Blender Hollandaise Sauce

Blender Hollandaise Sauce

I was taken to brunch yesterday for my birthday and ordered my all-time favorite, “Eggs Benedict”.  It was OK, but I really don’t understand why a simple Hollandaise sauce cannot be made in house and not to rely on some terrible package.

It is one of the “mother sauces” (five basic sauces that all other sauces are made from) and everyone should be able to whip one up easily. It is simply an emulsion of egg yolk, butter and lemon or vinegar.  It is a base for many different sauces, so I suggest everyone learns this one.

 I found years ago a recipe in the Joy of Cooking Cookbook that does all the work in a blender. There is no need for the double boiler, whisk and the dreaded possibility of the sauce separating.  The heat of the blades and warm butter cooks the eggs perfectly. This is easy and simple.

I have made it so many times that I am not sure if this is exactly the recipe from the cook book or not, but it works every time. 

3 egg Yolks

2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.

½ cup unsalted butter

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cayenne Pepper   (I like a little heat)

Separate your eggs and keep the whites for an egg omelet for tomorrow!

Place the yolks, lemon and salt and pepper in the blender.  Whisk to blend for a couple of seconds.  Heat the butter, until just melted, in a sauce pan over medium heat or in the microwave.  Add to the eggs a little at a time not to cook the eggs fully.  Blend until rich and smooth

TIPS:

·        Put on cooked Asparagus or broccoli and other vegetable like green beans, potatoes, broccoli etc.

·        Make different kinds of eggs Benedict; add spinach, add smoked salmon, ham or bacon.

·        Good on fish or in some pasta casserole dishes.

·        This creamy sauce can be placed in the refrigerator and used within the following days. It will stiffen again as the butter gets hard, but when placed on a heated vegetable, fish or meat it melts nicely. It does loose some of it’s perfect creamy consistency.

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

BBQ Pulled Pork Tenerdloin Sandwich

BBQ PULLED TENDERLOIN OF PORK SANDWICHES

Tasty Pork Sandwich

We have not had meat recently and I found a nice tenderloin of pork in the freezer.  I am not a huge fan of pork these days, but Bill does like all types of pork. I thought I would try to disguise the pork for me and yet let it stand up to a tasty meal for Bill!  BBQ Pork?

 Pulled pork is a very controversial subject in the way it is prepared between the northern states and southern states. (especially Carolina) Just about everyone has their take on what a true “pulled pork” is! I am just making something up and calling it pulled pork!

ONE GOOD EXPLANATION: “Pulled pork is a form of pork barbecue which involves cooking over slow heat for an extended period of time, slowly softening the connective tissue of the meat so that it can be pulled apart by hand.”  But the point is, the pork gets fork tender to shred with a fork or pull apart with your hands; be succulent to taste and what sauce selection one chooses, seems to be whatever you have or like.

 I don’t want to heat the kitchen and slow roast it in the oven for hours (we are over 100 degrees outside and my air conditioners are working hard).  I don’t have a slow cooker (I presume they have a place in the kitchen, just not in mine).  I do not have a BBQ outside, as we are in the midst of a move. So I thought about cutting cooking time down and thought TENDERLOIN!  A Tenderloin is the most tender cut of the pork cuts thus needing less time to cook.  That was my inspiration.

Seared and nice and brown

I medium sized tenderloin of pork

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of paprika

½ teaspoon salt and pepper each

Heat the pan to medium high heat with the olive oil.  Mix the paprika, salt and pepper and rub all over the pork.  Sear the meat on all sides. Meanwhile, make the sauce by whisking the following in a bowl.

Whisk the Sauce in a Bowl

¾ cup cider Vinegar

½ cup yellow mustard

1/2 cup ketchup

¼ cup  brown sugar

¼ cup chopped onion

½ teaspoon cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

2 dashes hot sauce or minced hot peppers (please make it to your heat level)

After a few minutes of searing the meat on each side add the sauce to the pan,  cover and place on simmer for 40 minutes on stove top (basting a few times and turning meat over) until the meat is fork tender (if you pull a fork down one side the meat falls apart).

Take two forks and pull the meat apart.  Serve on a bun, toasted or not. I would like to dress it with a coleslaw, but today I had no cabbage to make one, so I added thinly sliced onion to top it.

Make sure you spoon the sauce on the meat to make it nice and moist.

