Weekly Tidbits: Apples and Cheddar

Sausage, sauteed apples, sharp cheddar and an egg over easy

I love to experiment in the kitchen when I get the chance and this past week was no exception.  My recipes aren't always post-worthy in their own right, but really just a smattering of ideas or old favorites.  Nothing ground breaking and well documented.  Or rather, I did photograph them, which is why you're going to get a sample.

One of my favorite flavor combos is apple pie and sharp cheddar cheese.  Nothing goes better with apple pie, not even vanilla bean ice cream, than a nice aged sharp white cheddar.  The salt perfectly offsets the sweet fruit. I've been having cravings since Thanksgiving.  So Sunday morning, I decided that I was going to tackle it.  I was going to have it for breakfast.  That's right.  Pretty ballsy.

But what else goes great with apple? Sausage. That must be why they have those apple-smoked sausages everywhere.  So here are the meal deets:

2 veggie sausage links
1 chopped apple, sauteed to soften and cook down (pan fried)
Cinnamon, nutmeg and a dash of salt to taste in the apple sauce
Sliced sharp cheddar
A fried or poached egg on the side

I used the Boca veggie sausage links.  I find that a lot of the vegetarian sausage substitute have almost a metallic flavor to them. It's weird.  I don't know if it's the spices or what, but I find that they really taste best when eaten with other flavors - maple syrup, egg yolk, apple sauce, etc.  On their own it's a bit iffy and I try not to think too hard about what's in them.  I suppose ignorance is bliss whether your sausage is made from soy or meat.

In any case, this is definitely going to be a go-to meal in the future.  If you want a bit of fiber or a more filling meal, I would lay your warm sauteed apples over a nicely softened bed of shredded wheat.  I was planning to do that, but realized that after months of neglecting the shredded wheat in my cabinet, that I'd finally tossed it out last week.  Oops.  So I added in an egg cooked over easy for a little more substance and protein.

I enjoyed this decadent breakfast with mug of coconut macaroon coffee mixed with eggnog.