Simplified Eggs Benedict

I was going to make a delicious breakfast Saturday morning before we had our anniversary celebration. Well, it didn't happen. Our church had a softball tournament Saturday morning starting at 8:30, Lou didn't wake up until 7:45... so we had cereal. We'd save it for Sunday. Well, Sunday we were invited to breakfast with some friends and the breakfast was bumped again.

So this became the first-day-of-school meal. Yes, AC had his first day of Law School this morning. He needed some protein to get his mind going and off his stomach. (Eggs are brain food, did you know?) So I made my version of Eggs Benedict. The sauce is not that similar to a hollandaise sauce except for in texture, and slightly in color. But I don't use eggs and there is much less butter (So that makes it healthy right?). It is much easier to make. My roommate actually taught me how to make this sauce, she called it her egg gravy. By the way, she hates mustard but still uses it in this, so the taste is not strong at all for all you mustard-haters.

Simplified Eggs Benedict

egg gravy, see below
4 eggs
4 slices of Canadian bacon, heated up in small frying pan
2 English muffins, cut in half and toasted

Faux-Hollandaise aka Egg Gravy

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp yellow mustard
1 1/2 c milk
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter over medium heat in saucepan. Add flour and stir with wooden spoon until slightly golden in color. Add mustard and a little salt and pepper. Slowly add the milk, a few tablespoons at a time until well incorporated. Once all milk is in, bring to a soft boil until the thickness is to your liking. If it gets too thick you can add more milk.
Poach eggs and toast just before ready to eat. To poach eggs bring water to a soft boil, turn heat to low. Drop eggs in gently and let simmer over low for about 4-6 minutes or until yolks are hard enough for you. To test, push gently on the yolk with the back of a spoon. Remove with slotted spoon and drain off water.
To assemble place English muffin, then Canadian bacon, then egg, then sauce. Serve immediately and eat up (cause nobody likes cold eggs).
Serves 2.

Tips:

• Here is the timing I like to do (I like my eggs on the runny-side):
• 1. Put water on stove to boil
• 2. Start egg gravy
• 3. Once you added milk to the gravy - place eggs in the water, English muffins under the broiler (or in toaster if I am making this for one).
• 4. Once gravy is almost thick enough, warm up Canadian bacon.
• 5. Assemble with all ingredients ready at the same time (or almost).
• I have heard lots of tricks of how to keep your egg whites together and have less of that web-y stuff in your water. But really, the only thing that really works for me is to have the freshest eggs possible. Look at the date on the box and make sure you are getting the newest eggs in the store.