I know that this blog is a little breakfast heavy at the moment, but I just can't resist!
A Golden Surprise
Yesterday evening my boyfriend, J-, came home bearing a special gift courtesy of the Hog Man. J- works in one of the rural areas adjacent to Pittsburgh, just down the street from where Hog Man raises pigs and chickens. Readers, I'm not sure if you know what that means but let me build up the suspense......... it means Fresh Eggs!
Needless to say, we had breakfast for dinner. The Fare: Egg Sandwiches with Cream Cheese and Fresh Basil on Homemade English Muffins.
Eat Your Heart Out Panera
As the title of this post suggests, I’d like to compare my version of the egg sandwich to Panera’s paltry attempt at breakfast glory. So let’s give it the run down:
Now our sandwiches are pretty close, but mine definitely take the cake when it comes to sodium, calories, and fat. Plus, mine is prettier, more satisfying, and generally healthier!
Roll the dough out onto a large floured surface, and use a cookie cutter (I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter for half of my batch) or the top of a cup to press out 10 muffins. (I often roll the dough thin enough to cut out 20 muffin shapes. I then stack one cut-out on top of another to make ten muffins. The finished muffins tear in half easier for buttering!)
Sprinkle half of the cornmeal onto a large cookie tray, and place the muffins on the tray. Sprinkle the remaining cornmeal on the tops of the muffins, and allow them to rise for an hour.
After about 50 minutes of rising, heat a griddle or large cast iron pan on low. Place the muffins on the griddle and allow to cook on low (anything higher will scorch the muffins) for seven minutes on each side.
Allow them to cool, and then attack those nooks and crannies like it is your job. If you want to eat what I did last night, follow these steps:
Ingredients:
1 Homemade English Muffin
1 Egg, cooked to your preference
1(ish) ounce of Cream Cheese
2-3 leaves of Fresh Basil
Directions:
Split and toast the English Muffin. Spread the cream cheese on either side of the muffin. Layer the Basil and Egg on the muffin in sandwich form, and enjoy!
A Golden Surprise
Yesterday evening my boyfriend, J-, came home bearing a special gift courtesy of the Hog Man. J- works in one of the rural areas adjacent to Pittsburgh, just down the street from where Hog Man raises pigs and chickens. Readers, I'm not sure if you know what that means but let me build up the suspense......... it means Fresh Eggs!
Yes! J- brought home two dozen eggs, of all different colors and sizes, from chickens that eat completely natural diets, roam about over an entire farm, have never been abused a day in their lives! What could make a veganish vegetarian happier?
Needless to say, we had breakfast for dinner. The Fare: Egg Sandwiches with Cream Cheese and Fresh Basil on Homemade English Muffins.
Eat Your Heart Out Panera
As the title of this post suggests, I’d like to compare my version of the egg sandwich to Panera’s paltry attempt at breakfast glory. So let’s give it the run down:
Serving size: 1 Sandwich
Calories: 390 calories
Carbohydrates: 43 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Sugar: 2 grams
Fat: 15 grams
Cholesterol: 205 milligrams
Protein: 19 grams
Sodium: 710 mg
Notes: Whenever I order this sandwich, it’s all bread and no eggs and cheese! I mean… who needs to eat an entire ciabatta in the morning? No one.
Nichole’s Egg, Cream Cheese and Basil Sandwich on a Homemade English Muffin
Serving size: 1 Sandwich
Calories: 326 calories
Carbohydrates: 33.8 grams
Fiber: 2.14 grams
Sugar: 5.4 grams
Fat: 13.66 grams
Cholesterol: 205 milligrams
Protein: 12.73 grams
Sodium: 466.6 mg
Notes: I used a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out some of my muffins, so they’re also full of love!
Now our sandwiches are pretty close, but mine definitely take the cake when it comes to sodium, calories, and fat. Plus, mine is prettier, more satisfying, and generally healthier!
Make-You-Feel-English Muffins
These muffins are one of the easiest and most satisfying home-breads to try. They only take about an hour to rise, and the end product is every bit as satisfying as those preservative-filled hockey pucks you find at your local grocery store. They are guilt free and help me fantasize about living next door to Jane Austen.
Ingredients:
3 cups Flour (I like King Arthur’sUnbleached All-Purpose Flour)
2 tbsp Honey (or Agave nectar for a Vegan Version)
1/8 cup Fresh Yeast
1 cup Warm Water
1 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Cornmeal
Directions:
Pour the warm water into a large bowl. Add the yeast and stir to dissolve. Once the yeast is fully dissolved, fold in the honey, salt, and flour. Stir until the mixture begins to form a soft, sticky dough. (You should be able to knead the resulting dough by hand, but once it feels fully incorporated, stop kneading! You don’t want the dough to become too tough.)
Roll the dough out onto a large floured surface, and use a cookie cutter (I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter for half of my batch) or the top of a cup to press out 10 muffins. (I often roll the dough thin enough to cut out 20 muffin shapes. I then stack one cut-out on top of another to make ten muffins. The finished muffins tear in half easier for buttering!)
Sprinkle half of the cornmeal onto a large cookie tray, and place the muffins on the tray. Sprinkle the remaining cornmeal on the tops of the muffins, and allow them to rise for an hour.
After about 50 minutes of rising, heat a griddle or large cast iron pan on low. Place the muffins on the griddle and allow to cook on low (anything higher will scorch the muffins) for seven minutes on each side.
Allow them to cool, and then attack those nooks and crannies like it is your job. If you want to eat what I did last night, follow these steps:
Nutrition Information:
Serving size: 1 Muffin
Calories: 155 calories
Carbohydrates: 31.6 grams
Fiber: 1.9 grams
Sugar: 4.4 grams
Fat: 0.2 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Protein: 4.6 grams
Egg, Cream Cheese and Basil Sandwich on a Homemade English Muffin
Though I use cream cheese on my muffins, you can certainly omit the cheese or use another type (swiss would be delicious) of your choice!
Ingredients:
1 Homemade English Muffin
1 Egg, cooked to your preference
1(ish) ounce of Cream Cheese
2-3 leaves of Fresh Basil
Directions:
Split and toast the English Muffin. Spread the cream cheese on either side of the muffin. Layer the Basil and Egg on the muffin in sandwich form, and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Serving size: 1 Sandwich
Calories: 326 calories
Carbohydrates: 33.8 grams
Fiber: 2.14 grams
Sugar: 5.4 grams
Fat: 13.66 grams
Cholesterol: 205 milligrams
Protein: 12.73 grams
Sodium: 466.6 mg
No comments:
Post a Comment