Splash of Sherri

egg in a bagel is how I celebrated national bagel day

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Sherri

Egg in a bagel is how I celebrated national bagel day (FYI it was last Wednesday). How did you celebrate? Did you even know there was such a thing? I didn’t. Shouldn’t everyday be National Bagel Day? In any case, this is a holiday I can really get behind. It’s so inclusive – everyone loves bagels and there are so many toppings – don’t get me started.

I could have celebrated the traditional way with a bagel, lox and cream cheese, or even a bagel and tuna salad – but no lox in the house, and as for tuna, I eat way too much tuna as it is. I didn’t want to celebrate with plain old scrambled eggs and a toasted bagel, that didn’t seem fancy enough. I wanted to really whoop it up and party! Yes, this is how I party – with a bagels! Just ask my friends; they all know it’s true and now the secret is out.

I’m sure you’ve heard of an egg in bread or at least know about it. It’s called so many things. I actually found a website which says it goes by 66 different names so maybe you know it as: an egg in a basket, a rocky mountain, egg in a hole, Popeye, and my all time favorite – moon over Miami!. It’s just like what it sounds like, a slice of bread with a hole cut out of the middle and an egg dropped in then grilled to a toasty perfection. I’ll post about the traditional one another time but for now, let’s celebrate the bagel!

So there they were, 4 ingredients: a bagel, 2 eggs, and butter, that’s it. Bagels are so prefect for this recipe because they already have a hole in the middle. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before – it was delicious! Really delicious. It has all of the elements you want in a traditional egg in bread – the crispy grilled buttery bread and perfectly cooked oozy yolk, which when cooked together is nothing like eggs with a bagel on the side; this is a marriage. When you cut into the bagel and the yolk breaks, it’s like liquid gold.

Maybe it was the everything bagel seasoning, or the crispy and chewy goodness of the bagel grilled with butter that made this an egg in bread 2.0 – whatever it was, I’m hooked. And hey, it’s not too late to celebrate, I think the bagel deserves a whole week! Don’t you?

So here we go, four ingredients: 2 eggs, a bagel cut in half, and butter for the pan – that’s it.

ingredients
1 everything bagel cut in half (or any bagel you like)
2 extra large eggs
1 tablespoon butter (more if you like a lot of butter)
Salt and pepper to taste
optional toppings or sides: chives, asparagus, avocado, smoked salmon, more everything bagel seasoning!

directions
If the hole in the bagel is too small, take a round cookie cutter and make a larger hole. If you don’t have a round cookie cutter (which you should so please go buy one) just use a knife.

Melt butter in a large frying pan or skillet set to medium heat. Place the bagels cut side down and grill for about 2 minutes. Crack and egg into the hole. Cook for about 3 minutes or until you see the egg white becoming a little opaque. Flip carefully and cook another 3 to 5 minutes depending on how cooked you like your yolk – plate and Enjoy!

morning glory muffins

Posted on January 10, 2020 by Sherri

*****RECIPE UPDATE***** I made a change to this recipe I’m crazy about and had to share it with you immediately! Instead of grating the apple, I peeled and diced it small yeilding little golden jewels throughout the muffin and the apple flavor is more pronounced. I also decreased the amount of oil by 1/4 cup which in my opinion makes it even better!

Have you ever eaten a morning glory muffin? If not, get ready to write your grocery list and then get ready to run to the nearest grocery! They are a throwback to the 70’s and 80’s and said to have been created by the owners of the Morning Glory Café in Nantucket. They were later made famous by Gourmet Magazine. Some people think muffins are just an excuse to eat cake for breakfast, I like those people! When something is packed so full with healthy ingredients, you don’t really need an excuse.

These are filled with absolutely everything I love: apples, carrots, nuts, raisins, pineapple, ~~coconut~~, and warm spices. Oh wait, I’m allergic to coconut – crazy right? I subbed slivered almonds and they worked perfectly. In the past I have also subbed oatmeal which was great and validated the breakfast concept. It’s a pretty flexible recipe for swap outs. If you like coconut go ahead and add shredded sweetened coconut.

