I’ve never been a massive fan of New Year.  New Year’s Eve always seems like a lot of unnecessary fuss and hype which never lives up to expectations, and New Year’s Day is just a poor man’s Boxing Day, minus the shiny new presents to entertain you.  But I do like champagne, making resolutions I’ll never be able to stick to, and excitedly writing all the dates and plans in my new diary, so I suppose it isn’t all bad.

Despite my misgivings about the day itself, it seems only fitting to start the New Year with a breakfast dish, setting us up nicely for the year ahead.  This makes for a spicy and satisfying start to the day (though it is unfortunately one of those breakfasts that has to be made in batches so you can never actually sit down and eat with your companions).  I don’t know that my 2013 is off to a particularly spicy start, but it’s certainly been satisfying enough, with good food and good company, alongside the aforementioned champagne.  Start as you mean to go on!

Huevos Rancheros

Serves 4, from Simon Rimmer’s The Accidental Vegetarian

Ingredients:

vegetable oil

30-40g butter

8 eggs

coriander leaves

warm soft tortillas

For the salsa:

1 onion, finely chopped

1 each red and green pepper, finely chopped

1 courgette, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

150ml passata

Method:

1.  First make the salsa:  put all the ingredients except the passata into a bowl with seasoning.

2.  Gradually pour in the passata until you have enough to bind it together.

3.  Cook in batches.  Heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Warm through a quarter of the salsa.

4.  Make a well in the centre and drop in a quarter of the butter to melt.

5.  Break 2 eggs into the well.

6.  Put a lid on the pan and leave it for about 3 minutes until the eggs are cooked.

7.  Carefully slide the eggs and salsa onto a dish and scatter with coriander leaves.  Serve with warmed tortillas for dipping.  Repeat with the remaining salsa and eggs.