Recipe: Perfect Eggs Benedict

My sister was sweet enough to write up a little recipe for the most amazing Eggs Benedict you'll ever have. We always talk about how we really want to order it when we go out, but it just doesn't stack up to what we can make at home, minus the crazy price tag. So, here is Ashley sharing her simple and amazingly delicious Eggs Benedict:

My husband isn’t much of a breakfast guy, so he doesn’t generally mind missing out on our weekday morning breakfasts. I love breakfast, though, and make everything from pancakes to french toast to green smoothies for my kids during the week. Every once in a while, Jen and our Mom will come over and we’ll make the one breakfast dish my husband always wishes he had been home for - eggs benedict.

It all started a few months ago with a simple question: Why is it so hard to poach an egg? None of us had done it with any success, so we finally decided to consult the wisest sage of our day. You tube to the rescue!

After a few videos we found one that stood above the rest. No burning your hands with boiling water, or swirling the pot until you’re dizzy. The secret? Barely simmering water (there should be bubbles on the bottom of your saute pan with 1 or 2 coming to the surface every few seconds) and a few tablespoons of vinegar.

To perfectly poach an egg, bring about 2 inches of water to a gentle simmer as described above. Add a few tablespoons of vinegar and then gently crack your egg right into the pan. The vinegar should help the egg stay together and if it seems to spread everywhere, just try again with a bit more vinegar. Too much will cause your egg to fall apart, so be careful! Because we like to make several servings at once, I’ll usually cook 4 eggs at a time in my pan. Just be sure to keep them spread apart so that you can remove them separately.

After a few minutes (about 2 ½), remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave your water on, though, because we’ll use it to re-heat them in a bit. It takes a few tries to get the timing just right, but eventually you’ll learn what an underdone egg looks like versus one that’s overcooked.

Now without a doubt, the best part of our eggs benedict is the hollandaise. Don’t skimp on the hollandaise! You’ve worked so hard to perfectly poach these eggs, it would be terrible to ruin them with hollandaise you made from the packet of powder they sell in the grocery store. No thank you. But I’ve got three kids and by the time the eggs are done poaching, they’re hungry! And so am I! So I needed a solution that would be easier than full blown cooked hollandaise but taste way better than the powder stuff. This time, Joy of Cooking saved the day!

The best thing about a blender hollandaise recipe is that you get to use the blender. I’m kidding. I like the blender, but the best thing about this is that it takes almost no time at all. Here we go. Are you ready?

Heat 1 stick of butter over medium heat until it bubbles.

While the butter is melting, add the following to your blender: 3 egg yolks, about 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice (or the kind in a fake plastic lemon, since that’s what I had on hand!) some ground red pepper (or cayenne) and ½ teaspoon of salt.

Remove the bubbling butter from the heat, and turn on the blender to just combine the ingredients. Now while the blender keeps running, slowly pour the melted butter straight into the blender. It should take about 30 seconds to add all the butter if you’re going slow enough. Now your sauce is done! If it seems thick, you can add a few drops of water and blend for a few more seconds.

Now you can gently return your eggs back to the poaching water for about 30 seconds or so to warm them up. Place two halves of a toasted english muffin on your plate, top each slice with some canadian bacon if you like, then add a poached egg on top of that. Pour as much hollandaise as your heart desires over both halves and top with a sprinkle of paprika, or old bay if you’re so lucky.

If I can make this recipe with 3 toddlers and a crawling infant at my feet while my sister takes photos of me (I’m not comfortable in front of the camera and end up making faces I’d never make otherwise) you can definitely make it. Enjoy! 
~Ashley

Thanks Ashley! You are the cutest and the best. I still don't know how you manage to do all you do with a great big smile on your face. Love!

Horace & Mae Photography

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Braid

2, 3, 4

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I've always loved the look of braided bread and I finally looked up how to make it. Thanks to good ol' youtube, I now know. 

How to Braid Bread

1. Make your dough ( I used Smitten Kitchen's Challah for this recipe) and separate it into six even balls. Roll each ball out by hand into strands. 

2. Lay strands next to each other and connect one end together (pic 2). 

3. Take the stand on the right and cross it over to the left side (pic 3).

4. Take the strand on the left and cross it over to the right, below the 1st stand (pic 4).

5. Take the 1st strand and lay it over the 2nd strand and down the middle of all the strands (pic 5).

6. Take the strand on the right that is pointed down and cross it over to the left side (pic 6).

7. Take the strand that is pointed to the right on the right side and lay it over the last cross strand and down the middle of the other strands (pic 7).  As you're doing this, spread out the strands so that the loaf stays straight. 

8. Take the left strand pointed down and cross over to the right (pic 8).

9.  Take the strand pointed to the left and lay it over the last strand and down the middle of the others (pic 9). Starting to figure it out?? It took me forever to get the pattern:)

10.  Cross the strand on the right pointed down and cross it to the left and so on (pic 10).

Eventually you end up with a nice braided loaf! You can then either leave it as a long loaf or just take the loaf and curl it around and mold the ends together so that it becomes a circular loaf.  This braid works great on all sorts of dough, not just challah. I recently made my mother in laws amazing communion bread recipe with the braid and it was to die for. Perhaps I'll share the not-so-secret recipe in the future:)

Enjoy!

   

Summer Staple

Horace and I love a good BLT. I think I've said it before, but we practically live off of them during the summer. On ours, we like bacon, lettuce and tomato, but also add a great Caesar dressing (recipe below) and fresh basil. There is nothing more satisfying than filling your sandwich with fruits from your garden.

