Eggs Benedict

Hollandaise sauce is an emulsion of egg yolk and butter,

usually seasoned with lemon juice, salt, and white pepper.

It is tasty, but boy is it high fat!

Here is a leaner, meaner version of Hollandaise sauce to go with the classic Eggs Benedict.

6 slices lean Canadian bacon

3 whole wheat English muffins, split and toasted

6 large eggs, poached

Mock Hollandaise Sauce

Place bacon in sprayed skillet; cook over medium heat until thoroughly cooked - turning once.

Place one bacon slice on each muffin half. Top each slice with a poached egg and 2 Tbsp. Mock Hollandaise Sauce.

Serve immediately.

Mock Hollandaise Sauce:

3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt, divided

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. dry mustard

Combine 1/4 cup yogurt and egg yolk in a small saucepan; stir well. Place over low heat. Cook 6 minutes or until thick; stirring occasionally with a whisk (do not boil).

Stir in remaining 1/2 cup yogurt, lemon juice, salt and mustard. Cook until thoroughly heated (do not boil).

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Jelly Roll

Me c. 1973

"What do you mean the jelly roll is all gone?"

For some reason I have a specific memory of Mother making this jelly roll while wearing her pretty pink housecoat. I think it was on a Sunday morning.

Yes, only my mother would or could manage to make Sunday dinner (usually roast, potatoes, and carrots), bake a jelly roll from scratch, and get two little girls ready for church on Sunday morning. But she did - every Sunday.

Well, maybe not the jelly roll part.

*Note: The following has nothing to do with cooking, but is worthy of posting.

One of the things for which I am most grateful to my parents is their faithfulness to the Lord - faithfulness in church attendance and church service. Never did we have to ask if we were going to church on Sunday. It was a given. We were there.

Although we may not be as industrious as them (I have NEVER baked a jelly roll on Sunday morning), our parents' pattern of faithfulness has been passed down to me, my sister, and my brother. Praise God for godly parents!

Now back to the jelly roll!

This is a recipe that is in the cookbook Mother made for me, my sister, and my sister-in-law. Under the comment section she added that she would often make this jelly roll using her grandmother's homemade jelly.

Maybe that is why it was always so good!

This is a very simple recipe that is SOOO much tastier than the store bought versions!

1 cup Softasilk flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

1 tsp. vanilla

powdered sugar

jelly of choice

Beat eggs until very thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in sugar. Blend in water and vanilla on low speed.

Slowly mix in dry ingredients, just until smooth. Pour into jelly roll pan which has been greased and floured (jelly roll pan=15"x10" pan with 1" sides).

Bake 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Turn baked jelly roll onto clean dish towel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Trim edges. Roll cake and towel into roll. Allow to cool.

Unroll and spread with jelly. Roll cake again. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Slice into 1" slices when ready to serve.

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Cinnamon Fruit Biscuits

I love jelly filled donuts - but I am confident that eating just one jelly filled donut would be the death of me.

When passing the bakery at the grocery store, this is a risk that is at times tempting.



While not the same, these little numbers are pretty tasty and were quite the hit at our house.

1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup margarine
2 tubes of refrigerator biscuits
jam/jelly of choice

Melt margarine in small bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar.

Dip each biscuit in melted margarine and then coat in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place on ungreased pan or pizza stone.

Make a small indentation in each biscuit. Fill this with jam/jelly of choice.

Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

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Yogurt Cream and Berries

I am not a huge yogurt fan, but I love this recipe. It is straight from the Pioneer Woman's website - so I give her all the credit. (You've got to check out this link - I am totally jealous of her jadite!)

Because I have been on a strawberry kick this last week, I am serving this over strawberries instead of blueberries like she does.

A light granola could even be added if you are so inclined.

1 1/2 cups plain, unflavored yogurt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
blueberries or strawberries

Pour the yogurt into a bowl. Then add the cream. With a whisk carefully stir until combined. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the top of the yogurt mixture.

Do not stir the mixture.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and tightly seal the edges. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours.

When ready to serve, you can either leave the mixture as is or stir with a whisk until smooth.

Serve over berries.

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Strawberry Freezer Jam

I love strawberry freezer jam. I could eat it with a spoon right out of the jar. In fact, I am sure I have eaten it with a spoon right out of the jar!

I love to make it in the summer and put it in the freezer and tell everyone that we can't get one out until the first snow! That way the first snow is something to look forward to.

I am tricky that way.

The bad thing about strawberry jam is all the sugar. But you can use the Low Sugar Sure Jell which uses less sugar.

Low sugar Sure Jell uses less sugar - now that was a profound statement.

Anyway, it doesn't set up quite as firm, but it is still super tasty. This recipe, however, is the full sugar recipe.

2 cups prepared strawberries
4 cups sugar
2 box Sure Jell fruit pectin

Remove caps from strawberries. Crush fruit one layer at a time. Measure 2 cups into large bowl. Measure sugar; then thoroughly stir into fruit. Let stand 10 minutes.

