Spinach Florentine + Egg Breakfast Sandwich

I went back through some recipes I had kicking around in my "Drafts" folder and realized that I've been holding onto this one for a few weeks now. Sorry about that! Sometimes these things get lost in the shuffle. Another recipe takes precedence and then months go by and I see that I've totally neglected the ones I photographed. 

If I'm remembering correctly (who knows... it was such a long time ago) but these breakfast sandwiches came about after a trip down to New Jersey. You see, I'm a bagel snob. I almost never buy bagels up here. Not that there aren't some good attempts being made... they just don't compare to what I grew up with. So I rarely eat them here at home and reserve them for those trips to see my family. The same goes for pizza. I grew up surrounded by countless Italian restaurants (the land of The Sopranos), so I have very specific criteria for how my pizza is supposed to look and taste. And, really, it's probably for the best. Because I'd eat bagels and pizza every day if I could.

There are so few vegetarian breakfast sandwiches out there in the world and that's really a shame. Now, I know bacon and sausage are magical things, but I hope that this runny, cheesy, egg bagel is proof that it can be just as decadent without the meat. 

Spinach Florentine + Egg Breakfast Sandwich

Yield
1 breakfast sandwich

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup spinach, rinsed and dried
3-4 white button mushrooms, rinsed, dried and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon sriracha
1 large egg
2 thin slices of sharp cheddar
Salt

1 toasted plain or seeded bagel

Directions
1. Set a small skillet over medium heat, add butter and, once it's melted, add sliced mushrooms and cook until browned on each side. Transfer cooked mushrooms to a small bowl.

2. Return the skillet over medium heat and add spinach. Cook until wilted. Transfer the cooked spinach to the bowl with the mushrooms.

3. Stir the sriracha and mayonnaise together in a bowl until combined. Set aside. 

4. Set the skillet over high heat and add remaining amount of butter. Once the butter has melted, crack the egg into the pan and cook until whites have set, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and then flip the egg. Top the egg with sliced cheddar, remove the pan from heat, and then place a lid over the pan to let the cheese melt. Let it stand for another 3 minutes to let the whites set.

5. Build the sandwich by spreading the sriracha mayonnaise on both cut sides of the bagel. Top the bottom half of the bagel with the egg, followed by the cooked spinach and mushrooms. Cover with top half of bagel.

Huevos Rancheros

The tomatoes and jalapeno sizzled on the stove. Occasionally, Mayra would give them a flip with her tongs to check to see if the skin had begun to blister. She looked up at me, smiling, and pointed at the charred bits, saying, without words, "This is how it should look." From there, Mayra motioned for me to go to the molcajete, where I awaited for her next instructions. The jalapeno was tossed into the bowl along with minced garlic. A quick demonstration on how to grind the pepper and the reins were passed to me. The tomato were added, smashed and then gently stirred in, along with cilantro, lime juice, and a generous sprinkle of salt. How simple this was, I thought, and, yet, I had never thought to make salsa this way.

The eggs were prepared on top of crispy corn tortilla (which Mayra had made fresh the night before). I assisted in basting each one with hot oil (I was mostly successful in not splashing the oil all over the stove and my arms). The culinary lesson was a generous one and a highlight from our trip to Mexico.

Huevos Rancheros

Yield 4 servings

Ingredients
1 ½ lbs (6-8) plum tomatoes
1 medium jalapeno, stem removed
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
Salt
Juice from ½ a lime
¼ cup olive oil
8 corn tortilla
8 eggs
Crumbled goat cheese, optional

Directions
Set a stovetop-safe baking pan or griddle over high heat. Cook tomatoes and jalapeno, turning occasionally, until charred on each side and the skin is blistered; approximately 10 minutes.

In a bowl, smash the jalapeno and garlic with a spoon until thoroughly combined. Add tomatoes and, using a pastry cutter, smash until blended. Stir in cilantro and lime juice and season with salt, to taste.

Set a medium-sized sauté pan over high heat. Add oil and heat for 2 minutes. Carefully place a corn tortilla into the hot oil. It will begin to crisp and bubble. After 10 seconds, crack the egg directly over the corn tortilla. Making sure not to splash the oil too much (be very careful not to get any on you), baste the egg with the hot oil using a spatula or spoon.

Cook until the whites have just set. Season with salt and transfer the tortilla and egg to a plate. Repeat with remaining eggs. Once they’re done, serve them with salsa on top and a sprinkle of goat cheese and cilantro.

Dulce de Leche Oatmeal with Bananas Foster

Everyone has their own way of welcoming in the new year. Growing up, we always stayed in, the evening spent playing games. My father would do a few numbers on the piano and sometimes we'd go over to sing along with him. Bananas Foster was (and still is) a New Year's tradition. As we approached the stroke of midnight, he'd slice up bananas and place them in a pan with sizzling butter and brown sugar. I'd turn off the lights just as he struck the match and we'd stand there for a few moments in silence, marveling at the beauty of the flame sputtering across the pan. Bowls were distributed by the TV just as the countdown began and by the time the ball had dropped, we were licking our spoons clean.

I see this oatmeal as the perfect New Year's Day breakfast. It's sweet and decadent, and just the way we should start things off.

Wishing everyone a happy new year. See you again in 2016!

Dulce de Leche Oatmeal with Bananas Foster

Yield Serves 4

Ingredients
For the dulce de leche (if making it at home)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Water

For the oatmeal
1 cup steel cut oats
2 cups milk
2 cups water
3 tablespoons dulce de leche

For the Bananas Foster
2 bananas, peeled and sliced into rounds
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 cup dark rum

Chopped walnuts, for serving (optional)

Directions
To make the dulce de leche
1. Remove the label from the can of sweetened condensed milk. Place the can on its side in a large pot and fill it with water until it reaches at least 1 inch over the can. Bring water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, leaving the pot uncovered. Cook for approximately 2 hours (another half hour would be fine too, depending on how dark you want the dulce de leche to be). Be sure there's always an inch or so of water above the can. If necessary, add a little more to the pot.

2. Using tongs, carefully remove the can from the pot and transfer to a wire cooling rack (or you can place it in the sink).  Let cool for at least half an hour before opening. Be careful when opening with the can opener, as the dulce de leche may start to spew out of the can as there's a lot of pressure that's built up inside.

To make the dulce de leche oatmeal 1. In a medium-sized pot, whisk together the water, milk and dulce de leche and bring to a boil. Stir in the oats and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, being sure to stir occasionally, until the oats are very tender and the liquid has absorbed.

To make the Bananas Foster 1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Whisk in brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove until it's well combined with the butter.

2. Gently fold in the bananas and cook for another minute.

3. Now, the next part can be a little tricky (but have no fear, you can do it!) Move the pan off the heat and add the rum. Using a long match or long lighter, ignite the rum. Once the flame goes out, the alcohol has cooked off.

To assemble the oatmeal Distribute dulce de leche oatmeal to bowls. Spoon banana's foster over it and, if desired, sprinkle some chopped walnuts on top.