Perfect Hollandaise

Adapted from Classic Egg Dishes

Ingredients
6 egg yolks
4 T. lemon juice
1/4-1/2 t. chipotle powder
1/2 t. salt
2 t. dry mustard powder
1 c. butter, melted

Directions
Add all ingredients except butter into blender jar.  Melt butter and add to blender.  Blend at low speed 15-20 seconds, until it thickens.  (If you're careful, it'll all fit into a pint wide-mouth canning jar, using an immersion blender.  The six egg whites will fit in a one-cup canning jar.)

Makes ~2 c.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 16.0                    2 T.
Amount Per Serving
calories 125
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 13 g	20 %
Saturated Fat 8 g	39 %
Monounsaturated Fat 4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 100 mg	33 %
Sodium 157 mg	7 %
Potassium 15 mg	0 %
Total Carbohydrate 1 g	0 %
Dietary Fiber 0 g	0 %
Sugars 0 g
Protein 1 g	2 %
Vitamin A	9 %
Vitamin C	2 %
Calcium	1 %
Iron	1 %

Perfect Eggs Benedict

Ingredients
4 slices oven-cooked bacon
4 poached eggs
4 T. Hollandaise
2 English muffins (homemade or Sourdough) or 4 slices good bread, such as ciabatta or English muffin bread, barely toasted.

Directions
Pre-heat the oven for the bacon, as it will take the longest.  Put on the poaching water to boil and add the vinegar.  Arrange the bacon on the tray.  While waiting for the oven to heat and the water to boil, start the Hollandaise.  Put the bacon in the oven.  Adjust the water temperature as needed and watch it a bit to make sure it will stay at a constant simmer.  Use the lid if necessary.  Prepare a plate with paper towels to drain the bacon.  Slice the bread or split the muffins and place them in the toaster.  When the bacon is at least half done, slip the eggs into the simmering water.  (Wait longer if you want softer eggs.)  Start the bread for the lightest toasting.  Remove the bacon from the oven and drain on the prepared plate.  Add the butter and blend the Hollandaise.  Assemble the eggs Benedict:  toast, bacon, egg, Hollandaise.  Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Servings 2.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 475
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 29 g	45 %
Saturated Fat 13 g	65 %
Monounsaturated Fat 4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 562 mg	187 %
Sodium 697 mg	29 %
Potassium 78 mg	2 %
Total Carbohydrate 28 g	9 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g	4 %
Sugars 1 g
Protein 27 g	55 %
Vitamin A	21 %
Vitamin C	2 %
Calcium	28 %
Iron	18 %

Perfect Poached Eggs

Adapted from The Kitchn's How To Easily Poach an Egg

Ingredients
1.5" water in the bottom of the pan
4 large eggs
2 T. rice vinegar or other mild-tasting vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, if desired

Directions
Add 1.5" of water to the pan (I used a 4 qt. pot for four eggs) and bring to a boil on high.  Add the vinegar.  Take the water down to a simmer: Turn the heat down and let the water relax into a brisk simmer. You should see bubbles coming up to the surface, but it won't be rolling. (It's easier and quicker to control the simmer if you bring it to a boil first, then reduce the heat rather than trying to get it to the perfect simmer from the get-go.)  (Medium-low on my stove.  You can also control the simmer level using a lid.  Too close to boiling?  Remove the lid.  Not simmering enough?  Add the lid.)

Crack each egg into a small dish.  This will help you ease the egg into the water.

The vinegar is optional, but many people like to add vinegar to the boiling water because it helps the loose, billowy white cohere to itself and cook into a more compact shape. The taste is not noticeable in the finished egg, although you might notice a firmer, more "squeaky" texture to the white.

Use the dish to carefully lower the egg into the water and then tip it out into the water. Make sure the water is at a bare simmer.

Cook for 4 minutes for one egg, to obtain an egg halfway between gooey runny yolk and firm hard-boiled yolk.   Add 30 seconds for each additional egg.  5:30 was medium for the first two eggs (I need to shorten this time in the future) and a total of 7:30 was a creamy well-done for the second pair of eggs.  (The final cooking time for a poached egg is very much up to you, and it depends on how well you like your eggs done and how hot the water is. But 4 minutes, give or take, in lightly simmering water, will give you a firm white and a gooey but still runny yolk.)

Use a slotted spoon to remove the egg from the water.  Tip to drain excess water from the top.  Optionally, pat the egg dry lightly with a paper towel.

Season and eat! Place the poached egg on a salad, piece of toast, or a plate and season to taste with salt and pepper. Eat immediately!

