Southern Style Eggs Benedict

It's Sunday morning, and nothing beats a home cooked brunch with the family. This Southern style Eggs Benedict brings a creamy, decadent, and savory twist to the traditional. Bake a loaf of corn bread, top it with a poached egg, some peppers, onions, and avocados, and then homemade Hollandaise Sauce- it's heavenly and it's an accomplishment. 

Southern Eggs Benedict

..a Southern canvas

Some challenges to Eggs Benedict: poaching the eggs and making the Hollandaise Sauce. I'll reveal some tips that will make you swoon for some more. Trust me when you get this right, you'll waltz right into a twirl and two-step. 

Servings: 6

Ingredients:
For the Hollandaise Sauce:

• 6 egg yolks (keep the whites for an omelette for the next morning!) 

• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter, melted 

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

1 loaf corn bread, cut into 6 slices (My favorite: Trader Joes Cornbread mix) 
12 eggs, poached
4 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1.5 large red onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
2 avocados, sliced
salt and pepper

Method:

I used the Trader Joe's Cornbread Mix and prepared it according to the package instructions. 

In the meantime, bring a wide pot of water and the vinegar to a boil.

While the water is boiling, heat a separate skillet with the olive oil. Place the onions and sauté till softened. Add the sliced green bell pepper and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and crushed black pepper. 

The blender hollandaise sauce is SO easy- no double boiler and no chance of eggs curdling. In the container of a blender, combine the six egg yolks, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper. Cover and blend for about 10 seconds. Set the blender on high speed, and slowly add the melted and hot butter to the egg yolk mixture in a thin stream. The blender should remain on the whole time, and you should be careful to pour in the butter very slowly. It will thicken almost immediately. Keep blending for about 30 seconds, and then keep aside, warm. 

Now it's time to begin poaching the eggs. Crack the fresh eggs individually in a small bowl- it makes the process easier. With a large spoon, stir the boiling water in a large, circular motion. When there is a tornado (aka whirpool in the water), slowly tip the bowl into the water to release the egg, one by one. The swirling allows the egg to wrap around itself as it cooks, keeping it together. Cook the eggs for about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Once cooked, transfer out using a slotted spoon on a paper-towel lined plate. You can trim the wispy edges using the edge of a spoon or small knife. 

Place a slice of the corn bread on the plate. Place two eggs per serving on top of the bread. Top with a generous spoonful of the onions and pepper mixture. Add a few slices of avocado, and then top with a heaping of the Hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper, if desired. 

Note: Ensure the eggs are hot and the Hollandaise sauce is warm before serving. If the eggs have cooled too much, before you're ready to serve, you can plunge the already poached eggs back into the hot water for a few seconds. Make sure to drain the excess water on a paper towel just before serving. In addition, keep the Hollandaise sauce warm by placing the blender container in a pan of hot water. You can store the leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for next time! 

Enjoy! 

Mango Salad

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Description:
Enjoy the crunch of crisp vegetables and mango with a sweet and sour balsamic homemade dressing!

Preparation Time:
10 minutes

Servings:
8-10

Ingredients:

Salad:
1 semi ripe mango
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
½ medium red onion
2 medium carrots
½ chopped green coriander

Dressing:
2 teaspoons balsamic vinaigrette
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
a pinch of red chilli powder

Directions:

Julienne the three peppers into very thin pieces.
Chop the semi-ripe mango into small pieces.
Thinly slice the medium red onion.
Grate the carrots into long thin pieces.
Chop the green coriander.

To make the dressing, add the balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, sugar, and red chilli powder into a separate small mixing bowl. Whisk everything together to create the salad dressing.

Add the dressing right before serving the salad. Mix the dressing well in the salad and serve.