Huevos Rancheros.

This is a new one, and a simple one, but a good one.

Eggs are my favourite, but sometimes a regular fry-up just won't do. This is a little something that myself, and a very sceptical Moon whipped up one Saturday a couple of weeks ago. I guess he was sceptical because he doesn't necessarily agree with tinned tomatoes for breakfast, or chilli for breakfast but I think he was curious in equal measure because Mexican food is king in our little house (after Chinese food, naturally).



This is so incredibly simple that it almost feels ridiculous to be sharing it with you but I hope it will inspire you to try a different kind of cooked breakfast this weekend, though this would also make a great brinner, particularly if you included a few black or kidney beans, yum!

Ingredients: (feeds 2)

• 1 x tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 x tortillas
• 2 x fresh tomatoes (cut into thin slices)
• 2 x cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
• ½ bell pepper
• ½ red onion
• 2 fresh chillies
• 4 x large eggs
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh parsley (roughly chopped)
• 1 tablespoon of dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons chilli powder
• Salt & pepper (to taste)
• Cooking oil of your choice, I use coconut
• 1 x avocado (optional)

Method:

1. Heat your pan and add your oil before adding the garlic, red onion, fresh chillies and bell pepper and cooking until softened
2. Add the chopped tomatoes to your softened vegetables and bring to a simmer before reducing the heat
3. Stir in the chilli powder and salt and pepper to taste
4. Place the fresh tomatoes over the top and crack the eggs in, you'll want them to have a bit of space so don't do them too close together
5. Put a lid over your simmering frying pan and allow your eggs to cook through (5 - 8 minutes)
6. While your eggs are cooking, toast the tortillas - this can be done either by folding them in the toaster (like we did) or sprinkling them with a bit of water and popping them in the oven for 5 minutes
7. Cut your avocado into cubes ready to go on top
8. Once your eggs are ready spoon the mixture into a bowl containing your toasted tortilla, add fresh parsley and avocado and enjoy

Did you know?: Chillies are metabolism-boosting, so having them with breakfast is actually a pretty healthy way to start the day!

What are some of your favourite 'cooked breakfasts'?

Recipe: Italian Baked Eggs

This is definitely a dish I wish I'd known about when I was at university, just thinking about the amount of times I made do with just pasta and sauce when I could have been making something this magnificent.

Eggs are probably one of my all-time foods, they're not just for breakfast, they're for ALL times, I have even been known to make an oven 'brinner' just because eggs.




So this is super-simple but I figured I would share it anyway, because it's the perfect dish to prepare if you're into making something quick or if you're on a bit of a budget.
I think calling them Italian is just to fancy them up a bit, I got the original recipe from Damn Delicious but it's pretty easy to make it up as you go along, as long as you know how long you need to bake an egg to make it to your liking.

You Will Need

• 4 x Oven-Proof Ramekins

Ingredients: (Feeds 2 People)

• 4 Medium/Large Eggs
• 300g Pasta Sauce of Your Choice - Use as much as you like, this is dish that's all about leftovers
• Hard Italian Cheese - Parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano - Grated
• Pinch of Fresh/Dried Parsley
• 1 tsp Salt and Pepper
  
  

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180°C
2. Put around 2-3 tablespoons of your pasta sauce into the ramekins
3. Crack your egg on top of the pasta sauce and sprinkle with cheese, parsley and salt & pepper
4. Optional: I happened to pick up a jar of Chop Chop's Italian Herbs so I plopped around half a teaspoon in each ramekin
5. Pop in the oven for around 10 minutes or until egg is cooked - less time is needed for a runny yolk obviously.
6. Serve with buttery toast and enjoy!