I love breakfast food, but I'm not especially known for recipes that are "quick" or "healthy." Both quick AND healthy? Psssh. To make matters worse, I realized that everything I could think of that might possibly fall into that category was something that Virginia had actually served to me first. Baked apples? VA. Greek yogurt pancakes? VA. Anything involving bananas? VA.
So then, out of rebellion, my mind wandered over to pout in the bacon aisle and glanced longingly at the butter as it whispered seductively: Whisk me . . .
And the problem with that, friends, is that once you start thinking about Hollandaise sauce, you can't stop thinking about Hollandaise sauce.
Perhaps this interpretation of the assignment plays fast and loose with the definition of healthy, but in this recipe's defense, I did replace the English muffin base with not just one, but three vegetables. So I'm putting that in the win column.
And the problem with that, friends, is that once you start thinking about Hollandaise sauce, you can't stop thinking about Hollandaise sauce.
Perhaps this interpretation of the assignment plays fast and loose with the definition of healthy, but in this recipe's defense, I did replace the English muffin base with not just one, but three vegetables. So I'm putting that in the win column.
And perhaps it takes a lot longer to make sweet potato hash than it does to pull a muffin out of a package . . . but this cheater's sauce takes less than two minutes to whip together in a blender (or in my case, a food processor), so let's call it even.
Also, a note on the sweet potatoes: I bought some red garnet sweet potatoes at the grocery store the other day on a whim, and beyond their red-purple exterior their insides were a beautiful, deep burnt orange. So when I saw these "Oriental Beauties" stocked next to the garnets, I couldn't wait to peel them. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
They were delicious, and sweeter than your average sweet potato, but not as photogenic as I wanted them to be. I recommend serving them to that stubborn person in your life who swears that he only likes regular potatoes but clearly needs a secret shot of vitamin A.
Final notes . . .
Bacon: Why use Canadian bacon when regular bacon is available? Go with something thick cut.
Poaching eggs: The actual poaching of the eggs is easy, but taking appetizing photos of egg clouds swirling around in vinegar water is not for amateurs. Hence, no photos of the poaching process.
Much love from Bloomington. - EDB
Bacon: Why use Canadian bacon when regular bacon is available? Go with something thick cut.
Poaching eggs: The actual poaching of the eggs is easy, but taking appetizing photos of egg clouds swirling around in vinegar water is not for amateurs. Hence, no photos of the poaching process.
Much love from Bloomington. - EDB
Eggs Benedict over Spicy Sweet Potato Hash
(adapted minimally from Holly Would if She Could)
Ingredients:
Hash
4-6 slices thick cut bacon
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, chopped
6-8 sweet mini peppers, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Salt & pepper, to taste
Eggs
Hash
4-6 slices thick cut bacon
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, chopped
6-8 sweet mini peppers, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Salt & pepper, to taste
Eggs
2 eggs
vinegar
small pot with lid
Sauce*
3 egg yolks
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. melted butter
Instructions:
Hash
1. Fry bacon in a dutch oven. (I cut my bacon in half first for presentation's sake.) Let the bacon drain on a paper towel, but leave the fat in the pot.
2. Add the onion, peppers, and garlic to the pot over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, then add the sweet potatoes. Let cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper to taste.
Eggs
3. While hash is cooking, bring a small pot of water to a rapid boil. There should be enough water to cover the egg by about an inch. Add a splash of vinegar.
4. Break one egg into a ramekin, being careful to keep the yolk intact.
5. Move the pot of boiling vinegar water to a cool burner and stir gently to create a whirlpool. Plop the egg delicately into the center of the whirlpool.
6. Cover with lid and let sit for 3-4 minutes. (Any longer than 4 and your yolk won't really be runny. I like my eggs about 3:30.)
7. Immediately remove the egg from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel.
Note: I usually poach eggs one at a time, because the whirlpool method is the best way I know to keep your eggs pretty and not spiraling into a cloudy mess. However, it's entirely theoretically possible (and recommended by better chefs than me) to poach all of your eggs at one time in a wide, shallow sauce pan. Also, I guess you can do them all in advance and keep them in ice water in your fridge, but that just seems like more work to me in the long run.
Sauce
8. Throw your eggs, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper into a blender. Blend for about 30 seconds until yolks are light in color. (I actually recommend this over a food processor, even though that's what I used, because I'm guessing the design of the blades whips it better than a food processor--but I'm just speculating.)
9. With blender running, slowly stream in the hot, melted butter. Blend until it looks like Hollandaise sauce.
*This is going to be waaay more sauce than you need for two people, but just go with it.
Assembly
10. Hash on bottom. Then bacon. Then egg. Then sauce. Enjoy!
Serves: 2
vinegar
small pot with lid
Sauce*
3 egg yolks
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. melted butter
Instructions:
Hash
1. Fry bacon in a dutch oven. (I cut my bacon in half first for presentation's sake.) Let the bacon drain on a paper towel, but leave the fat in the pot.
2. Add the onion, peppers, and garlic to the pot over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, then add the sweet potatoes. Let cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper to taste.
Eggs
3. While hash is cooking, bring a small pot of water to a rapid boil. There should be enough water to cover the egg by about an inch. Add a splash of vinegar.
4. Break one egg into a ramekin, being careful to keep the yolk intact.
5. Move the pot of boiling vinegar water to a cool burner and stir gently to create a whirlpool. Plop the egg delicately into the center of the whirlpool.
6. Cover with lid and let sit for 3-4 minutes. (Any longer than 4 and your yolk won't really be runny. I like my eggs about 3:30.)
7. Immediately remove the egg from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel.
Note: I usually poach eggs one at a time, because the whirlpool method is the best way I know to keep your eggs pretty and not spiraling into a cloudy mess. However, it's entirely theoretically possible (and recommended by better chefs than me) to poach all of your eggs at one time in a wide, shallow sauce pan. Also, I guess you can do them all in advance and keep them in ice water in your fridge, but that just seems like more work to me in the long run.
Sauce
8. Throw your eggs, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper into a blender. Blend for about 30 seconds until yolks are light in color. (I actually recommend this over a food processor, even though that's what I used, because I'm guessing the design of the blades whips it better than a food processor--but I'm just speculating.)
9. With blender running, slowly stream in the hot, melted butter. Blend until it looks like Hollandaise sauce.
*This is going to be waaay more sauce than you need for two people, but just go with it.
Assembly
10. Hash on bottom. Then bacon. Then egg. Then sauce. Enjoy!
Serves: 2
