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I have updated our recipe for the CIA Basic Hollandaise Sauce. Actually we have been using this recipe for quite a while now. There are some optional ingredients and some changes to the recipe. Enjoy the new version. The red powder is for “looks”. It is smoked paprika.
Salmon Benedict on a Spinach Bed and Fresh Idaho BFM Fruit – Israli Melon
There are several differednt types of Eggs Benedict that one can make. In fact, You can really make them any way you want. The key is in the Hollandaise Sauce, not the eggs combinations. Here are the 3 basic types.
BasIC Eggs Benedict is with ham’ Canadian Bacon or pancetta. Eggs Florentine is with sauteed spinach. Eggs Royale is with smoked salmon. All three breakfasts are created the same, starting with a toasted English muffin, poached eggs and topped with hollandaise sauce. Here is the recipe for Hollandaiuse Sauce that I make from scratch and we love. https://www.rockinrs.com/CIA-Basic-Hollandaise.pdf It may take some practice, but it’s worth it. Just don’t let the temperature get above 130 degrees F.
I have received many requests for my recipes for CS Bread Braid (Challah) and CS Pot Roast. (https://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Bread-Braid.pdf and https://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Pot-Roast.pdf) The bread braid I added a little sourdough starter, but you don’t have to0, just add the amount of starter you would as water to the water amount in the recipe. But we liked the slight tinge of sourdough in the breade. And to the pot roast I added some button mushrooms quartered. You can use any mushrooms you want.These recipes were fun to develop and are very good, IMNSHO (In My Not So Humble Opinion).If you try them, let us know what you think, or what you changed. And it is perfectly OK to say that you didn’t like it, just tell my why. Here are the photos of the final products.
CS Bread Braid. Great toasted or as French Toast.
French Toast using the Bread Braid I made
CS Pot Roast on Black Truffle Oil Mashed Potatoes and a Fresh Green Salad with Grapes and Mic5ro Greens
I have been working on some new recipes for the past several weeks. I have 3 that I will post here. Hope you like them. Let me know. The3re will be at least three new recipes. My favorite oven bbq pork ribs, a really good bbq sauce in the Memphis style – slightly tart, but also with a sweetness. A Memphis style bbq rub that is great on ribs, beef, pork and chicken. Then a side dish – corn fritters, since corn is now in season. I grew up on these and love them. Almost as good as a corn pie! Most, but not all of the ingredients in the posted recipes, come from the Boise Farmer’s Market (BFM) and I am grateful for their products and information. Use your local farmer’s markets. Enjoy!
Starting with the Oven BBQ Pork Ribs, I have created our version of a Memphis style bbq rub. Sweet, but tangy. Best to be very generous with this rub and the longer it “cures”, stays refrigerated for awhile – I let the ribs I was doing to rest (cure) in the refrigerator for 24 hours. But that length of time is not essential. 8 hours will also work. Don’t forget to let the meat come to room temperature before you cook it. This rub is full of sugar, sea salt, onion powder and garlic granules, Aleppo pepper, cumin and smoky paprika. Great on the pork In did and super on chicken.
The BBQ Sauce I came up with, https://www.rockinrs.com/CS-BBQ-Sauce.pdf, CS BBQ Sauce, is thick and rich. Slightly smoky. Slightly tangy. It includes red onion, minced garlic, ketchup, dark brown sugar, apple cider vinegar and pomegranate molasses among some other ingredients. Check the recipe by clicking the link.
Now, IMNSHO, In My Opinion Not So Humble Opinion, are super good! And they are done in the oven. (Can these be considered truly BBQ Ribs?) As plated here, we added some of our Doctored Baked Beans and a Corn Fritter. Drizzle some CS BBQ Sauce over the ribs (even go well with the beans) and Yum-O! They fall of the bone and have great flavors from the rub and the sauce.
And since I mentioned Corn Fritters, they go really great for breakfast with eggs. The eggs above are basted. A very Pennsylvania Dutch (German) treat. I was raised on these and they were aq hit when I made them for folks. Not hard to do. Fresh corn works best, but frozen corn can also be used. Here they are served with fresh fruit and homemade sourdough bread toast.
The last item I want to share is a sourdough bread we have been working on since January of this year. Created our own starter and it takes a while to develop and experiment making bread and other treats. Sourdough Blueberry Muffins, for one. (https://www.rockinrs.com/Sourdough-Blueberry-Muffins.pdf) This bread I have baking in a Romertopf Clay Pot and it comes out just great.It is a full flavored sourdough. Robust. Makes great toast and sandwiches. Great grilled cheese.
So there you are. Try these and let us know if you liked them or not. If not, let us know why. Cheers and Good Eating!
Every once in a while, one comes across a variation to a classic recipe or style. This one I was dubious of. Who wants to tamper with a classic Eggs Benedict? It took me about a week to build up the courage to do so and I was pleasantly surprised. This really isn’t bad. A change.
