Brunchtime Beauties

Panino Tostato con Pancetta, Uovo & Feta alla Menta

Bacon & Minty Egg & Feta Cheese on Toast

It happens... it happens to the best of us... and it happened to me this morning! I woke up, rolled over, fell asleep again... and re-awoke at 10am! The horror! Normally I suffer from way to little sleep and am apt to complain about it... but 10am? I felt robbed of half of my day!

So I had to consider this treat more of a brunch than a lunch today... and thank goodness it was a holiday over here in Germany too! In any case, I was hungry and in the mood for something savory. Something fun and easy to eat, without having to make a big fuss and sit at the table- it was much nicer flicking through the news on my iPad and sitting at an open window with a pot of coffee... and these here were the perfect snacks to do that with!

I decided to use these lovely rye bread rolls- I love their rich flavor and the way they crisp up so nicely when toasted. Bacon is always a good idea if enjoyed in moderation and my favorite Sicilian combination of egg and mint always are a good start to any day. So it was just a matter of deciding how to put them all together.

I started off by toasting the rolls from the crusty side, just to freshen and crisp them up a little. In the meantime, I placed the bacon rashers in a dry frying pan and got them going too. By the time the rolls were lightly toasted, the bacon was soft and cooked but had not begun to brown- which was perfect. I took the rashers out of the frying pan, leaving most of the fat behind and then patted them dry with kitchen roll to remove any excess, then laid the rashers on top of the roll so that with the ends tucked in, they raised up slightly ,which would allow them to crisp up better later on under the grill.

I then cracked an egg and crumbled a little Feta cheese into it- it doesn't take much, I used just a 1" slice... it was only 1 egg remember! It is all about keeping things in proportion when you cook! When stirred in with the egg, the cheese turned it into a nice consistency for coating the rolls with. I added fresh and finely chopped mint and parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg and stirred them together well. All I needed now were some thinly sliced cherry tomatoes and chives and I was ready to go... assembly time!

I spooned the topping onto the rolls carefully, a tablespoonful at a time on each one, so that I didn't make a big mess and have the egg mixture dripping over the edges- and also making sure I got an equal amount onto each roll. I then added the tomato slices, some pepper and the chives and popped the rolls under the broiler, which was turned on to full power for 2-3 minutes or so... it didn't take much longer than that!

And what a delicious, yet simple brunch it was! Hope you give it a go- you will love making something so wonderful out of next to nothing every bit as much as I do! Enjoy!