Eggs Benny go Vegetarian

One of my absolute all time favorite breakfasts is Eggs Benny. I could eat this every day of my life and though I would be huge, I would be in heaven.
Oh and I guess this is pretty obvious so far, but I am an ovo-lacto vegetarian, so my recipes do have eggs and dairy in them. 
This eggs benny doesn't have ham or any veggie form of it, though I am sure it would be delicious if you added some veggie breakfast meat of some sort if you would like. I was never a big fan of ham, or bacon, or sausage so it is not something that I usually buy in vegetarian form.
 FYI the hollandaise sauce I make, is not  your average hollandaise, this is the stuff I grew up with. My mom has always made this recipe and to me it is the only way to do it. The sauce has a bit more of a bight to it from the lemon juice and dry mustard, it brings hollandaise to a whole new level.

Eggs Benny for the Vegetarian

 Serves 2

 Ingredients

•  2 whole wheat english muffins
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach
• 4-5 white mushrooms
• 1 shallot (diced)
• salt and pepper 
• 4 eggs

Hollandaise Sauce

• 2 egg yolks
• 1Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter

Like I had said before, this hollandaise recipe came from my mom. A few years ago she made me a cookbook with all of her recipes I grew up on, this book is my far the cookbook I use the most.

 

(My mom is a wonderful cook and I give her full credit for my love of cooking)

The first thing to do is get everything prepared. Having little things ready from the start like your english muffins cut and waiting in the toaster, and veggies chopped will make it much easier to throw everything together and have it ready at the same time.

This was my first chance to use my beautiful new egg poacher. Now when using an egg poacher, make sure to spray each little cup with cooking spray. otherwise your eggs will stick and it will be messy trying to get them out.

 

(isn't it beautiful)

Getting the veggies ready

Spray a medium sized pan with cooking oil and turn the heat up to medium high. Toss in your chopped shallots and mushrooms and let them cook and soften.

 

This is a good time to start your hollandaise sauce. Now this sauce will be made using a mini food processor (not on the stove). 

Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, dry mustard, and salt into the food processor and blend.

Sorry for the jumping back and forth, But the timing is important to ensure everything is done at the same time, and you can serve your breakfast hot.

Now get your eggs in the poacher and fill the base with water, cover and turn the burner onto med/high to high. 

Return to your pan with the mushrooms and shallots and add 4 cups of fresh baby spinach. The spinach will reduce quite a bit so don't worry, though it sounds like a lot it will be perfect.

Don't forget to turn your toaster on

Okay so the last step of the hollandaise can be done while your eggs are cooking and your veggies are softening.

Place the butter into a bowl and heat it in the microwave until bubbling and HOT. You want to make sure the butter is all melted and again HOT because this is what is going to be bringing your sauce together.

This is the tricky part.

You want to hold the blend button on your food processor with your other ingredients in it, while you SLOWLY (I can't stress this enough) pour the hot butter through the little holes in the lid of the processor. 

It should look like this

 If you poor the butter in too quickly, or do not blend while you do it, the sauce will separate. (though it will still taste delicious it won't look the same or have that wonderful creamy texture)

At this time your veggies should be just about ready. You want all of the water to have come out of the spinach so you do not end up with a soggy english muffin. Season veggies with salt and pepper to taste.

Take your english muffins out of the toaster and using tongs place your spinach and mushroom mix onto each piece.

 Pop your eggs out of the poacher and place the little cup upside down over your spinach and the egg should come right out.

Now spoon on your hollandaise (the best part)

 YUMMM!

  I am already craving more