshuka, I blitzed basil, last-legs spinach, pumpkin seeds, lemon and olive oil into a bright green pesto-type-thing, then stirred it through a pan of asparagus, back-of-the-freezer edamame, shallot and celery. Finish it off with some eggs, feta and spring onion and it’s so packed with nutrients it might even resuscitate the de-petaled daisy in the bolshie hands of my 2-year-old (but probably not).

**A note: the only reason I had any vegetables left in the fridge this week is because I get a Riverford Organic box delivered. I think a weekly veg box is one of the better decisions a busy family can make. Good for you, good for local farmers and good for the environment. (Not affiliated, just a fan.)

Spring Garden Asparagus and Spinach Shakshuka

Serves 4

For the Spinach Pesto

• 1 bunch basil (about 25 g)

• 2 large handfuls spinach

• ½ cup (70 g) pumpkin seeds

• 1 teaspoons salt

• ½ teaspoon chili flakes

• Zest and juice of ½ lemon

• ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Shakshuka

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced

• 4 celery stalks, finely sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 bunch asparagus (about 12 oz / 340 g), cut into 1-cm pieces

• 1 cup (150 g) peas, broad beans, or edamame

• 4 large eggs

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• ½ cup yoghurt

• Juice of ½ lemon

To Serve

• 2 spring onions, finely sliced

• 75g feta

Method

1. Make the pesto: add all the ingredients for the pesto to a food processor. Blend until mostly smooth but still retaining a little texture. Set aside.

2. Build the shakshuka: Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

3. Once melted, add the shallots and celery with a generous pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes.

4. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

5. Add the asparagus, beans or peas, pesto, yoghurt and lemon juice. Cook until warmed through.

6. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.

7. Make 4 small wells in the vegetables and crack an egg into each.

8. Cover with a domed lid and cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 8 minutes.

9. Garnish with the sliced spring onions and feta and serve with crusty bread or seed crackers.