It's Sunday morning of Week Three.
Today's menu calls for my absolute favorite breakfast. I never ate eggs Benedict until after I was married. My husband and I were staying at a resort for an anniversary celebration and I ordered eggs Benedict because I'd heard the name but had no clue what they were. I instantly fell in love. It's the breakfast my husband makes for Mother's Day, my birthday and any day he wants to make special for me. I've ordered it at numerous restaurants and prepared in numerous variations (an unforgettable version was at Disneyland in the New Orleans area with Andouille sausage instead of Canadian bacon and a spicy sauce). Eggs Benedict is so easy to make - especially if you use a mix for the Hollandaise sauce - that it takes less than 15 minutes from beginning to end. I can't wait! I never get tired of eating it.
For dinner we are having Burgundy beef over gnocchi with squash on the side. Burgundy beef is rich and flavorful, it is a roast cooked in red wine (or grape juice) with herbs, mushrooms and tomatoes. Instead of tomato paste today, I am using a prepared bruschetta that I have left over from another day that I need to use which I think will taste fantastic in the sauce. I have some great recipes for gnocchi - and fresh made gnocchi is unbelievably good. But today I am just using packaged gnocchi - I have two kinds, a plain gnocchi and one made with whole wheat. I try to use whole wheat whenever it is reasonable in something just because it has such a higher nutrition level than non-whole wheat.
For dessert, I am making chocolate mint jelly roll. If you've never tried (or made) a jelly roll - I highly recommend making one! They are so unique, so delicious and pretty easy to make. You just bake a cake in a large cookie sheet and then roll it up with whipped cream or other filling. Today I am using a chocolate cake and whipping up a mint flavored whipped cream for the filling. Then I'll drizzle some chocolate sauce over it all. Yummm......
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| Eggs Benedict |
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| Burgundy Beef, Gnocchi, Squash, Chocolate Mint Jelly Roll |
BREAKFAST:
1. Turn the oven on to BROIL. Slice the English Muffins and place them open side up on a baking sheet. Either butter the tops or spray with cooking spray (less calories). Place in oven until tops are lightly toasted.
2. Meanwhile, put a large flat frying pan on medium-high and melt a Tablespoon or two of butter in it.
3. Put saucepan over medium-low heat and melt butter in it for the Hollandaise sauce, whisk in the mix and milk. (I've made Hollandaise sauce from scratch - and it's not extremely difficult. But the mix is simple, tastes similar enough and reduces the cooking time by a lot).
4. After English muffins are toasted, put a piece of Canadian bacon on each toasted English muffin.
5. Break the eggs in the melted butter and salt and pepper them.
6. Cook until the egg whites turn white. Carefully flip over and let cook a minute or less on the other side (you want the yolk to stay runny inside.)
7. Pull the English muffins with the Canadian bacon on top out of the oven. Place a cooked egg on top of each one.
8. The Hollandaise sauce should be thickened by now, place each muffin on a plate and ladle a little Hollandaise sauce over each egg topped muffin. ENJOY!
DINNER:
1. Place the roast in the crock pot. (I am using an oven bag in my crockpot because a crack has formed and I haven't gotten around to buying a new crock pot). Pour Burgundy (or grape juice) over the top.
2. Pour sliced mushrooms and the pearl onions on top.
4. Salt and pepper it all, then add bay leaf.
6. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or so, until roast is tender.
7. Slice and serve over gnocchi. I used both a whole wheat and plain gnocchi tonight. ENJOY!
DESSERT:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Separate the eggs. Then whisk the egg whites until foamy.
2. When foamy, keep beating while slowly adding the 1/2 cup of granulate sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form.
3. I use my Kitchen Aid for all this kind of stuff, so I transferred the stiff egg whites to another bowl, cleaned the Kitchen Aid bowl and attachment. Then I put the egg yolks in the Kitchen Aid bowl.
4. Add the vanilla to the egg yolks. Beat for a few minutes, then slowly add 1/3 cup of sugar while still beating. Beat for a total of at least 5 minutes. They will become thick, creamy and lemon colored.
5. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa to a bowl. Whisk well.
6. You should now have 3 bowls of ingredients: the stiff egg whites, creamy thick egg yolks and flour mixture.
7. Fold the egg whites and egg yolks together, gently combined.
8. Sprinkle the flour mixture over and carefully fold just until combined.
9. Grease (not cooking spray) a 15x10x1 inch pan. Then sprinkle flour over. Tilt the pan all directions until the flour sticks to the grease. The pan should have no spots that aren't covered with grease and flour.
10. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and very carefully spread it so it is an even layer across the pan.
11. Bake for 12- 15 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched in the center. Let cool only for a minute or two. (If you let it cool too much, you won't be able to roll it without it cracking).
12. While it's slightly cooling, get out a kitchen towel, aluminum foil or parchment paper that is the close to the width and length of the pan. Sprinkle it with powdered sugar. Take a butter knife and loosen the cake on all sides and underneath.
13. Turn the pan with the cake in it upside down on the powder sugared towel or foil or paper. Remove the pan.
14. Quickly and carefully roll it up on from one short end to the other. Let cool completely.
15. Pour whipped cream into the clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer. Whip it for a few minutes by itself. Then slowly add granulated sugar while continuing to whip.
16. Add a few drops of mint flavoring and green food coloring. Whip until creamy and the right consistency for whipped cream. Store in the fridge.
17. After the cake is completely cooled and the whipped cream is well-chilled, unroll the cake. Spread whipped cream in an even layer over the cake.
18. Re-roll the cake carefully so the whipped cream doesn't all squish out the sides. Slice into 1-2 inch thick slices to serve.
19. Drizzle with chocolate syrup and top with more whipped cream (if desired). ENJOY!
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