Breakfast Sammie Series,Part 3: The Smokey Italian
Ah… jam. A simple staple to toast in the morning across many countries, but does it ever get to enhance veggies and meat?? Rarely, unless you’re a fan of lamp chops and mint jelly. But I challenge you to embrace it as part of this otherwise seemingly typical breakfast sammie.
The Smokey Italian stems from this weird voracious desire I get every once in a while for leafy greens. Maybe it’s because I don’t get enough of them, but every once in a while I just have to have all the greens. Spinach is my go-to, in all its forms. I’m also a big believer in frozen veggies because they are cheap, and with flash freezing nowadays they have just as many nutrients as fresh veggies. And frozen spinach is almost ubiquitous in many recipes — you can add a handful of it to almost anything and no one will notice. However, in this sammie I did want them to shine a bit. The addition of the garlic really brings out the earthy flavor of the greens, and then you get the hit of the sweet jam and the spice of the pepperoni… gah! Red pepper jam exists for a reason, friends. Join me on my journey of never having to fully pick between sweet and salty during brekkie. Thus I bring you… The Smokey Italian.
FYI, I am sticking with the camping theme, although I haven’t made this sammie while camping yet.
A note about cooking fat before we begin. In my theme of flexibility, I use whatever fat I have on hand. I always keep bacon fat on my counter, but while I’m camping I might only have veggie oil. Whatevs. I personally think that bacon fat and olive oil render the best tastes, but you’re camping. And the fact that you’re reading this to make some kind of elevated camp breakfast is a feather in your cap, so work with what you have.
The Smokey Italian
Ingredients (for one Smokey Italian):
1 English Muffin
1-2 tsp raspberry or strawberry jam
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 cup frozen spinach (or 1 cup fresh)
1 TBSP of garlic, minced
6 slices of pepperoni
1/4 cup Beecher’s smoked cheddar, shredded (smoked gouda works here as well, but ya gotta use a smoked cheese for the full experience)
1 egg
S&P to taste
Instructions:
1) In your cooking vehicle of choice, toast your english. On the camp stove, I typically put it it straight onto the stove flame for a minute or two, or you can grill it in a pan. Set aside.
2) Add olive oil to a pan, then garlic. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant, then add spinach. Sauté until wilted but still green — 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
3) add egg to same the pan and cook in your desired style. I personally love a runny egg because I love the yolk coming out of the sides of the sammie when I squish it down, but you do you. Scramble, fried, medium over-easy. This is a happy, no judgment meal.
5) While your egg is cooking, assemble your sammie. Spread jam on each side of english. Add garlicky spinach, then pepperoni and finally your shredded cheese. Top with egg and your choice of hot sauce, throw the lid (the other english) on that bad boy and CHOW DOWN.
