You Say Toe-may-toe, I Say Toe-mah-toe

• Stewed tomatoes are skinned and left whole, which isn't the best form for huevos rancheros. Cut each tomato in half and squeeze out the seeds if you wish. Some stewed tomatoes are also seasoned, which is OK. Drain the tomatoes but reserve the liquid. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Ideally the chunks should be no larger than 1/4 to 1/2 inch.

Fire the Tomatoes Up

• Huevos rancheros are a spicy dish and stewed tomatoes are rather bland. Fire up the heat by adding canned or fresh chopped jalapeno peppers. You could also use hot sauce, cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. If you have some dried hot peppers on hand you're in for a treat. Soak the dried peppers in boiling water for 2 or 3 minutes until softened. Roughly chop and then put in the blender, or food processor, before you add to the stewed tomatoes. Go slowly adding the heat to the tomatoes.

Onto the Eggs

• Eggs are the key ingredient in huevos rancheros. Add enough oil to a sauté pan to barely cover the bottom of the pan. Chop an onion and add to the pan. You could also use scallions or leeks instead of the onion. Place on medium heat until the onion softens -- about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the seasoned tomatoes and some of the reserved juice. You want enough liquid to almost cover the raw eggs when you slide them into the pan but not so much liquid that it's soupy. Cook the eggs in the sauce until they're done to your liking. Spoon the tomato liquid over the eggs as they cook. Think of the eggs as if they're poaching in the tomatoes. If you prefer to fry the eggs rather than poach them, that works as well. In that case, heat the seasoned stewed tomatoes with the cooked onions.

Plate It Up

• Place 3 crisp corn tortillas on a plate. Put the poached eggs in the center of the 3 tortillas. Surround the eggs with the stewed tomato mixture. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve hot sauce or chopped jalapeno peppers on the side for those that like an ultra-spicy dish.