Fried Eggs on Bagels

I love a good bagel. When I was a kid I spent quite a bit of time in the Bronx in New York. Believe me there is nothing like a warm, freshly made bagel. The place we used to get them at made them by first cooking them in water, and then off they went into the oven. I can still remember the smell of the bagel shop!

Bagels

Our local Raley’s store has managed to procure bagels that tastes like those bagels I used to get as a kid! For me, there are only two kinds of bagels: Plain and onion. Those were the only two that we could get 50 years ago.

Breakfast this morning is simple, quick and easy. Bagels with fried eggs and sausage. For one bagel breakfast, here are the ingredients:

1 Bagel
3 eggs
4 link sausage, or two patty sausages, cooked and split

Sausage cooked and split

butter
salt and pepper

Cut the bagel in half and toast and then butter it. Try as I might, I can never get the toaster to work correctly to avoid charred spots, but with this sandwich, if it is charred it is still good! Heat some butter in a fry pan. When melted and the butter just starts to bubble, add the eggs and break the yolk.

Break the yolk

As the edges start to solidify, cut between the three eggs, and then flip.

Flip the eggs

When the eggs are done, layer the eggs,

Lay the cooked eggs on the bagel

then the sausage

Then the sausage

and serve it up!

Fried eggs, sausage and bagel is served!

Don’t forget to have a really good cup of coffee or a huge glass of OJ with this!

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Pizza Mia!

I could live on Pizza!  It is one of my most favorite foods.  Who doesn’t love all that gooey cheese? But pizza did not start out with all that gooey cheese!

Pizza has been around for a long time, and what we call pizza today is not the pizza of the past! Pizza is actually Greek in origin. Ancient Greeks used to cover their bread with oil, herbs and cheese. The name Pizza is derived from the Latin word “pinsere” which means to press. The Romans had their version too. They called it “placenta.” This pizza was made of dough covered with cheese, honey and bay leaves.

What we eat today comes from Naples. This pizza, called a Neapolitan pie added tomatoes to the cheese about 1889. The Pizza Margherita was named after the Queen of Italy who was presented with a pizza resembling the Italian flag. This pizza was made with tomatoes for the red color in the flag, mozzarella for the white and basil for the green! This is still a popular pizza today!

Around the world everyone has their own style pizza. In Australia the pizza is made with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and bacon and eggs. Mmmm…breakfast pizza! Indian pizza includes tandori chicken and paneer. Korean pizza includes sweet potatoes, shrimp and crab. In Brazil they use bananas, pineapple and chocolate as toppings.

The best pizza I have ever had was in New York City. There is just something about New York pizza that is different from anywhere else that I have eaten pizza. In New York City you can buy pizza by the slice and then follow it up with my other favorite: Italian ice! Raspberry is my favorite flavor of that sweet dessert.

My all time favorite pizza is pepperoni, sausage, mushroom and extra cheese. What is yours? Do you make your own pizza? What do you top yours with? Please share this with me as I think making pizza will be coming as a future blog! And, one with some unusual ingredients!

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Pork Sausage Soup with Artichokes

Here is a quick and easy soup to make for one of those cold nights! It is easy to prepare and tastes great!

Ingredients:
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1# hot Italian pork sausage, bulk
1 49 oz. can of chicken broth
2 cups of water
2 packages of C&W frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1 bunch of Swiss chard
1 10 oz. package of white or crimini mushrooms, pre-sliced and washed
Asiago cheese

Prepare the chard by removing the center stem and then chopping the leaves.

Removing the center of the chard

Heat the olive oil in a soup kettle over medium high heat and crumble in the sausage.

Crumbled sausage is browning

Cook, stirring often, until browned.

Browned sausage

Next, add the broth, water, artichokes and mushrooms and bring to a boil.

Bring to a boil

Reduce heat to a simmer. Then add the chard.

Add the chard and stir

Cook for about 5 minutes until the chard is just cooked.
Ladle into bowls and grate a bit of Asiago over the top!

Soup's on!

Enjoy!

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Chicken Fried Steak

With cooler temperatures now at night, comfort food starts to rear its head more often. So, last night’s menu was Chicken Fried Steak with Bacon Sausage Gravy, mashed potatoes and steamed peas. Total comfort food! Photos will be inserted as soon as my new computer arrives! Enjoy the recipe!

Ingredients:

Steaks:
2 #’s round steak or cube steak, thin sliced and tenderized with a mallet
1 cup of flour
4 shakes of garlic powder
2 shakes of Hungarian paprika
3 shakes of onion powder
2 shakes of Spike
4 twists of fresh ground pepper
2 eggs beaten with a good splash of milk
Vegetable oil for frying

Gravy:
3/4 # New York Style sausage
6 slices of peppered bacon
1/4 cup of flour
2 1/2 cups of hot milk

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the sausage in a baking pan sprayed with non stick spray. Bake for 15 minutes and turn. Bake until cooked through. Cut the sausage into 1/3 inch slices. Set aside. Save the fat drippings.

Fry up the peppered bacon until crispy. When cooled, crumble and add to the sausage. Take the bacon drippings and add to the sausage drippings to make 1/4 cup of drippings.

Bacon & Sausage Ready for the Gravy

In a bowl beat the eggs with the splash of milk. Take a cooling rack and a piece of foil. Lay the foil under the rack. In a gallon size plastic bag combine the flour with all the seasonings. Shake the bag and you are now good to go. Take a piece of the steak and shake it in the flour. Next dip it in the egg mixture, then back into the flour bag to coat a second time. Set the coated piece on the rack to dry. Repeat this with all the meat.

Steak is Ready to Fry!

In a frying pan, heat oil over medium high heat enough vegetable to coat the pan. When the oil is hot fry the meat two pieces at a time until browned on both sides.

Steak is Cooking. Can You Smell It?

Drain on paper towel and place in a warmed oven.

With the meat all cooked, in a pan add the sausage/bacon drippings. Heat over medium heat and slowly add the flour. Gradually add the hot milk a bit at a time stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly. Add the sausage and bacon bits. Serve over the steak along with mashed potatoes and steamed peas.

Now Grab a Glass of Wine and Enjoy!

Serve Merlot with this recipe!

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