TIPS:

·        You can thinly slice the meat as well, but that changes the texture of a pulled sandwich.

·        Please do not be ashamed that you used bottled BBQ sauce!  Some are better than anything you can make. 

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

Egg Salad and How to Boil An Egg

EGG SALAD

Egg Salad is a frugal meal and one packed with protein and low in carbs if eaten as just a salad.

This is a basic classic Egg Salad recipe.  Many people omit the celery as they do not prefer the mixture of textures. (The crunch of the celery against the smooth salad.)  Other recipes mix the yolks with the mayonnaise to make more of a sauce before mixing it into the rest of the salad.  I choose to roughly chop the eggs, as they will break down further when all is put together.

Prefectly Hard Boiled Egg

Now, the best tip to offer:  How to make a perfect hard-boiled egg.  You want the yolk to be just cooked and with no green ring around the edge of the yolk.  Place eggs in regular tap water that is room temperature. Place on high heat and bring to a boil. After the water boils turn off the heat and let it sit on the burner.  Prefect every time! 

8 Hard-boiled eggs

½ cup or less Mayonnaise

¼ Cup celery minced

1 Tablespoon minced onion

1 Tablespoon minced parsley

1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

Good squirt Hot Sauce of choice

Chop hard –boiled eggs roughly and place in bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients.  Stir to incorporate all.

TIPS:

·        Make sandwiches with watercress, lettuce, tomatoes, red or green peppers and carrots etc.

·        Add grapes halved to make it a bit more elegant.

·        Add nuts, apple cubed, olives, capers or pickles to change things up.

·        Add bacon and horseradish!

·        Sliced smoked salmon filled with the salad and rolled is fun as well.

·        Fill hollowed out tomatoes.

·        Change the herbs/spices: lemon, lime, dill, chives, paprika or curry.

·        Make sandwich and cut crusts off and quarter for individual tea sandwiches.

·        Lighten the salad by using Greek Yogurt instead of the Mayonnaise.

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

Leftover Chicken Croquettes/Slider

Leftover Chicken Croquettes/Slider

Was off to Costco yesterday and we had their delicious roaster chicken for dinner.  I have all of the breasts leftover and decided to make little Croquettes,

One can really put all kinds of things in these patties, but I think I will keep it simple. 

Croquette/Patty

Made six small patties.

 2 cups cooked, finely chopped chicken meat

 1  cups seasoned dry bread crumbs

 2 eggs, lightly beaten

 2 cups sauteed chopped onion

 3 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 celery stalk chopped finely and sauteed

 1 teaspoon salt

 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

Take egg out and beat first before adding!

Sautee the onion and celery and garlic in  ½ tablespoon olive oil. 

In a bowl place all the rest of the ingredients.  Add the sautéed vegetables to the bowl. Stir well and form small slider size patties.

Heat the rest of the olive oil and then slide carefully in the patties.  Fry about 4 minutes without moving them.  Turn carefully over and fry until browned. Do not overcook as the meat is already cooked.

TIP

·        Top with a sauce or condiment of your liking. I placed some of my guacamole (previous blog) on top and loved it!

·        These are not true croquettes.  They are usually breaded and then fried. They are often served with a cream sauce.

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

GUACAMOLE with Toasted Corn Tortillas

GUACAMOLE with Toasted Corn Tortillas

Wonderful dip for chips and try veggies too!

Guacamole, a dip made from avocados, is originally from Mexico. The star ingredient, the AVOCADO, must be ripe to make a prefect Guacamole!

2 ripe avocados pulp scooped out

 1/2  onion minced (about 1/2 cup)

 1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds (if you like heat)

 2 tablespoons parsley leaves, finely chopped (most people use Cilantro)

 1 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

 A dash of freshly grated black pepper

 8 ripe cherry tomatoes chopped

Cut in half and twist to open

Avocado:  Cut lengthwise in half. Twist the two halves to remove the top. Take a sharp knife and chop into the seed so the knife sticks.  Twist the knife and the pit will fall out.

Scoop out pulp into a nice bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mash with a fork.  You could put all into a processor bit I like it a bit chunky. A fork allows you to control the smoothness that you like.

Make it to the desired texture by mashing

                                                             Corn Tortillas: Brush with a little olive oil.  Place them in a pan and                                                                 fry or bake until crisp and break into pieces.

