Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day. However, I am not much of a morning person (although I’m really trying to become one). Having said that, I would like to add that if I’d have my way around it, I’d probably have breakfast for lunch and/or dinner on repeat, as often as possible. I’ve been known to have eggs for dinner and while some frown upon it, others understand in a sympathetic manner. And whether you decide to make these eggs cooked in sauce for breakfast, lunch or dinner, it’s totally your call and if others say it’s wrong, I don’t care about it being right and neither should you, for that matter.

I made these eggs in individual enamel skillets and decided to go for three different options. Two of them were Shakshuka inspired and one is the recreation of the breakfast my grand-grandmother used to make for my mom when she was a child. Thus, we have a version of eggs poached in a sweet and flavourful pepper and tomato sauce; then, there’s eggs poached on a bed of fragrant chickpeas cooked in tomato sauce. And lastly, there’s eggs scrambled in tomato and onion sauce that gets topped with sheep’s cheese.

If you don’t have individual skillets, just feel free to use any frying pan you have on hand (cast-iron is ideal though) and make your preferred combination, doubling or tripling the ingredients listed below to appropriately serve your skillet size; you can play around with your favourite vegetables to serve as a base for the eggs to cook in. Just make sure to cover the eggs if you decide to poach them, so that they will cook through to perfection.

Version 1

Serves 1

½ Tbsp olive oil

¼ yellow onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

A handful of cooked chickpeas

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp sweet paprika

½ large heirloom tomato, skinned, core removed and chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Two eggs

To garnish: finely chopped scallions/ chives/ parsley

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil along with the garlic clove. Add the chopped onion and sweat for a couple of minutes, until translucent. Add the chickpeas, cumin and paprika and cook for a minute or two, then add the chopped tomatoes. Cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring to break up the tomatoes. Add a pinch of salt (or to taste), stir to combine, then make two indentations in the mix and crack an egg in each one. Cover with a lid and allow to cook five minutes, until the egg whites are set and the yolks still runny or up to ten minutes, if you like your eggs well done. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with scallions or herbs and serve warm.

Version 2

Serves 1

½ Tbsp olive oil

¼ yellow onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

½ red bell pepper, chopped

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp sweet paprika

½ large heirloom tomato, skinned, core removed and chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Two eggs

To garnish: finely chopped scallions/ chives/ parsley

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil along with the garlic clove. Add the chopped onion and sweat for a couple of minutes, until translucent. Add the chopped pepper, cumin and paprika and cook for 5-7 minutes until the peppers become soft, then add the chopped tomatoes. Cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring to break up the tomatoes. Add a pinch of salt (or to taste), stir to combine, then make two indentations in the mix and crack an egg in each one. Cover with a lid and allow to cook for five minutes, until the egg whites are set and the yolks are still runny or up to ten minutes, if you like your eggs well done. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with scallions or herbs and serve warm.

Version 3

Serves 1

½ Tbsp olive oil

¼ yellow onion, finely chopped

1 large heirloom tomato, skinned, core removed and chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Two eggs

30g/1 oz sheep’s cheese or feta, crumbled

To garnish: finely chopped scallions/ chives/ parsley

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onion and sweat for a couple of minutes, until translucent. Add the chopped tomato and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring to break up the tomatoes, until a thick sauce is obtained. Add a pinch of salt (or to taste), stir to combine, then crack the two eggs and add to the mix. Scramble with a fork or wooden spatula to evenly distribute the eggs and stir to cook for about two minutes if you like them on the runny side or closer to five minutes for well done. Sprinkle with crumbled feta, season with pepper and garnish with scallions or herbs and serve immediately.