Breakfast, on the go, please...

Breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day. We get it told from a very young age, we all know it and we all try to have something in the morning. Even if you only eat something at 10 am, after you have downed three espressos to 'get you going'. The most-heard reason for not having a 'sit-down' breakfast is time; 'It takes too long to make', 'I rather have half an hour longer in bed', 'Everything is just soo hectic in the morning'. Me? I need something 'proper' and will get up earlier than necessary to make sure I do. Usually that will just result in some toast with (ginger) preserve or cheese but it could just as easily be a full English, or eggs and soldiers, or porridge: it depends on what takes my fancy.

An entire industry has grown for those of us who do not have the time at home to eat breakfast. McDonald's and Subway, for instance, are very happy with our lack of time in the morning and have a range of products to 'help' us. But, I don't get it; it takes me anywhere from five minutes (toast) to maximum half an hour (full English) to make my breakfast. It would take me much more than that to get myself to either of the two places mentioned (and several others to boot), decide what I want to eat, order, wait for my order and then eat it. Forget about the fact that it has cost me an arm and a leg; it tastes like cardboard, soggy cardboard at that. It always looks so promising on telly and on the big billboards but what you receive is uninspired, flavourless, unhealthy, tough or spongy and has more 'work' done to it than Lolo Ferrari.

So, how about something to spice up your breakfast?

Quick Huevos Rancheros (or Ranch-style Eggs)

Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 2 to 4 (depending on your appetite)

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 1/2 medium sized onion, chopped
• 1 tin (400 gram) whole tomatoes
• 2 or 3 fresh green chillies (more or less, to taste)
• (chipotle) chili powder, adobo sauce, ground cumin (all optional)
• 4 tortillas or wraps
• butter
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped, coriander (optional)
• grated cheddar (optional)

Method:

1. Make the sauce first by softening the onions in a little olive oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Once translucent, add the tomatoes and the juice the tomatoes are packed in. Break up the tomatoes with your fingers as you put them in the pan. Add chopped green chilies. Add additional chili to taste, either chipotle chili powder, adobo sauce, regular chili powder, or even ground cumin. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium, and let simmer while you do the rest of the cooking, stirring occasionally. Reduce to low after it has been simmering for 10 minutes. Add salt to taste if needed. If the sauce is too acidic, add half a teaspoon of sugar.
2. Prepare the tortillas/wraps. Heat the oven to a warm 50°C, place plates in the oven to warm up. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan on medium high, coating the pan with the oil. One by one (or more if your pan is big enough) heat the tortillas/wraps in the pan, a minute or two on each side, until they are heated through, softened, and pockets of air bubble up inside of them. Then remove them and stack them on one of the warming plates in the oven to keep warm while you continue cooking the rest of the tortillas/wraps and the eggs.
3. Fry the eggs. Using the same pan as was used for the tortillas/wraps, add a little butter to the pan, about two teaspoons for 4 eggs. Heat the pan on medium high heat. Crack 4 eggs into the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes for runny yolks, more for firmer eggs.

To serve, put a tortilla/wrap on a plate and spoon on some of the sauce, then a fried egg (or two). Top with more sauce, sprinkle with coriander and/or cheese if desired.

On the go? Place the tortilla/wrap on a piece of tin foil and put the filling on the tortilla/wrap as before but try to keep it more along the middle and fold it up, burrito-style. Wrap it up in the tin foil and off you go.

To make life easier (and the recipe even quicker), you could use a jar of your favourite salsa, gently warmed up in a small sauce pan.

Fancy a bit of a difference?

• Try adding some re-fried beans, some soured cream or some finely sliced avocado (or a combination).

Or, if you fancy something 'meatier':

• Try adding some crispy fried bacon; at the end of step 2: fry the bacon 'till crispy in the same frying pan you used for the tortillas/wraps and place in the oven to keep warm. Continue with step 3.

Enjoy, and do let me know how you get on.