fried

Fried Egg Sandwich

I’m a sold out breakfast-in-the-morning kind of person. You know those diet tips that say “don’t skip breakfast” and encourage you to start off your day eating a meal; I take them very seriously. And although my family would probably rather have a bowl of cereal, I am determined to make them real breakfast people, because it’s nice when people eat cooked food.

Pretty much anything that has eggs, bacon, and cheese is a winner, but this dish is childhood favorite that has been amped up with a little kale and gruyère (nod to Gwyneth Paltrow), and the “tangy zip of Miracle Whip”. (Because there is nothing else exactly like it.)

As organic as possible:

Serves 4

8 slices Bacon

1 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese

4 large Eggs

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

4 thick slices Country Bread

1/4 to 1/2 cup Miracle Whip

4 small or 2 large Kale leaves (hard stems removed)

2 tsp Olive oil

1/2 Tbsp (1 small pat) Butter

Arrange the bacon in a single layer in a large sauté pan, in two batches if necessary. Fry over medium-high heat until it reaches desired crispiness, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Wipe out almost all the bacon fat from the pan and make four 1/4 cup piles of cheese in the pan (they will sizzle and crisp immediately). Crack an egg over each flattened pile of cheese crisp. Generously salt and pepper the eggs. Cook until whites are set (not clear and runny).

In the meantime in a small sauté pan over medium heat olive oil and butter until butter becomes frothy. Coat the pan by swirling the oil and butter, add kale and sauté until kale is soften and slightly wilted (flipping once). Lightly salt and pepper the kale. Set aside.

While the eggs are frying and kale is sautéing, toast the bread in a toaster.

When all the preparation is finished it is time to assemble! Spread each piece of toast with 1 to 2 tablespoons of Miracle Whip, top with 1/4 of the sautéed kale, 2 slices of bacon, and one of the crispy Gruyère/fried egg combos. Repeat three more times.

Southern Fried Chicken

I love fried chicken as much as the next girl, who loves fried chicken, who’s not from the South… but my grandma was, so it’s in my blood, right there with biscuits, and gravy. And I’m a fan of soaking your chicken in buttermilk, so it’s moist and juicy. However, many of you know that one of my children has a dairy allergy, so what is one to do? Enter Paula Deen, who is from the South- so that’s legitimate. She has given us a fantastic recipe, which we (a.k.a. my sister the chef) have adapted, full of juiciness and flavor… (BTW do not be dismayed by the cup of Sriracha, it’s really not spicy.)

As organic as possible:

3 Eggs

1/3 cup Water

1 cup Sriracha sauce

2 cups Flour

1 tsp Pepper

Season Salt

1 – 1 1/2 to 2 lb Chicken

Oil for frying, preferably Peanut

In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add the Siracha and stir. In another bowl, combine the flour and pepper. Generously sprinkle the chicken with season salt. Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg/Siracha mixture, and then coat well in the flour mixture.
Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a deep pot. (Using a deep fry thermometer if you have one.) Do not fill the pot more than 1/2 full with oil. Fry the chicken in the oil until brown and crisp. Dark meat takes longer than white meat. It should take dark meat about 13 to 14 minutes, white meat around 8 to 10 minutes.

You can find the Paula Deen’s original recipe from Food Network here.