Eggs and tomatoes done two ways

Eggs and tomatoes for brunch are awesome. I had eggs and tomatoes done two ways over a weekend some time back and thoroughly enjoyed both breakfasts (yes, it was the same Saturday and Sunday back to back...so it was a truly an eggs overload weekend.)

Evan came over a couple months back when we made the Earl grey creme brulee, and we had a late homemade brunch that morning before we started our baking session. She brought homemade waffles and bacon, while I made us some baked eggs and tomatoes.

The waffles were really good with butter and real maple syrup. It makes me want to go out to get myself a waffle maker. I really love waffles...Anyone keen to sponsor me one? =D

Baked eggs and tomatoes

I overcooked them just slightly by mistake, so the yolks weren't as runny as I would like them to be (the eggs I used had double yolks in them, Evan was so surprised...hee), but they still tasted quite good nonetheless. In fact, I made it again the next day for the Sis and her boyfriend. Well, something similar, but not quite baked eggs and tomatoes. I made Shakshouka (aka Shakshuka) - which is sort of a Tunisian stew dish, with eggs cooked in a tomato sauce. The ingredients are roughly the same, but I cooked the dish over the stovetop instead of oven baking it.

Baked eggs in tomato sauce
3 tomatoes, diced
half a yellow onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
big pinch of dried mixed herbs
paprika to taste
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs
fresh chives, chopped

Heat some olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add the onion and fry till brown and soft. Add the garlic, mixed herbs and paprika, followed by the diced tomatoes. Cook for another few minutes till tomatoes and soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and leave to cool for a while.
Divide the mixture into two individual ramekins, crack an egg into each ramekin, bake at 175C for 7-15 minutes (depending on how done you like your eggs to be).
Remove from oven, sprinkle with fresh chives, serve immediately with toast.

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I wanted to modify the previous day recipe slightly as nice as it was, I thought that it was lacking something. I must say it tasted much richer than the previous day with the additional tomato puree sauce added in. And I happened to had some sausages, so I added them into the dish. My my my, all eggs and tomatoes dish should contain sausages. It's like a must. I think I would make this dish again with no doubt, but further modifications I'm thinking of adding are bell peppers and spicy chili (jalepenos? birds eye chili?).

Shakshouka 

Shakshouka
5 tomatoes, diced
70g tomato puree
1/4 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
2 pork and sundried tomato sausages (*sub with of your fave sausages)
paprika to taste
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 eggs
fresh parsley, chopped
parmesan cheese

Fry the sausages in a non-stick pan (that has a lid attachment) - no need to use oil as the sausages should release some of its oil, on high for a few minutes till brown. Remove and cool, slice thinly.
Cook the tomato sauce as per above, adding the tomato puree together with the tomatoes. Remove about  one third cup of the tomato mixture and set aside. (optional)
Carefully crack each egg into the pan, be careful not to break the yolks in the process. (What I did was I cracked the egg whites onto the tomato mixture, before sliding the yolks into the middle of the whites)
Dot the reserved tomato mixture around the egg whites. (This is an entirely optional step - it's more for a visual sight as the egg whites covered the tomato mixture totally.)
Cover the lid and cook for 7-10 minutes or until the egg whites are cooked and the yolks still slightly jiggly.
Remove from heat, sprinkle parsley, and serve immediately with toast.