They make a great addition to brunch, as a hearty snack, packed in a lunchbox, alongside of yogurt, perfect with a tall glass of milk and of course a cup of coffee. Personally, I like anything that enhances my coffee and anything that makes me feel like I’m on vacation. When away, I tend to go to the nearest coffee shop, buy a muffin and iced coffee and then go for a walk while I wait for everyone to wake up.

look at how delicious and tender the crumb is on this muffin!

Since I think a staycation deserves the same delicious treatment and perks, I wake up bright and early and while my family sleeps in, I get to work baking. Can’t believe I’m admitting this, but I made 3 batches over winter break. Cheers to my first recipe of 2020! Let’s all raise a cup of coffee (or juice) to the Morning Glory Muffin! It’s one of the best muffins around and definitely ready for the spotlight. It’s also great toasted! Isn’t there anything this muffin can’t do? The recipe makes about 18 muffins. Enjoy!

ingredients
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour scooped and leveled
½ cup slivered almonds crushed slightly or old fashioned oats (optional)
½ cup pecans or walnuts roughly chopped
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups grated carrots (I like to use a box grater for this)*
1 baking apple of your choice peeled and diced small**
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple drained
3/4 cup vegetable oil
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
½ cup raisins
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice (to squeeze over grated apples)
½ – ¾ cup raw sunflower seeds or raw slivered almonds to garnish tops (optional)

directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and arrange oven rack to the top third of the oven. If two muffin pans don’t fit on one rack, space the racks on the top and bottom third of the oven. Brush oil on the top of muffin pans and line with paper muffin cups.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Don’t skip the sifting! Add the nuts, mix though and set aside.

Grate the carrots and set aside, grate the apple and squeeze the lemon juice on top and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, and vanilla. Add the carrots, apple, pineapple, and raisins. Mix together until combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. I used an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into the muffin cups. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes and then take them out and place them on a baking rack to cool.

*I like the box grater for the size of the shred and it yields less moisture. If you use a food processor, make sure to dry the shredded carrots with paper towels before adding to the batter.
**any good baking apple will do. I have used Braeburn, Johnagold and Granny Smith. All work very well.

oven baked potato latkes

Posted on December 28, 2019 by Sherri

We are coming up on the last couple of nights of Hanukkah and as I get ready to light candle number 7, I think it’s just about time for oven baked potato latkes. Actually it was time for oven baked latkes about 4 candles ago! Potato latkes (aka potato pancakes) and doughnuts are two treats we indulge in over the holiday. At Hanukkah, we keep the tradition of eating fried foods that reminds us of the miracle of the oil which lasted 8 nights.

In my house, it’s tradition to make fried potato latkes at least once during the eight days. They are so crispy on the outside and tender and creamy on the inside. But when I want to lighten things up and still indulge in the deliciousness of the holiday foods, I turn to baking instead of frying.

I know, you don’t think they are as good as fried, but these really are. When made in a hot oven on a hot pan, they come out just as crispy and delicious as the fried version. Plus, they are so much easier – you put them on a cookie sheet and into the oven and done. There is no standing over the frying pan waiting for them to be flipped and you won’t smell like latkes!

Ordinarily I make my mother’s recipe; it’s my go to especially when frying. However, when I’m baking them, I have been using a recipe which calls for parboiling the potatoes. It’s the perfect recipe when baking the latkes. It’s quick, easy, there is little mess, the potatoes don’t turn grey, and you don’t have to squeeze the water out of the potatoes. The best part is they have the same great taste and none of the guilt.

I adapted this recipe from Marcy Goldman which is very similar to my mom’s except for the parboiled potato. Parboiling them makes it easy to grate, and the skin slides off easily. This recipe is really a winner and everyone will love them. Serve with your favorite topping whether it’s sour cream, applesauce, or my new favorite, everything bagel seasoning mixed into sour cream!!!!!! YUM! The recipe makes approximately 24 latkes. Enjoy!

ingredients
1 and 3/4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (or any potato you like)
1 medium onion, finely grated
4 extra-large eggs (large are fine too)
2 tablespoons flour (more if needed)
1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste
½ to 1 teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
¼ cup oil (I use extra light olive oil)
Toppings: apple sauce, sour cream, tzatziki dip, everything bagel seasoning, smoked salmon

directions
Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and just cover with cold water. Turn heat to high and allow to come to boil. As soon as potatoes are boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and set a timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the potatoes from stove, pour out the hot water and run cold water over them until the water remains cold. Let sit five minutes then dry the potatoes. The potatoes are still raw, but not quite.

