Cheesey Egg & Olive Toast

 It seems fitting to start this blog off with a dish that I make extremely often. This only takes about 30 minutes to make (and most of those 30 minutes are just waiting for things to cook) so it serves as an ideal fast meal for people who just need a quick bite to eat after a long day of work and don't want to put too much effort into it.

One of the main concerns for vegetarians is replacing proteins and vitamin B-12 in their diets, as these traditionally come from eating meat. If you still eat eggs and dairy, then those are perfect meat substitutes that can be used in quite a variety of dishes. This dish relies heavily on both.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 26 minutes (or 6 minutes if you have pre-boiled eggs on hand)
Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1 slice potato bread
• 1 egg
• 4 green pimento-stuffed olives (the small variety)
• 1/3 cup shredded cheese (Mexican/taco blends work nicely)
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup whipped cream cheese (reduced fat or light)
• McCormick's salt-free Garlic & Herb seasoning to taste (or another salt-free seasoning of your choice)
  

 Directions

1. Cover the egg with water in a pot and boil on the stove for 20 minutes.
2. Shell the egg and dice on a cutting board into small pieces.
3. Add the diced egg and shredded cheese into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
4. Dice the green olives and add to the bowl.
5. Season to taste with the salt-free seasoning.
6. Add mustard, lemon juice, and cream cheese.
7. Stir the mixture until all ingredients are mixed evenly and form a paste.
8. Place the bread slice on a small toaster pan and spread the egg and cheese mixture evenly across the top of the bread.
9. Toast the bread in a toaster oven at 425 degrees F for about 6 minutes, or until the edges of the bread are crispy and browned (individual oven times may vary).
10. Remove from toaster oven, slice in half, let cool for a minute, and enjoy! 

Note: I don't actually measure out most of these ingredients precisely when cooking this dish. I've learned from experience how much to add by sight and the above measurements are just estimates of the amounts I usually use. Feel free to adjust portions to your preferences!