Using a basic and classic Hollandaise Sauce (https://www.rockinrs.com/CIA-Basic-Hollandaise.pdf ) some lightly toasted Jewish Rye or Marbled Rye can be used also, some ham – I used a thin sliced Black Forest Ham – poached eggs and asparagus with diced caramelized spring onions and their greens (put uncooked diced green onion and greens on the Hollandaise, which I forgot to do, so I put them with the asparagus).
Just a note on making a Hollandaise Sauce – Use fresh eggs, the fresher the better from your local farmer – and I used large or jumbos, which ever is available. But most important is to keep the temperature in your double boiler to 130 degrees F or lower!!! The sauce is likely to break making scrambled eggs if you don’t watch the temperature.
Have a good time with this if you make it. You can vary your Eggs Benedict anyway you want.
Sorry it has been so long since the last post. But things have been hectic. So now here are some meals that we have been working on. Some are using leftovers and therefore no real recipe. Others have recipes and posted with the photo of the meal. Hope you enjoy these. Let’s start with breakfast.
We had some Idaho produced polenta in the refrigerator so why not some Fried Polenta, Sausage Linjks and Basted eggs? That’s what we had. All very basic, except you might want to prepare the polenta on medium low heat to prevent burning. The eggs were basted – fry until whites are set then add water and a clear lid to steam the eggs. Only takes a minute or too. Found it works best with butter in the pan and not an oil.
Then there were what we like to call Eggs on Pillows. Basted eggs on “pillows” of fresh made hash browns. And then served with sausage links. Again, not difficult to make.
Now. Let’s move to dinners.
Nothing says one can not have a salad for dinner. Try this modified Caprice Salad, for example. Basically, a Caprice Salad -tomato, mozzarella cheese and lots of fresh basil. Then I added black olives and I had to use mozzarella string cheese – all I had. Then added celery and hard cooked eggs. and olive oil for a dressing. It worked. Different, but yummy!
And for dinner, a Tuscan Fried Chicken using Italian herb mix and some of our Herbs de Provence, http://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Herbs.pdf Topped each piece with some fresh basil. It was really good.
And then how about a Native American dish I called Totanka Stew. Totanka is Sioux for buffalo. The stew is a great one and we like it better than a beef stew. The buffalo was a sliced hump roast and the cut to bite sized pieces. http://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Totanka-Stew.pdf Not difficult to make, just takes a little time.
I pretty much failed to list my sources in the Boise area for beef, pork, eggs and lamb. Some of them will even ship to you. Check the links.
For beef I am using 2 different sources. The newest source for some awesome beef products is Van Lith Ranch, http://vanlithranch.com 200 S Pennsylvania Ave, Fruitland, Idaho 83619. (208) 452-3826. We had a fabulous standing prime rib from them. “At Van Lith Ranch, we raise ultra-premium grass-fed, grain-finished beef here in Idaho. Our family ranch is located on the banks of the Payette River where three generations of Van Liths have been raising beef cattle for over 70 years. We use that generational knowledge and experience to hand-select only the highest of quality animals for our Van Lith Ranch line of meat and that personal attention and dedication shows in every mouthwatering bite.”
Another fabulous source for beef and pork is Malheur River Meats, http://malheurrivermeats.com 4276 John Day Hwy, Vale, OR 97918.(208) 573-1058. Awesome beef, but fantastic thick cut, bone in pork chops. They even have pork chops for stuffing which are cut even thicker. They carry eggs, too, in season. And, you can get a change in red meat by eating buffalo from Browns Buffalo Ranch in Nyssa, https://cunninghampasturedmeats.com/vendors/browns-buffalo-ranch. Great meat, especially the steaks and hump roast.
For eggs and lamb, awesome lamb chops, we use Meadowlark Farms Idaho, https://www.meadowlarkfarmidaho.com/ 9904 Southside Blvd, Nampa, Idaho. 83686 (208) 466-4806. A superb source for outstanding lamb products.
And speaking of eggs, Meadowlark Farms eggs make an awesome Hollandaise sauce and Eggs Benedict. Just look at these. This was delicious! Even went so far as to try Jacque Pepin’s style. Think I will use it again and again and again!
Not local by any means. Braised Scallops on a bed of Spinach and Chard with a light Béchamel and a Cucumber and Radish Salad with Sour Cream. Such a yum dinner. Served with a wonderful and well pared 2020 Parma Ridge Winery Chardonnay, http://www.parmaridge.wine/. They also have an awesome bistro at the winery. Superb food along with the superb wine. But make a reservation first. Check the link. Happy cooking! (BP-MJ)
We recently made/created a version of the classic Beef Stroganoff as pictured above. (The recipe can be found here – http://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Stroganoff.pdf). The original recipe did not call for vodka. But this is a Russian dish, so vodka is a must. We did not, however, use the traditional potato based vodka, but rather a corn based. An entirely different flavor level and profile. Seems to me to be more inline with White Lightning. The button mushrooms cut into about 1/4″ slices. Also, we added some chopped fresh rosemary, which was awesome.But look at the recipe and see what you think. We are always open to suggestions.