They will be slightly softened, but still firm enough to produce distinct shreds. Leaving the skin on, use a hand grater and grate the potatoes into a large 5 quart bowl. You can also use a food processor fitted with a medium disc but I like to hand grate them. If the peel separates from the potato, discard it. If the peel gets grated in with the potatoes, it’s fine and just incorporate it into the mixture. The potatoes may feel a little bit gummy, but don’t worry about that.

Grate the onion into a bowl and drain the liquid. Add the onion, eggs, salt, and pepper into the grated potatoes then sprinkle in the flour and mix together. If the mixture seems loose, add another tablespoon of flour. To bake
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Pour the oil onto a rimmed baking sheet. When the oven comes to temperature, place the greased baking sheet into the oven for 5 to 10 minutes until the pan is hot. Using a towel or oven mitts, take the pan out, and quickly dollop the potato mixture onto the pan. I use a ¼ cup measure for each and gently press the tops down a little. Place in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes. Take them out and turn them over then continue to bake until golden brown and crispy about another 10 minutes. Serve immediately with the topping of your choice. To reheat, place latkes on a large wire cake rack on a cookie sheet.

Happy Hanukkah!

Pasta Puttanesca – a Perfect 30 Minute Meal

Posted on December 5, 2019 by Sherri

What does a Jewish girl from Brooklyn know about pasta puttanesca? As it turns out, quite a bit! Here’s what I know: It’s one of the quickest and easiest meals you can put together in less than 30 minutes including making garlic bread and salad. You most likely will have the ingredients in your pantry, and if you don’t – you should! It originated from Naples, Italy and when looking for recipes it was an eye opening lesson as to why it’s called puttanesca! It typically contains olives, capers, a hefty amount of garlic, good olive oil, crushed tomatoes, and anchovies (which I’m not a fan of). It’s one of my husband’s all-time favorite dishes and if it’s on a menu, he’s going to order it. Sadly it’s not a popular dish in the Midwest.

Among the many recipes I found, they varied by the amount of olives, capers, red pepper flakes and whether or not to add anchovies. Most add additional salt which I think is completely unnecessary and an enormous amount of olive oil. In the end, I think this version came out perfectly and it was a really delicious birthday dinner for my husband. This was a good thing because I couldn’t think of a gift to get him. Even the helium balloons were against me! Spoiler alert, the country is having a helium shortage!

So without balloons and a gift, I picked up his favorite ice cream, quickly baked a cake and started on the dinner. Since the puttanesca was the star of the show, I served it with a simple arugula salad and an abundance of garlic bread – it was his birthday after all! Now when he misses one of his favorite dishes from New York, I can whip it up in 30 minutes or less. Enjoy!

Ingredients
8 ounces whole wheat linguini*
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced (about a heaping 1/8 cup)
1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes drained and crushed (save liquid)
¾ cup Kalamata olives pitted and cut in half lengthwise
¼ cup capers plus 1 teaspoon of liquid
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
Chopped Italian leaf parsley or fresh basil for garnish

In a large 12” skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add tomatoes and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the olives, capers with juice, red pepper flakes and let simmer another 10 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the linguini and cook 2 minutes shorter than package directions and drain well. Toss the linguini in the sauce and allow to cook a couple of minutes. Sprinkle with herbs and cheese and serve.

*whole wheat pasta works particularly well, but feel free to use the pasta shape of your choice.

Savory Spinach Noodle Kugel

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Sherri

This is the kind of post which you may want to read at night, because it could easily be a shot game! You know what I mean – right? Every time I say the word kugel, you take a shot of Manischewitz Concord Grape Wine!!!!!

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