EGGS are a staple in most homes and come in handy, especially when you're looking to create a hearty weekend breakfast.

Whether you are cooking a simple soft-boiled egg, scrambling some to serve on toast, or poaching or frying an egg or two, there are some simple guidelines to help you get the perfect result. I've listed some quick tips below.

At our house, particularly on Sunday, a cooked breakfast is always on the agenda.

I'm often asked to prepare this egg dish, which provides a hearty start to the morning.

Use flatbread or dip toast in the mixture.

The dish can also be served as a main course for any meal.

SPICY TOMATO EGGS
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 jalapeno chillies, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped (or use small green chillies)
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 8 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tspn ground cumin
  • 1 tbspn paprika
  • 400g tin whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
  • Salt, to taste
  • 8 eggs
  • Warm flatbread, for serving

Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chillies and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes.

Add garlic, cumin and paprika and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is soft, about 2 minutes.

Put the tomatoes and their liquid into a medium bowl and crush with your hands or a fork. Add the crushed tomatoes and their liquid to the frying pan, along with half a cup of water.

Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 20 minutes. Season with salt.

Crack the eggs over the sauce so that they are evenly distributed across its surface. Cover the frying pan and cook until the yolks are just set, about 5 minutes.

Using a spoon, baste the whites of the eggs with the tomato mixture, being careful not to disturb the yolk. Serve with flatbread.

Variation: Just before serving sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese and chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Note: Divide the sauce between two smaller dishes before cracking the eggs on top.

I often use the same amount of sauce, but half the eggs if there are just 2-3 people for breakfast.