Today I’m writing from Atlanta! HOT-Lanta!

Actually I haven’t been outside yet today and it’s freezing in my hotel room, but it was hot yesterday.

I had a somewhat uneventful trip down here, which was a welcome change from my travel experience to Iowa last week. We left Baltimore late, so I missed my connecting flight in Chicago by less than 10 minutes. No big deal, they got me on the next flight out a few hours later. Or so I thought.

That next flight got further and further delayed until, after sitting in O’Hare for over 9 hours, they cancelled it.

At this point, all the hotels within a 50 mile radius were booked. Unless I wanted to do one of those secret hotel bookings where they don’t tell you where you’re staying until after you put down your credit card info. No thank you. Thankfully, my buddy Jay of the Hilton Head crew lives in Chicago, so I imposed upon him for the night. The next morning I got up and rented a car and drove the 5 hours to Newton, Iowa.

Iowa is pretty much exactly what you would expect. Farms. Highways. My food options were VERY limited- think a Pizza Hut and Arby’s. I found a deli and waited 25 minutes for them to make me a sandwich. I’m a relatively impatient person even when I have nowhere to be, so it should come as no surprise that I didn’t fit in well in this slow moving town. My trainer took me to a cafe that was actually really cute and had good food, but of course they were only open from 11-2. What?!

Anyway, I survived and got back to Baltimore. I’ve been dreaming about this sandwich since I had it on my last day in Rochester from Village Bakery, and decided to recreate it for you.

Slow Scrambled Egg Sandwich (makes 4 sandwiches)

for the pesto

about 1/2 cup basil leaves

about 1/4 cup toasted walnuts

about 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2-3 cloves garlic

3-4 tbs olive oil

for the sandwich

12 eggs (4 whole eggs, 8 egg whites)

1 cup arugula

4 ounces goat cheese

8 slices of bread (I used 12 grain)

Combine the basil, walnuts, cheese, and garlic in a food processor. You can use any nuts here- obviously pine nuts are the traditional pesto choice- but make sure to toast them first! While the food processor is running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until you get to the desired consistency.

My egg ratio is usually 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites, but you can mix and match whatever you like. I added a little bit of milk to my egg mixture, and scrambled them in butter over very low heat. You want to keep moving them around the pan as they cook super super slowly. It makes them special.

Butter two slices of bread. On one of the non-buttered sides, spread your pesto. Top with crumbled goat cheese, and then some arugula. Place the scrambled eggs on top, and season with salt and pepper. Top with your other bread slice, then toast on the stove until both sides are lovely and brown.

 

I ate this for dinner after a double workout and it really hit the spot. Obviously, it’s more traditional as a breakfast food. But eat it whenever you’re craving it!

You would think goat cheese and eggs and pesto would be a weird combination, but it just isn’t. Try it!

Just in case you’re thinking I have man hands, those aren’t mine.