Eggs Benedict

This one of the most popular and finicky to make breakfast dishes. The history of Eggs Benedict is not fully known. Although we do know that the dish is an American creation.

Eggs Benedict is two poached eggs over Canadian bacon and an English muffin, topped with hollandaise sauce. Both the poached eggs and hollandaise sauce require a lot of attention if you are going to do them right.

Serves:

1, let's not get too crazy.

Ingredients:

Eggs Benedict
2 eggs poached (poached easy
is the most common)
2 slices Canadian bacon
1 English muffin halved and
toasted
3 ozs of hollandaise sauce

Hollandaise Sauce
(makes about 2/3 cups)
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup butter, firm
1 Tbs lemon juice (you can also
use white wine to substitute)
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of salt

Instructions:
I usually make the hollandaise sauce first and let cool while I cook everything else. Then I reheat the sauce at the end.

See my post on how to make hollandaise sauce.

Next, I toast the English muffin and pan fry the Canadian bacon over medium heat. The Canadian bacon should be slightly browned on both sides.

Poach the eggs to your liking.

See my post on how to make poached eggs.

Reheat the hollandaise sauce and construct the Eggs Benedict by placing the two haves of the English muffin with the insides facing up, then one slice of Canadian bacon on each, then one poached egg on each and cover both with hollandaise sauce.

Bloody Mary Soup

This is one of my favorite soup recipes. It's quick and easy to make and tastes great.

Serves:
3 as a main dish
6 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

Soup
3 Tomatoes skinned and
unseeded then diced
3 cans 5.5 oz tomato juice
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
4 drops Tabasco
Juice of 1/2 lime

Salsa
1 Tomato skinned and
unseeded then diced
2 tsp vodka
2 dashes Tabasco
6 in. celery stalk diced
1 tsp celery salt

Instructions:
First, skin and unseed all four tomatoes by letting them sit in hot boiling water for one minute or until the skins start to crack. The skins should be easy to peel off now. Cut each tomato in half horizontally and scoop out the seeds. Diced the tomatoes and set aside one of them in a bowl for the salsa. Place the other three in a sauce pot and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. This will reduce them. Then add the tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, and Tabasco and let simmer on medium heat for ten minutes. While this is cooking make the salsa by adding the vodka, Tabasco, celery and celery salt mixing them together. Once the soup has finished, turn off the heat and add the lime juice and salsa.