Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Build your own Benedicts for #BrunchWeek 2015

BrunchWeek 2015 LogoWelcome to the third annual #BrunchWeek hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Shaina from Take A Bite Out Of Boca. We are so excited to have you join us this year! Celebrate Brunch with us this week as we prepare for Mother's Day. 30 Bloggers from around the country will showcase their best brunch dishes, from cocktails to casseroles, breakfast breads, sandwiches and salads - there is something for everyone!


This is day two of this wonderful event we are celebrating called #BrunchWeek.  This event is going all week long. This is one heck of a party and we have a lot of great sponsors who have provided us with products and inspiration for a pile of great brunch recipes. Take a look at what the sponsors are offering our readers!!

Today's brunch offering uses two of our sponsored products.  A wonderful Farmhouse Reserve Cheddar Cheese from Cabot Creamery Cooperative and the grapes provided by Woot Froot. I love Benedicts, plain old Eggs Benedict with Canadian Bacon, but also Benedicts made with fresh or steamed vegetables, bacon or sausage or deli meats, with cheese or without, served on an English Muffin or Biscuit or Toast or with no bread at all....it is all just a matter of taste.  Take your favorite items, top them with a perfectly poached egg, drizzle them with my easy peasy Hollandaise sauce and you have a Benedict to enjoy.


I made a platter with Toasted English Muffins, Steamed Spinach and Asparagus, Deli Honey Ham and Cabot Farmhouse Reserve Cheddar Cheese.


Added some Poached Eggs and let people help themselves and put together their creation before topping it with Hollandaise and garnishing with some chives, fresh from my garden.
I had one person who had their Benedict sans egg.
The eggs are easily removed from the simmering water using a slotted spoon
I used the one I was gifted from Le Creuset.


And one guest who made 3 different Benedicts.
One with ham and cheese, one with asparagus and cheese and one with spinach.


As for me give me asparagus in the Springtime with a side of juicy, delicious grapes from WootFroot.

Build your own Benedicts

1 English Muffin, per person being served
butter
2 eggs per person being served
1 T. white vinegar
Salt
Cheese of choice ( I used Cabot Cheddar)
Meat (s) of choice (I used Honey Ham)
Vegetables of choice, steamed or sauteed if desired (I used spinach and asparagus)

Hollandaise Sauce (for every 4 people use the following amounts)
2 egg yolks
juice from 1/4 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
dash of cayenne pepper
6 T. butter, melted

Toast and butter English Muffins, keep warm under heat lamp or in 200* oven.  Fill a deep skillet with about 2" of water.

Prepare your platter with choice of items, prepping them as required.  Set aside at room temperature.

Add the vinegar and a large pinch of salt to the water and heat to simmering over med high heat. Add the eggs, first cracking them, one at a time into a small bowl and then sliding them from the bowl into the simmering water, reduce heat to med and allow eggs to simmer, ladling with the hot water, until whites are just set and the yolk is runny.  Remove eggs with a slotted spoon, as they finish cooking, one at a time and place into small bowls for serving.

While eggs are simmering, place yolks, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cayenne into a blender and blend at low speed for a few seconds, slowly start pouring the butter into the yolk mixture as the blender continues to run on slow speed until the sauce thickens.  Place Hollandaise sauce in a thermos or insulated gravy bowl to stay warm.

Allow guests to assemble Benedicts to their taste.  Drizzle with Hollandaise and sprinkle with chopped chives or parsley to garnish.  Print Recipe

Disclaimer: Thank you to #BrunchWeek Sponsors: Bob’s Red Mill, Cabot Creamery Cooperative, California Walnuts, Dixie Crystals, Grimmway Farms/Cal-Organic/True Juice, KitchenAid, Le Creuset, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Pacari Chocolate, Stonyfield Organic, Vidalia Onions, and Woot Froot for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #BrunchWeek. All opinions are my own.

Take a look at what the #BrunchWeek Bloggers are cooking up today!


BrunchWeek Beverages:
Oat-Chata from Culinary Adventures with Camilla.

BrunchWeek Egg Dishes:
Build Your Own Benedicts from A Day in the Life on the Farm.
Ham, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Egg Muffin Cups from Cupcakes & Kale Chips.

BrunchWeek Breads, Grains and Pastries:
Donut Holes with a Trio of Dipping Sauces from The Redhead Baker.
Trail Mix Granola from Making Miracles.
Bananas Foster Baked Oatmeal from The Suburban Soapbox.

BrunchWeek Main Dishes:
Vegetarian Breakfast Enchiladas from The Spiffy Cookie.

BrunchWeek Fruits, Vegetables and Sides: 
Caramelized Onion and Sweet Potato Hash from Take A Bite Out Of Boca.
Asparagus and Heirloom Carrots Salad from Jane's Adventures in Dinner.
Roasted Grape & Bleu Cheese Bruschetta from Bread Booze Bacon.
Papas con Chorizo from Sew You Think You Can Cook.

BrunchWeek Desserts: 
Whiskey Walnut Tart from Love and Confections.

12 comments:

  1. What a great idea for brunch!

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  2. I love all these build your own ideas this week. And I adore benedicts so when can I come over?

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    1. Well anytime Erin. That's what's great about this brunch, you just use whatever you have on hand.

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  3. What a FUN idea! I would never have thought about how to do a DIY benedict. Genius, Wendy.

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  4. Those look delicious! I have to make a poached egg for breakfast. Yum

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  5. Love this!!! I adore eggs benedict but have never made them at home - this sounds like a fun weekend project. :)

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