Meals, munchies and more

Hattie Kemp

I’m not the typical college student and I’m not your mother, but my life experiences as a wife, a mother, and a stressed-out college student can benefit those in need — my fellow classmates.

Since I’m a journalism student as well, I plan to use this column to pass along recipes for easy to fix healthful meals, household and shopping hints, and, well just whatever. What better way to begin that with breakfast, the most important meal of the day. I know you’ve heard that before. Well, it’s true.

A recent televised medical report found students who ate a protein-enriched breakfast, such as eggs, had better concentration and memory retention than students who either skipped breakfast or only ate carbohydrates. So, instead of driving through your favorite fast food restaurant, try this recipe for your own breakfast muffin sandwich. It’s my version of a McDonald’s Egg McMuffin, but much cheaper and you can make it in less than 10 minutes.

Supplies Needed: Toaster, Microwave oven, 2-cup-sized glass liquid measuring cup, Fork, Microwave-safe plate (A paper plate or a dinner plate made of stoneware or porcelain will do.) Paper towel, folded in half twice to make a square
Ingredients:
1 English muffin (I really prefer Oroweat Whole Grain and Flax brand. They come in a bag of six and are much easier to separate into halves than the other brands, especially Thomas.
1-2 slices of Canadian bacon, depending on the thickness
1 slice of American cheese (You could use another type of cheese.)
1 large egg
Cooking spray (I use Walmart Great Value Canola Oil Spray.)
Salt, pepper, and jelly, optional
Directions:

Lay out all the ingredients.

Spray the measuring cup with cooking spray. Crack the egg into the measuring cup. Wash your hands thoroughly to prevent cross contamination and salmonella poisoning.

Separate the English muffin into two halves and then place them into the toaster. Toast on medium setting. You want it crispy but not too brown.

Stab the egg yolk with a fork 20 times, making sure the fork touches the bottom of the cup.

Slice through the yolk with the fork four times in different directions to break the yolk into smaller pieces. Remember you are not trying to scramble the egg, just distribute the yolk over the top of the white.

Put the measuring cup into the microwave oven, placing a folded paper towel over the top of the cup. This is to prevent splatters and also to steam the egg. It’s folded so that your view of the egg is not blocked as it cooks.

Cook the egg for 30 seconds on high, watching as it cooks. If the egg should pop, stop the microwave and check to see if it is done. It is done if it is cooked through. It should look dry not runny.

My microwave has 1,000 watts and yours may not. I have found that all microwaves are different. You may have to add a few more seconds or subtract a few seconds to cook your egg properly. It took three times for me to get it just right.

Sprinkle the egg with salt and pepper if desired. Set the cup aside and put the English muffin halves on a plate. Put the Canadian bacon on one of the muffin halves, covering with the other half.

Place the plate in the microwave and cook for 20 seconds for one slice or 25 seconds if using two slices.

Remove plate from microwave. Take off the top muffin half. Put a slice of cheese on this half, folding in the overhanging corners and pressing down to make it fit the muffin.

Put the Canadian bacon on top of the cheese. Then use the fork to remove the egg from the cup, placing the egg on top of the Canadian bacon.

Put jelly if desired on the remaining muffin half. Then place muffin half on top of the egg.

This sounds like a lot of steps, but it’s really not. Practice will cut down on the time involved, as I can make it in only four minutes.

I hope you enjoy your very own breakfast muffin. But remember yours will not be served in a paper wrapper, so beware of the oozing melted cheese!