Wasn't she just a wee little bairn not too long ago??
What did she want for her birthday?
Her "Mommy's Eggs Benedict" So I invited her and her boyfriend, Tristan, Jesse's dad Dave and her sister over with me and Harry for Jesse's birthday celebration dinner on Sunday afternoon.
We are quite silly when we get together!
Jesse and Tristan make a cute couple, don't you think?
Tristan is a good kid.
He is responsible, hard working and funny as all get out too.
I don't think I've ever had a better batch than the ones I made yesterday.
ANYWHERE.
I defy anyone to make a better batch and I welcome the challenge to a cook off.
When Jesse asked me to make them special, I said "Yes, of course! But honey, I'm not currently buying meat. But bring some ham if you want it on yours and I'll cook it for you."
(I'm having a rebellion towards the way Agribusiness is treating food animals.)
ANYWAYS....surely I digress.
ahem.
She brought a goodly sized piece of ham.
Note: Harry has not had meat for 3 weeks. I was not going to stop him if he wanted to eat what was gifted if he decided to imbibe.
So, I made up the Eggs Benedict the regular way, (I will give you my AMAZING recipe below) and I also made a Vegetarian version without the ham. Instead I substituted some sauteed kale as one layer, and a layer of sauteed mushrooms in my veggie version. The eggs came from local small farms. I have no guilt.
Well, Jesse thought that the mushrooms sounded like a great idea and added them to her traditional plate of Eggs, English Muffin, Ham and Sauce. She LOVED it.
Harry, Dave and I had my version. It ROCKED!!
Harry then had a second plate with the Eggs Benedict with Ham. He said it was also very good, but he was surprised that it "wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be." He said, "I thought it would pop into my mouth with this big taste, but it was really very salty and quite diminished."
Result?
I think the Veggie Version won. I know it did.
I offer this to you, my foodie dearie darlings!
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Merlyn's Eggs Benedict Recipe
"Merlyn's Mocking Hollandaise"
1 large can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
5 egg yolks
Generous splash of lemon juice
Dash of Franks' Red Hot Sauce
1 stick of butter, melted
In a blender, combine soup, egg yolks, lemon juice and hot sauce. Blend till smooth. While blending, SLOWLY drizzle in the melted butter. Let blend for about another minute or 2. Pour sauce into a pan, and heat on low till cooked and bubbly. Don't let it burn. Bubbles will form on side of pan. It will thicken.
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EGGIE VEGGIE VERSION
In a kettle, tear washed kale leaves into bite sized pieces. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of tamari. (soy sauce). Cook down covered on low until soft. Set aside.
In a sautee pan, cook sliced mushrooms in some olive oil and a drizzle of soy sauce. Cook till browned and soft. Set aside.
Cook eggs sunny side up. Soft yolk. When ready to assemble, the sauce will "cook" the tops of the eggs.
Assembly as follows on plate:
2 Toasted dry English Muffin halves (you don't need to butter it. Good God there's enough butter in the sauce!)
Topped with layer of Kale, layer of Mushrooms, 2 eggs and a ladle of the Mocking Hollandaise.
Sprinkle of parsley or cilantro on top.
I wish I had a picture, but I was busy cooking, chatting, and loving up my family to remember taking one!
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VOILA!
OMG. It was TOO delicious to be true.
You are Welcome.
While I cleaned up the dishes, the kids visited with Harry, Dave and I continued to chat while he made a batch of Chocolate Chip cookies in my kitchen. Yes, my ex husband and I are still very good buds.
We are family still and always will be.
Dave and I have a bizzare sense of humor. We stayed together for 17 years married and 23 years as a couple because we make each other laugh. A LOT.
Jesse had NO Choice but to be silly too, with Dave and I as Parents.
She got her bawdy wit and and outrageous silliness from me, her mother...
He's a great guy and a fabulous dad for my girls!
But wait! There's more...
Add in her fun and silly Step Dad, Harry...
Add in some Merry Mischief to her life....
And well....
She's turned out RIGHT NICE.
Smart! Silly & she has grown into an AWESOME fun lady with wit, intellect and a bit of bizarreness that we all need and admire!
Beautiful!
We finished our day with a lovely snuggle on the couch, chatted and laughed all afternoon....
added a warm chocolate chip cookie out of the oven with hot coffee...
It was the PERFECT topper to a perfect day.
We didn't need a big birthday cake. Just a little something sweet. Just like Jesse. :)
Jesse dubbed it, "The Best Birthday Dinner EVER."
Happy Early Natal Day to my darling girl Jesse!! She's the best.
And I am VERY Proud of the Lady you have become.
1 comment:
What a beautiful tribute to your special day and your special girl. I always wish more time to chat with Jesse when the family gets together (which isn't enough on my end :( ) She's beautiful. Happy Birthday Jesse!!
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