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  Caesar Dressing (from Bon Appetit)
  
  
  Chop together 6 anchovy fillets packed in oil, 1 small garlic clove, and a pinch of kosher salt. Use the side of a knife blade to mash into a paste, then scrape into a medium bowl. Whisk in 2 large egg yolks, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and 3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Adding drop by drop to start, gradually whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil, then 1/2 cup vegetable oil; whisk until dressing is thick and glossy. Whisk in 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Can be made 1 day ahead.

Recipe: Ebelskivers

When I lived in Idaho for college, I remember some of my favorite breakfasts at The Old European Cafe, just a town over from where I lived. That's where I first had Ebelskivers and I fell head over heels. They are so delicious and versatile and just a bit more fun than plain old pancakes. You can make them sweet, with vanilla and powdered sugar or chocolate chips, or you can do savory cakes with sausage or bacon. I adore the savory and sweet taste of sausage filled Ebelskivers with a few drops of Maple Syrup. So, here is the basic recipe and how-to for these fun breakfast staples. 

You'll need an Ebelskiver Pan (and a cute little helper) to get started!

Basic Batter

1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, separated
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

In a big bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in the milk and melted butter. Add the yolk mixture to the flour mixture and, using a wooden spoon, stir until well blended. The batter will be lumpy.

In a clean bowl using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Using a silicone spatula, fold about one-third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold the rest just until no white streaks remain. Use the batter right away.

This is what your egg whites should look like:)

Making the Ebelskivers

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Brush the wells of the pan with some melted butter and place over medium heat. When the butter starts to bubble, add about 2 tablespoons of batter to each well. If you wish to add anything to the cakes (sausage, chocolate chips, etc.) now is the time!

Cook until the bottoms of the pancakes are lightly browned and crisp, 3-5 minutes. Use a fork or some small wooden skewers to turn all the pancakes to the other side and cook until lightly browned on the second side, about 3 minutes longer.

Keep the cooked pancakes in the heated oven while you finish the batch. Dust the cakes with confectioners sugar or syrup and serve right away.

(Recipe from Ebelskivers Cookbook. If you fall in love with them as much as I have, this is the book for you! Tons of variations and different batters. Love it.)

Enjoy!

Recipe: Caramelized Onion Quiche

I have told so many people about this recipe because it is simply the best. Everyone that I've made it for has loved it and I get cravings for it every now and again! I used to not be a big fan of quiche (too runny and spongy), but this one is so hearty and delicious, I just can't get enough of it. It takes a while to make, but the ingredients are so basic, it is quite fun to put together.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Caramelized Onion Quiche (my hubby wanted a piece right when it came out of the oven :)

I use Pillsbury pre-made pie crusts, but I bet homemade pie crust would take this to the next level.

My crust doesn't always look good, but it works:)

I got some time to make this while everyone was out of the house, otherwise the bacon would not have made it into the pan:)

We had a freak spring weather day in the middle of January, so I got to cook with the door open and the breeze blowing.

The recipe calls for Gruyere, which can be quite expensive, so I substituted Jarlsberg and it was a good replacement. If you can afford Gruyere, do it.

Recipe modified from Southern Living Magazine

Enjoy!

Recipe: East Coast Mussels

Having grown up in Maryland, seafood took up a hefty portion of our food pyramid. While at college in Idaho, I was this close to ordering steamed crabs from home to be shipped out. I was never a huge fan of the oyster, clam and mussel clan, but after trying this recipe, I fell in love with the savory dish, full of garlic and sweetened by wine. The best part of this recipe is that it take 10 minutes tops to throw together. Serve it with some crusty bread and the leftover wine and you've got yourself a meal.

I remember spending Sunday afternoons at my Grandad's river house, swimming off the pier until our fingers got wrinkled and then drying off and eating crabs. The saltiness of the river and the seasoning made the taste such a strong memory. 

When my Dad would make oyster soup, he made a cream base and would pick out the oysters so that us kids could have some soup with him. Of course, we added the oyster crackers, so basically we had cracker soup, but oh was it good.

There is this place in Baltimore called L. P. Steamers that has a rooftop deck overlooking the city. Its a divey bar restaurant, but the rooftop takes the cake. They haul trays of crab, steamed shrimp, hush puppies and everything else up three flights of outdoor stairs to your table. On a summer night, this felt like the epitome of fine dining:)

The first time I made mussels, we were newly married and I was (and still am) trying to figure out good dishes that my husband liked. I was so happy when he scraped the bowl clean with his bread. One more recipe added to my stash.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

All photos were taken by my lovely husband Horace on VSCOcam.

Don't forget to enter the last of the Christmas Giveaways with Kallio NYC here! 

(For a bonus entry, pin the giveaway on Pinterest:)

Last Minute Thanksgiving Recipe

If you're anything like me, cooking tends to be very off the cuff and entirely too last minute. My Mom says that if she could do it again, she would work up a two week meal plan and stick to it. She has a friend who has a little box full of index cards, each with a weeks worth of meals, recipes and shopping lists. That way she can grab one on her way out the door to shop and she's got her plan in her hand. Someday. 

I'm slowly but surely coming across recipes that are hits for my little family that I'm compiling so that I have a few go-to's when I'm in a rush. I'm loving Pinterest as a little recipe book for some of our favorites. You can find my "Get in My Belly" board here.

I came across this recipe and thought it surely could not be true. Delicious Dinner Rolls in 30 minutes? No way. But I was so gratefully surprised when they not only turned out, but blew the socks off of my other hours long roll recipe. There is also a little guide for making the 3 dozen version, which is what I'm bringing to our Thanksgiving dinner.

Photo and Recipe from Real Mom Kitchen

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

P.S. There are still a few days left to enter Christmas Giveaway #2 with Wassupbrothers. And here is a sneak peek of next weeks giveaway: Meyer Textile Co.