TIPS:

·        How to check for ripeness gently presses the outside of the avocado. If there is no give, the avocado is not ripe yet and will not taste good. If there is a little give, the avocado is ripe.

·        Never let avocado sit for long without rubbing with lemon or lime or it will discolor quickly.

                                                  (I do not like cilantro so I sued parsely)

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

Chicken Bouillabaisse with Rouille Sauce

Chicken Bouillabaisse with Rouille Sauce

This dish is made by it's rich sauce

(French pronunciation: [bujabɛs]; Occitan: bolhabaissa [ˌbujaˈbajsɔ]) is a traditional Provençal fish stew. (originating from the port city of Marseille). Vegetables such as leeks, onions, tomatoes, celery and potatoes are simmered together with the broth and served with the fish. The broth is traditionally served with a rouille, a mayonnaise made of olive oil, garlic, saffron and cayenne pepper.  This version uses chicken verses the traditional three types of fish.

2 large chicken breasts each cut in half

¾ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 large cloves of garlic

½ small jalapeno peppers minced with seeds

1 stalk of celery

1 teaspoon saffron threads

1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

1 (15 ounce) can tomato puree

1 cup good chicken stock, preferably homemade

3/4 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons Pernod or Ouzo (optional)

Directions  Above for 4 people

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and the rosemary. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven and brown the chicken for about 5-7 minutes.  Transfer the browned chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.

You can add all the vegetable in big chunks as you will puree it later.

Big pieces are just fine.

Lower the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, saffron, fennel seeds, tomato puree, chicken stock, white wine, Pernod or Ouzo, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the garlic is very tender, stirring occasionally.  (Saffron: is derived from the flower of the  crocus and is one of the most expensive spices per pound)

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Pour the sauce into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. It will be hot so be careful. Puree until smooth. Return the sauce to the Dutch oven and add the sliced potatoes and browned chicken pieces with their juices. Stir carefully.

Cover the pot and bake for 45 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is done. Check the seasonings and serve hot in shallow bowls with big dollops of Rouille and slices of crusty bread.

Rouille: Lovely form of Mayonnaise

Rouille is a thick sauce that is often used as a garnish with fish or fish based soups. The actual name for the sauce is actually the French word for rust. This is because of the reddish brown color of Rouille when prepared with a traditional recipe using saffron. Use on this type of  Bouillabaisse is good as well.
4 large garlic cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1cup good olive oil

Place the garlic and salt on a cutting board and mince together. Transfer the mixture to a food processor fitted with the steel blade or blender. Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, saffron, and red pepper flakes. Process until smooth.

 With the machine running, pour the olive oil in a thin, steady stream through the feed tube to make a thick mayonnaise emulsion. Transfer the rouille to a serving bowl and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

I SERVED THE CHICKEN AND SAUCE ON LEFTOVER PLAIN COOKED SPAGHETTI

If eatten as a stew the potatoes are required. This is full of flavor.

 TIPS:

·        The egg to be at room temperature helps it blend and needs to sit out for three or more hours.

·        I have not put in potatoes to keep the starches down.

·        You can cook stock and keep in the freezer in individual containers

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

Bacon and Brussel Sprouts

BACON AND BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Everyone one loves BACON!

Like a tiny cabbage, the Brussel Sprout is a tight little head of leaves attached at the base.  They contain a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells. They can be boiled, steamed and roasted.  Note that by boiling allot of the cancer fighting advantages can be diminished.

1 tbsp olive oil

4 oz.  bacon diced

1 pound Brussels sprouts

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup Chicken Stock or water

Heat saute pan or grill pan.  Add Bacon and cook until nice and crispy stirring frequently.   Remove the bacon and drain on a paper towel.

When the bacon is cooking prepare the Brussel Sprouts by trimming the base.  The outer leaves will fall off.  Collect them and discard with the stems.  Cut them in half and larger ones in 1/4ths.  Add the Brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper to the fat in the pan and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Lower the heat and add the broth and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are tender when pierced with a knife (about 15 minutes).  Return the bacon to the pan, heat through, season to taste, and serve.

Crispy bacon and tender Brussel Sprouts

TIPS:
Over cooking will turn them grey in color and sometimes enhance a strong flavor/odor not liked  by many.

