Friday, August 13, 2010

Summertime, and the Dining is Easy

This, I must say, is a nearly perfect summer meal. It was hot, it was humid, Tom and I were in a hurry, and this is what we put together for Saturday night's dinner: fried egg sandwiches with heirloom tomatoes and Garlic-Walnut Green Beans. I'm not sure that it can get much better than this. Really ... sometimes simplicity rules the day.

It was 5:30 p.m., and we needed to leave the house by 6 ... what to have for dinner??? Lots of fresh vegetables were available ... some good Cheddar and Parmesan ... some fish in the freezer ... hmmmm. We debated our options.

And then Tom uttered the very phrase I had been thinking myself: "How about fried egg sandwiches???" Oh, what synchronicity!

But then, what to serve with them ...?

I had bought green beans the day before at a farmers' market, and Tom had some lovely tomatoes -- the perfect colorful accompaniments!

So I got to work and heated some olive oil in a large skillet while Tom washed and trimmed the beans. I chopped 2 cloves of garlic and a handful of walnuts, and sauteed them a bit:


Then I added the beans and sauteed everything until the garlic and nuts were fragrant and the beans were tender -- 15 minutes, maybe, total. I got a bit impatient and covered the skillet for a bit to help steam the beans, to make sure they'd be ready on time.


Meanwhile, I fried one egg for each of us while Tom made toast with some lovely Italian bread. I simply spread butter on my sandwich, while Tom added mayonnaise and lettuce. In all honesty, I'd have fried the eggs in reserved bacon fat -- a priceless commodity, so never just discard it! -- but that would have seriously increased the fat content, which was a concern for Tom. But it would have been perfect ... :)

So, that's it -- the beans cooked quickly, and the garlic and walnuts were lovely accompaniments to them. The tomatoes needed nothing but a pinch of salt and pepper. And it's really hard to beat the comfort of a fried egg sandwich. And it all took 20 minutes to make a complete meal with protein, carbs and vegetables ... yay!!!



FYI: I'll be taking the weekend off, so don't think I've disappeared. Too much to do of late, too little time to do it in, and it's only getting busier from here until after the Jewish High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah (begins Wednesday night, September 8) and Yom Kippur (Saturday, September 18). I'm not running away -- don't worry! And I've got a special event coming up on Monday -- my 100th post!!! So just takin' the weekend off to take a deep breath and loiter in my jammies for a bit ... :)




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17 comments:

Nicole said...

First of all YUM. Second - ahh.. will miss your posts!Enjoy the preparation for your high holy days.

Team Chastain said...

Those green beans look fabulous...I must make them this way soon. :)

I found a recipe the other day and thought of you...not sure why, just thought it might be something you'd like...so here it is:
http://pinchmysalt.com/2009/09/22/smitten-with-slow-roasted-cherry-tomatoes/

Rachel (Diary of a Recovering Chocoholic) said...

I love fried egg sanwiches! And heirloom tomatoes are the best. I'm hoping to grow some after I move. Have a great weekend!

Leanne said...

Hmmmm . . . this sounds oh-so-good!!! Love the recipe - now I know what I'm making tomorrow!

Anonymous said...

Wow...that looks yummy. I like dishes that don't take hours to prepare...cause when I wanna eat, I wanna eat NOW and not in 1.5 hours or so^^

xoxo

Jennifer said...

YUM-MY!!!!

Very simple and so delicious!

Enjoy your weekend!

Visiting for the first time from the Over 40 Blog Hop!

Unknown said...

Fried egg sandwiches are my favorite way to eat eggs....I've loved them since I was a kid when my dad would make them for me!! Great memories of Saturday and Sunday morning breakfasts with my dad...thank you for that reminder!!
Looking forward to Monday's post...an early congrats to you on the 100th post!!!

Sheila said...

You're right, Mary, it does sound perfect. Now I'm hungry...

Anonymous said...

I totally understand, you deserve a weekend off, smiles. That said it's interesting how you sauted your string beans with walnuts and garlic - that's completely new to me (cooking with nuts) and something I plan on trying weekend - because it's a cheap fancy experiment. Thanks. Happy Yom Kippur!

Haupi

Cranberry Morning said...

I just picked beans. I've gotta make the garlic and walnut beans. They look and sound wonderful. :-)

Robin said...

I hope you get this before you "take off." I hit you up on HERE'S TO YOU THURSDAY. Normally, you are someone who checks in and I don't have to run along behind telling you: come by to look at your video, but ah well. There it is. Someone has had a busy week.

Marjory Skousen said...

Love your blog. So glad I found you on the Friday Social Hop. Please come by and follow me back too.

Chef Dennis Littley said...

Fried Egg Sandwiches are high on my list of favorites, any time of day!! your green beans sound delicious, what a wonderful way to serve them!! Have a great weekend!

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Heather S-G said...

Sounds perfect! The hubs & I love a good fried egg sammie anytime. And your green beans...awesome. Enjoy your weekend off =)

Beth Zimmerman said...

Sounds yummy as usual! Enjoy your weekend! :) By the way I like the new blog divider you found!

Rose said...

i love different types of egg sandwiches. it's ok to have a different pace with dinner,. we have breakfast night. rose


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