Recipe Notes
Poaching Multiple Eggs: If you want to poach multiple eggs at once, make sure your pan is big enough to accommodate all your eggs without crowding them; poach in batches if necessary. Crack each egg into its own dish before you start and slip them into the water one after the next. Add an extra 30 seconds or so to the cooking time for each extra egg.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 2.0                    2 eggs
Amount Per Serving
calories 140
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9 g	14 %
Saturated Fat 3 g	15 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 430 mg	143 %
Sodium 130 mg	5 %
Potassium 0 mg	0 %
Total Carbohydrate 2 g	1 %
Dietary Fiber 0 g	0 %
Sugars 0 g
Protein 12 g	24 %
Vitamin A	12 %
Vitamin C	0 %
Calcium	4 %
Iron	8 %

Perfect Easy Bacon

Adapted from The Kitchn's How To Make Perfect Bacon in the Oven 

Ingredients
1 to 2 lbs. sliced uncured bacon (10-14 slices fit on one of my baking sheets)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 400°F.  If you're cooking 2 sheets of bacon, position a second rack in the top third of the oven.

Arrange the bacon on a baking sheet.  Lay the bacon on the baking sheet(s) in a single layer. The bacon can be close together, but don't let it overlap or the bacon will stick during cooking.

Bake the bacon. Bake until the bacon is deep golden-brown and crispy, 15 to 20 minutes. Exact baking time will depend on the thickness of the bacon and how crispy you like it. Begin checking around 12 minutes to monitor how quickly the bacon is cooking. The bacon fat will sputter and bubble as the bacon cooks, but shouldn't splatter the way it does on the stove top.  Using paper towels, mop up the bacon grease as needed so the bacon isn't totally submerged in grease.

Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Remove the bacon from the oven and use tongs to transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels to drain and finish crisping. Serve immediately.

Clean up:  Discard any excess grease and soak the pan(s) in water for easy cleanup. 

Recipe Notes

Even crispier bacon: For even crispier bacon, fit a metal rack over the foil-lined baking sheet and lay the raw bacon on the rack. Elevating the bacon allows it to cook from all sides and become extra-crispy.

Storage: Refrigerate leftover bacon for 1 week or freeze it for up to 3 months; warm the bacon in the microwave before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 6.0                  2 slices
Amount Per Serving
calories 90
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6 g	9 %
Saturated Fat 2 g	10 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 25 mg	8 %
Sodium 300 mg	13 %
Potassium 58 mg	2 %
Total Carbohydrate 1 g	0 %
Dietary Fiber 0 g	0 %
Sugars 0 g
Protein 10 g	20 %
Vitamin A	0 %
Vitamin C	0 %
Calcium	0 %
Iron	2 %

Apricot Blueberry Whey Protein Smoothie

Ingredients
1/2 c. water
3/8 c. plain 2% Greek yogurt
3/4 c. frozen blueberries
4-6 dried Turkish apricots
1-2 scoops whey protein powder, enough to add 20g protein

Directions
Blend and enjoy!

DIY Smoothie Pack Directions
Blend everything except the mango, water, and protein powder and freeze silicon 1 oz. ice cube trays. 6 cubes + frozen fruit + protein powder in a zipper bag.  Freeze.  Empty the bag into a blender.  Add 1/2 c. liquid and you have frozen yogurt / soft serve you have to eat with a spoon!  Let the smoothie pack contents thaw before blending if you have an older blender, or want a less thick smoothie.  Adding the protein powder thickens and "bulks" the smoothie and I haven't measured how it changes the volume in my DIY smoothie cubes.  

Nutrition Facts

Servings 1.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 286
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 2 g	3 %
Saturated Fat 1 g	6 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 11 mg	4 %
Sodium 59 mg	2 %
Potassium 601 mg	17 %
Total Carbohydrate 40 g	13 %
Dietary Fiber 5 g	21 %
Sugars 33 g
Protein 29 g	58 %
Vitamin A	3 %
Vitamin C	20 %
Calcium	109 %
Iron	7 %

Sheet-Pan Bleu Cheese Flank Steak with Garlic-Chile-Roasted Vegetables

Adapted from Eating Well's Sheet-Pan Steak and Potatoes

Ingredients
2 large white sweet potatoes, cut in 3/4" chunks
1 bunch asparagus, chopped
8 oz. mushrooms, quartered
1/4 large red onion, slivered
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 T. fresh rosemary, minced
1 serrano, minced
¾ t. salt, divided
¾ t. ground pepper, divided
1 lbs. flank steak
sprinkle chipotle powder
3 T. crumbled blue cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F.  Toss sweet potatoes with 1 T. oil, rosemary, and ¼ t. each salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast for 15 minutes.  Toss remaining vegetables with the remaining 1 T. oil and ¼ t. each salt and pepper in the bowl.  Stir into the potatoes on the baking sheet.  Sprinkle steak with the remaining ¼ t. each salt and pepper.  Place on top of the vegetables.  Roast until the steak is cooked and the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes more, topping the steak with the cheese for the last few minutes.  Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 350
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 14 g	21 %
Saturated Fat 4 g	20 %
Monounsaturated Fat 5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 59 mg	20 %
Sodium 658 mg	27 %
Potassium 536 mg	15 %
Total Carbohydrate 27 g	9 %
Dietary Fiber 6 g	22 %
Sugars 8 g
Protein 30 g	60 %
Vitamin A	290 %
Vitamin C	17 %
Calcium	8 %
Iron	25 %