Crave Wednesday: Open-Faced Sandwiches with Ricotta, Arugula, and Fried Egg

February was Macy's Museum Month here in San Diego.  Which meant half price entry to most of the county's museums.  To celebrate, we took the boys to the Natural History Museum.

The main draw, our reason for the adventure, was for the dinosaurs.  Thatkid is partial to carnivores, while Thatbaby seems to be very into stegosaurus (stegosauri?)

And we got to see plenty of dinosaurs.

Museums can be hard for the younger set, who aren't always entertained by standing around and looking at exhibits.  The Natural History Museum definitely takes this into account.  There are so many different types of exhibits.  Like live animals

And stuffed animals.

 

And statues of animals.  

Some you can even sit on!

There are hands on activities.

And an IMAX movie theater with 3-D movies.  (Thatbaby didn't really appreciate this, but Thatkid loved it)

There are really interesting exhibits to participate in, like a Silver Stream trailer filled with maps and desert artifacts.

There were also a bunch of exhibits that involved being able to climb, crawl, or mosey through.

The boys had such a great time.  And my only complaint about the whole day was that we didn't realize how long we would spend there!  Which means it was soon past lunch, we were all hungry, and as wonderful as Balboa Park is, there is a dearth of food choices.  Which means we had a pretty crappy lunch.  Lesson learned - always pack a lunch.

This lunch is hardly packable though.  The problem with fried eggs.  I mean, you can't exactly reheat them and still have that beautiful runny, golden yolk.  And, I may be crazy, but I am not a fan of cold egg yolk, unless it's mashed up with cold egg white, mayo, and mustard.  No.  This is the kind of lunch meant to be eaten at home, straight off the stovetop.  And savored.  In truth, this is the kind of lunch you eat on days when the kids aren't around.  (Which also plays into that cold egg part) 

Just picture it, sitting at the table, a ray of sunlight coming in the window beside you as you expertly cut yourself a piece of toast.  The salty, creamy cheese topped with a bright, crisp salad, and of course, that yolk that adds a rich smoothness.  You take a bite and the rest of the day just kind of disappears.  It's just you, the light, and that sandwich.  Which will soon be history.

Open Faced Sandwiches with Ricotta, Arugula, and Fried Eggs (From Cooking Light)

4 slices whole wheat country bread

cooking spray

2 cups arugula

1 Tbsp olive oil

juice of 1/2 lemon

4 large eggs

1/4 cup part-skim ricotta

1/4 cup grated fresh parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

salt and pepper

1. Preheat broiler.  Coat both sides of bread with cooking spray.  Broil 2 minutes on each side or until lightly toasted.
2. Combine arugula, 2 tsps oil, juice, salt, and pepper. Toss gently.
3. Heat 1 tsp  oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Crack egg into pan, cook 2 minutes.  Cover and cook 2 minutes or until whites are set.  Remove from heat.
4. Combine 1/4 tsp salt, ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and thyme.  Spread over slices.
5. Divide salad and eggs evenly among toast slices.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.