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

GRILLEDSALMON TOPPED WITH A CITRUS MINT SALSA

GRILLED SALMON TOPPED WITH A CITRUS MINT SALSA

Salmon with Citrus topping

Salsa:

1 large orange zest

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

½ medium mild onion minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained and coarsely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fresh mint and citrus Salsa!

Salsa: Zest the Orange and then peel each orange. Using a paring knife, cut along the membrane on both sides of each segment. Free the segments and add to a bowl. Then add all the just of the ingredients to the bowl. Toss lightly and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside. It needs to meld the flavors for at least 15 minutes

Salmon:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 8 oz piece of Salmon (no skin 0n) ( for 2 servings)

2 tablespoons Raspberry Honey preserve or plain honey

Salt ad freshly ground black pepper

For the salmon: Put a grill pan over medium-high heat (or your BBQ) Brush the pan or grill with olive oil so the fish will not stick. Brush the salmon on both sides with the Honey preserves and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Cook only 3-4 minutes on each side… NEVER OVER COOK. Let it cool a bit and top with the lovely salsa. Enjoy the fresh and light flavors!

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

Light and fluffy peanut and jelly cupcake!

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

½ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 egg beaten

1 cup peanut butter

Peanuts (roasted or candied)

Jelly

 Mix in Processor (so easy) flour, baking powder, salt. Pulse to mix.  It will be a crumble texture. Add peanut butter, milk and egg.  Pulse to mix to a nice creamy texture.

creamy batter

Spray muffin pans with Pam.  Take an ice cream scoop and fill half way up the muffin tin.

  Place a teaspoon of Jelly on top in the middle. I did not have jelly on hand, so I added a pitted Maraschino jarred cherries and in some a piece of Banana.  Be inventive.

Top with another scoop of batter.  Top with candied peanuts.    I only had almonds, so guess what appears on my muffins?  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Can spread some peanut butter on top!

Top with roasted peanuts or almonds.

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

Three fresh Vegetables DIshes: Horta, Beets and Zucchini Ribbons

Three fresh Vegetable Dishes : Beets, Horta and  Sautéed Zucchini



Vegetable Medley...YUM!

 After a trip to the Whole Foods market my refrigerator is bursting with fresh vegetables and fruit.

The beets were so gorgeous I had to scoop up a big bunch.  I made a Greek dish called Horta (HOR-tah vrah-STAH) from its leaves. It is not the normal group of wild greens used by the Greeks, but it is the closest in taste I have found to make this delicate salad. Simple as it sounds, it is rich in vitamins and taste.  Of course its fruit, the Beet, it just wonderful boiled and dressed in a light vinaigrette. Just as spinach, these greens will reduce to a fraction of what was placed in the pan.  It is hard to find just the greens sold alone and therefore, unless you want to cook allot of beets, you will make just a bit of this healthy salad.  (All in relation to the beets you purchase).It is worth not wasting the tops of the beets!

Big bow of leaves

Reduces to so very much.

    

Boiled Beets 

3 large Beets with greens attached

2 tablespoons Olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper



Remove leaves from the beets

Wash  the outside of the beets to remove excess dirt.  Place in boiling water to over and boil about 5-8 minutes until a knife stuck into them shows they are tender. (will depend on actual size of the beet)

Drain and let cool.  Remove skin and wash hands well as the beets will stain them easily. Slice and arrange on a plate or if placing all together, on a platter.

HORTA

Horta  

Leaves of above beets with the large stems removed

Boil leaves about 3 minutes and drain. Place in a boil.

Mix oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.  Whisk together and drizzle on the beets and on the Horta leaves.



Ribbons of Zucchini

 Fresh Zucchini Strips Lightly Sautéed

1 Zucchini per two servings

1 pat butter

1/8 teaspoon Fresh Dill chopped

Salt and pepper

Use a Mandolin (a cooking utensil used for slicing and for cutting juliennes) or a vegetable peeler to slice very thin slices of the zucchini lengthwise.  Makes lovely rbbons.

Heat a sauté pan and melt the butter.  Toss in the zucchini and sauté 2-3 minutes only. Toss the zucchini lightly. Remove from the heat and add dill and salt and pepper. Serve placing the strips into curled ribbons.

TIPS:

•  Beets can be roasted with a drizzle of olive oil.
•  Cold beets are great in salads
•  Beets stain, so be very careful not to get it's juice on you, your clothes etc.
•  I keep a pair of rubber gloves I use for cooking only. (handling fish, beets, squid ink etc)

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!