Food Friday - Eggs Benedict Two Ways

From Kris B.

I have to say that although I love the look of dyed Easter eggs, I have never really liked doing the actually dying.  After the third or fourth year of coloring eggs with my girls, it seemed like way more trouble than it was worth.  Call me a bad mother…I’m just keeping things here real and honest.  That said, I do miss having all of the hard boiled eggs around to eat in the week after Easter.  I love egg salad, but because it is not the healthiest of salads, I don't make it very often.   I always looked forward to the excuse, “something has to be done with all of those easter eggs.”  

The real truth is that I love eggs, any kind of eggs - hard boiled, scrambled, as an omelet, quiche, casseroles - you name it.  If it contains eggs,  I like it.  

This may be why breakfast is my favorite meal.  Given a choice, I would eat breakfast three times a day...maybe not eggs at every meal, but some kind of breakfast food.  I don't think I will ever tire of oatmeal, pancakes, French toast, waffles, bacon, grits, hash browns…Have I ever mentioned that I am a carbohydrate addict?  If I haven’t, it should be quite obvious by what I have just said here. LOL.  Surprisingly though , I don't care for anything super sweet for breakfast.  Doughnuts or sweet rolls are never my first choice in the morning.

The problem with most standard breakfast fare is, that with the exception of an omelet stuffed with vegetables, breakfast is usually a veggie free zone.  That is the downside of my love of breakfast as an anytime meal.  I’ll almost always have some kind of fruit with my breakfast meals.  As good a thing as that is, it still is not vegetables.  Over the years, I have worked to find recipes that incorporate vegetables into some of my favorite breakfast meals, especially those that I often like to make for dinner.

Eggs Florentine is full of all the things I love - spinach, cheese, English muffin, and of course…eggs!  

The cheese comes from the fact that rather than being topped with the traditional Hollandaise sauce that usually accompanies Eggs Benedict, this recipe uses a cheese sauce.  It is super tasty and super easy.  Eggs Florentine make a great weeknight dinner as well as breakfast.

INGREDIENTS

8 Cups of fresh spinach  (I use 2 bags of the baby spinach available at the grocery store.  Of course, spinach from your           garden would be even better.  In a pinch, frozen spinach is an option as well.)

3 TBS butter

3 TBS flour

1 1/4 Cups low-fat milk

1 Cup freshly grated asiago cheese (Or, any kind of cheese that you like or have on hand.)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 TBS vinegar

4 English muffins

8 large eggs

Steam the spinach.  I use a rice cooker/steamer, but any method works.

To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat.  

Whisk in the flour.  Continue to whisk as you add the milk.  Once the mixture begins to thicken, add the desired amounts of salt and pepper and then the cheese.  

)I realize that you guys probably don't need to see photos to know how to whisk together ingredients.  I included these two photos because I have discovered that I have a weird fascination with photographing whisks.  They are really cool in terms of their shape and the shadows that they cast.  Before you laugh at me, try it.)

Stir until the cheese is melted.  Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

For the poached eggs, fill a skillet with with about 2 inches of water and add the vinegar.  Bring the water to a boil.  

The eggs should be cooked one or two at a time.  I have found it most efficient to crack one egg into a small prep bowl and pour from there.

Once the water is boiling, create a “whirling” motion in the water by swirling a spoon around and then quickly place an egg in the whirling water without breaking the egg's yolk..  The whirling motion keeps the egg white from spreading in the water.  You still may need to use a spatula to push stray parts of the egg back.  Cover the pan for 2-3 minutes until egg whites are firm.  Remove the egg to a plate with a large slotted spatula.  Repeat this process for the desired number of eggs.  If necessary, eggs can be rewarmed by placing them briefly back into the boiling water.

In the meantime, toast the English muffins.  If you are feeling decadent, and are not worried about extra calories, butter the muffins before toasting.

To assemble the Eggs Florentine, place two muffin halves on each plate.  Top each half with  a spoonful spinach, an egg, and drizzle with cheese sauce.

Add a side a fruit for a colorful and healthy addition to this meal.  If you have serious carnovires in your home, the traditional Canadian bacon found on Eggs Benedict can be added to the Eggs Florentine.  Bacon or sausage can also be served as sides.

from Tracey G

I've come to love - and I mean love, Eggs Benedict. And it was a love I've come to just recently, well, not like "yesterday" recent, but in the past 10+ years or so. I must also say from the get-go: I've never made homemade Hollandaise sauce. When I make this at home, I *gasp* use a packaged mix. I've had it out in a lot of places, and I can honestly say I love the Knorr mix for when I make it at home. It's rivaled the restaurant versions I've experienced, so I figure I might as well go the fool-proof easy way. But again, if you've a recipe that you love for Hollandaise, by all means use it! I choose the mix, because for me, it gives the same yummy experience with less work and fuss. 

Speaking of less work and fuss - I was delighted when I ran across this recipe. It's a pretty handy recipe for when I'm not wanting to take the time to make it the traditional way, by means of poaching the eggs, preparing the bacon and so forth. This is also wonderful for when you need to have or just want to have something put together ahead of time - this is perfect as you make it the night before and bake it off the next day. It's great for a breakfast or brunch on holidays or any day you want to have a nice breakfast/brunch the following morning! The other lovely thing - it couldn't be easier! It's so simple and fast to throw together you're hardly spending any time to get it ready. And truth be told, from a girl who loves and lives for sauces of all kinds, I even like it without the sauce on it, lol. First day it's great with the sauce of course, but by the 2nd day - officially left-over day - it's pretty tasty without it, lol. :-) For me, there's one more bonus - Harry likes it, well, without the sauce, lol. ;-)

The ingredients for the casserole are pretty simple: English muffins, Canadian bacon, eggs and not pictured - milk, onion powder and paprika. That's it. 

The prep work is simple and minimal - cut the English muffins in approximately one inch pieces, and chop up the Canadian bacon.

Crack your eggs and measure your milk...

Grease a 9x13" baking dish, layer half of the chopped Canadian bacon on the bottom, then top with the cut-up English muffins.Sprinkle the remaining Canadian bacon on top.

Combine the milk with the eggs, and add your teaspoon of onion powder. Whisk it all together until eggs are beaten and it's all combined well. Once you get that done, pour the egg, milk and onion powder mixture evenly over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

When you are ready to bake it, preheat your oven to 375 F. Take the casserole out of the refrigerator while the oven heats, sprinkle with the paprika. Bake covered, 35 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. 

Now is the time, while the casserole is "resting", to make your sauce, either homemade or packaged mix, and serve it with the casserole. 

This recipe sure makes having a yummy breakfast easy and fuss-free!! 

Eggs Benedict Casserole

Makes 12 ServingsPrep time: 25 min + chilling Bake: 45 min

6 English Muffins, split and cut into 1" pieces

12 oz. Canadian Bacon, chopped

8 eggs

2 c milk (I use 2%)

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp paprika

1or 2 packages Hollandaise sauce mix or 1 batch homemade Hollandaise sauce

1) Layer half the Canadian bacon in a greased 9x13" pan, top with the cut up English muffins and then the remaining Canadian bacon.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and onion powder. Pour over top of the muffins and bacon. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

3) Preheat oven to 375F. While the oven heats, remove the casserole from the refrigerator, and sprinkle the paprika on top. Cover and bake 35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. 

4) Prepare Hollandaise sauce and serve with casserole. 

Enjoy!