Mix 3/4 cup water and Sure Jell in small saucepan. Bring to a full boil and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.

At once stir into fruit. Continue stirring 3 minutes. A few sugar crystals will remain.

Immediately ladle into containers, leaving 1/2" space at top. With a damp cloth, wipe any spills from containers. Cover at once with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours.

Store jam in freezer.

Wait for the first snow.

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Blueberry coffee cake

Unlike my brother, who loves raw blueberries, I prefer blueberries cooked.

I like blueberry pancakes or blueberry waffles or blueberry muffins or this blueberry coffee cake.

This is a Paula Deen recipe which I have cut the sugar and butter in half. Sorry Paula. I am a huge fan, but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do.

1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 (12 oz.) can buttermilk biscuits
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup sugar

Grease a 9-inch square baking dish. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon; mix well with a fork. Separate biscuit dough into 10 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into quarters; dip each piece in melted butter and coat with brown sugar mixture. Arrange in a single layer in baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the oats.

Combine blueberries and sugar in a bowl and toss to coat. Spoon over oats and biscuits and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup oats. Drizzle remaining melted butter on top. Bake for 20 minutes or until cake is golden brown and center is done. Cool for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

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Maple-Topped Oven Pancakes

I love those recipe books you find in the checkout lane at Walmart or Kroger - from Pillsbury, Taste of Home, Bisquick . . . I have a hard time passing them up.

Actually I have a hard time passing up a lot of things in the checkout lane.

Standing there waiting, I suddenly feel the need to buy Chapstick when my lips aren't even chapped or travel size Febreeze, or a two-pack of playing cards, or a mini flashlight . . .

I guess that is why all of that stuff is there - it's pretty good marketing actually.

But I suppose buying a cookbook and a diet Snapple Peach Tea is better than buying a Snickers and a Doggie Snuggie in order to fulfill my compulsive shopping need.

Although Scooby would look pretty doggone cute in a Doggie Snuggie.

Scooby in his hoodie.

This recipe is from a Bisquick Breakfast and Brunches cookbook I picked up years ago. It is an easy way to feed the entire family pancakes without standing in the kitchen all morning.

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup maple-flavored syrup
1 1/2 cups Bisquick Original baking mix
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup milk
2 eggs
Maple-flavored syrup, if desired.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1/2 cup brown sugar, the margarine and syrup in 1 quart saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted. Pour into ungreased 13x9x2 cake pan.

Beat remaining ingredients in medium bowl, using wire whisk or fork, until blended. Carefully pour over syrup mixture.

Bake uncovered 30-35 minutes or until top springs back when touched in center. Cut into 3-inch squares; turn each square upside down onto plate. Serve immediately, with maple flavored syrup.

Note: If you do not have Bisquick on hand you can substitute the following:

1 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt

Another note: Just be careful with Bisquick and pancake mixes. Mother always stores hers in the freezer which is what I do. This is probably a good idea because mold can grow in opened boxes - especially outdated boxes. This mold can cause serious allergic reactions in people who are allergic to mold. Aways check the date on the box before using.

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/pancake.asp

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Prune Breakfast Butter

I know I said I would post this recipe in February, but this stuff is just too good to wait! We had it on biscuits with lunch today and EVERYONE like it - even Joel!

Don't be scared. Prunes are just dried plums and this prune butter (get it - it's like apple butter) tastes a lot like plums to me.

It makes a great spread on buttered toast or biscuits.

And I bet it would be even better if it were spread on a buttered English muffin. Yummy!

It has a light prune/plum taste with just a hint of lemon. It is smoooooth so there are no texture issues that some people - namely my husband - have with prunes.

Be brave and make some this week.

1 3/4 cups boiling water
2 regular-size Earl Grey tea bags
1 cup pitted prunes (about 8 ounces)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine boiling water and tea bags in a medium bowl; cover and steep 5 minutes. Discard tea bags.

Combine brewed tea and prunes in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until prunes are tender. Remove from heat; let cool slightly. Place prune mixture in a blender; process until smooth.

Combine prune mixture, sugar, and lemon rind in pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until mixture is thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Let cool. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 months. Yield: 1 3/4 cups

I poured mine into two jelly jars. One to keep and one to share.

Weight Watchers Points - 0

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Farm-Fresh Spinach Quiche

Be sure to click on picture to enlarge.
Pretty impressive fluted crust wouldn't you say?

This dish is amazing. I made it this morning and it was a big hit - I think it is the bacon that makes it so good.

Serve it for breakfast - or like we had it this morning as a brunch for sleepy heads who stayed up all night at the youth group lock-in.

8 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled and divided
9-inch pie crust
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

Sprinkle half of crumbled bacon on bottom of pie crust. Mix cheese, spinach, milk, eggs, and flour together. Pour over crust. Sprinkle remaining crumbled bacon on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour until center is set. Makes 8 servings.

*Note the two jelly jars.

They contain prune breakfast butter that I made today too.
I will highlight this recipe sometime in February.

Spinach - it's not just for Popeye!

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