recipe: tony mcmuffin

Tony and I grew up an hour and 10 minutes from each other in Ohio, and in a lot of ways, we had very similar upbringings. Especially when it comes to food - our moms made a lot of the same dinners for us.  Everything from roast beef to spaghetti. So it's always funny to me when we discover some cuisine differences from our childhoods. Like the other week, we had cottage cheese in the fridge, and Tony suggested we eat cottage cheese and noodles for dinner, which was a favorite of his growing up. Um, ew - no way. And he was equally repulsed when I was dipping Fritos in the cottage cheese, a tasty combination I picked up as a child from my dad.

But Tony is always very, very impressed when I microwave an egg for a breakfast sandwich. My mom made these all the time growing up, so they never struck me as particularly special, but Tony had never had one. When I make them, I get compliments that include the phrase "best wife ever." The last time I made the sandwiches, Tony requested mustard on his, so I'm naming this sandwich the "Tony McMuffin."

Tony McMuffin

• 2 eggs
• 1 English muffin
• Butter
• 1 slice American cheese
• Mustard

Grease the bottom and about 2 inches up the sides of an oversized coffee mug with butter or margarine. Crack 2 eggs into the mug. Stir with a fork to break the yolks.

Cover mug with a napkin, which will prevent a mess in your microwave if the egg pops. Microwave for 45 seconds. Use a fork to flip the egg. Re-cover mug with napkin. Microwave for 45 seconds more. (Check that the egg is no longer runny; microwave cooking times vary.)

Meanwhile, toast and butter an English muffin.

Assemble the sandwich with a slice of cheese and squirt of mustard.

Note: If you want to use just one egg, reduce cooking time to 30 seconds per side.

recipe: enchis on the grill

When Tony and I lived in Phoenix, we ate a lot of really great Mexican food, and we started experimenting with Mexican recipes at home. We eventually added enchiladas to our regular dinner rotation, and it's something we still eat regularly. (Tony and I call them "enchis" for short.) They're even better with a fried egg on top, a trick I picked up at one of my favorite restaurants in Phoenix.

Of course, now that the D.C. summer temperatures have reached yucky, and the humidity has reached disgusting, I haven't been turning on the oven very much. Instead, I've been trying some tried-and-true recipes on the grill, and I've had some great success so far. And I'm happy to report that enchis on the grill are just as fantastic as they are in the oven.

Enchis on the Grill

• 1 can enchilada sauce
• 4 8-inch tortillas
• 1 can refried beans
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 2 jalapeños, diced
• several handfuls of cheddar cheese
• 4 eggs
• cilantro

Line bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick foil. Pour about 1/3 of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan.

Assemble the enchiladas. Spread 1/4 of the beans along the center of each tortilla. Top with tomatoes and jalapeños and other toppings of choice (such as green olives and onions). Sprinkle a handful of cheese in each enchi. Fold the enchi sides over to close them.

Flip the enchis over and place in the baking dish. Spread remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the tortillas. Add another handful of cheese on top of each enchi.

Cover top of baking dish with foil. Also cover bottom of baking dish with a piece of foil to protect it from the flame.

Grill on medium-high heat for 20 minutes. Remove foil top and grill an additional 5 minutes.

While the enchis are grilling, fry the eggs, over easy, in olive oil or butter.

With a spatula, transfer enchis to plates. Top with eggs and a handful of cilantro to taste.

Serves 4.

Note: Tony and I took the two leftover enchis for lunch the next day. And they were just as good (maybe even a little better) than the night before.