And then one morning, Robin asked for an Avocado and Tomato Omelet. Never thought of this combination, but it was really good. No, did not cook the avocado or the tomato, Serve with a good fresh fruit mix. In this case, blueberries and cantaloupe. CROW bread toasted from Acme Bakeshop in Boise. Great combination.
Fun time in the kitchen this past late summer. Mostly “playing” Chopped of the Kitchen: “These are the ingredients, make something edible!” In other words, mostly no recipe, just do it!
And let’s remember: The best ingredients are not processed ingredients, but rather go to your local Farmers Market. Visit your local fruit stand. You control what ingredients to use, not a major super market. Although, there are some really good super markets available, Just look at the ingredients and where the fruits and vegetables are grown, In My Not So Humble Opinion. Buy Local! Look at some of these meals. Enjoy, we did! Here is a link to Kelley’s Canyon Orchards for fantastic fruits. Look in the sidebar for more links to some fantastic produce and farm products.
Shrimp Omelet with Herbal Hollandaise Sauce. Here is the recipe that we use for making our own – from scratch – Hollandaise Sauce. CIA Basic Hollandaise Sauce. We modified this one to add fresh herbs, from the garden.
Robin said she wanted a toasted shredded wheat biscuit for breakfast with bananas. I added the blueberries. The biscuit has brown sugar on it that is caramelized with a torch.
Or how about this Toasted Whole Wheat Sandwich with Avocado and Tomato for breakfast. The tomato was from True Roots Gardens and the Whole Wheat was from Acme Bakeshop. Both vendors are at the Boise Farmers Market,
German Benedict for breakfast. The Hollandaise is linked above. Why a German Benedict? The spices on the Air Fried potatoes is a blend or German spices.
You like Eggs Benedict? Look at these.
Salmon Benedict on a Bed of Spinach and Fresh Idaho BFM Fruit – Israeli Melon (Awesome!) and Blueberries. The Hollandaise is linked above and we added tarragon and thyme from our garden.
Grilled Brisket Benedict on a Bed of Spinach on Toasted Acme Bakeshop Sourdough and Fresh BFM Fruit. The Hollandaise is linked above and we added tarragon and thyme from our garden.
Grilled brisket? Or AirFryer goodies? Here was an awesome meals.
German Potato Salad
Grilled Brisket, German Potato Salad, Fresh BFM Fruit and Cowboy Beans 2017 Parma Ridge Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Chicken? How about AirFryer Asian Chicken and Grilled Baby Bok Choy and Green Salad Here is the recipe: AF Asian Chicken.
AirFryer Steak with Sauteed Summer Squash and Fresh Beet and Beet Green Salad Here is the recipe – AF Ribeye Steak
AirFryer Pork Chop, Green Peas, Potato Cubes and Cantaloupe Malheur River Meats is where we got these pork chops. Awesome products! See their link in the sidebar.
Crab Cakes with Caprese Salad
Cognac Shrimp Reduction
Cognac Shrimp with Vegetables
So there are some of our meals. We eat well and very good. Thank goodness for the Boise Farmers Market every weekend during the season. Be sure to check our recipe file above. It gets updated regularly. Cheers and Cook Your Own Meals – They’re better!
Joe Mamma’s Eatery, (208) 939-3917, 3510 N Eagle Rd, Meridian, ID 83646. “Joe Momma’s is owned and operated by Kathleen Wise and Danette Smith. Danette Smith has over 20 years of experience owning and operating successful restaurants. Danette Smith was owner and operator of 9th Street Sandwiches for 2 years, which she then sold to pursue Moon’s Kitchen Cafe, which she owned and operated for 10 years until selling the restaurant in 2001.” [Website] They have an awesome breakfast menu that will challenge Goldy’s Breakfast Bistro or Manley’s – remember them all of you in Boise?. The dining area is large and spacious. The Waite Staff is good and eager to help, especially our Server, Rachel. Our breakfast plates were quite large and all made fresh. Yes! Fresh crab cakes made from Blue Crab, fresh carnitas from pork and housemade Hollandaise sauce.
A well deserved 5-Star rating mainly for the quality of the food they serve. (The oatmeal that someone ordered was huge!)
Here are some photos from our visit. Enjoy! But first. Robin also had a pancake with her breakfast. It had to be 14″ in diameter! She brought it home. Left-Click any photo to see it enlarged.
The patio area. 8 tables
Their coffee mugs!
Pork Carnitas Benedict with Housemade Hollandaise and Potatoes and Avocado Slices
Crab Cake (Blue Crab) Benedict and Housemade Holandaise with Potatoes