Eggs Benedict

Because I had an English muffin…EGGS BENEDICT! My small batch hollandaise sauce: 2 Egg yokes1 tspn lemon juice1/4 tspn spanish paprika1/4 tspn crushed black pepper.1/4 stick of butter, melted Whip the egg yokes well, whisk in the lemon juice, then butter, all while continuing to whisk. Add pepper and paprika. Construction: • Toasted English Muffin• Slice of pan seared Black Forest ham (I seared mine in a little Spanish olive oil).• Poached egg• Hollandaise sauce• Fine grated Gruyere Cheese• Fresh ground black pepper• Garnish of...

2025 Pickled Eggs

Every so often I get the hankering for a pickled egg. And every time I make them a little different. This latest batch is now my favorite. Put your eggs in a saucepan, cover with water. Bring to a boil and set a timer for 20 minutes. Move them to an ice bath and peel. 1 part apple cider vinegar1 part white vinegar1 part waterA good grind of black peppercorn1 TBS on Kevin Bolton’s Creole Seasoning1 tspn of Flatiron’s 4-pepper blend1 heaping TBS of minced garlic2 TBS Beet powder This time I added no sugar (usually agave) or salt. I just mixed the ingredients, no boiling, and tossed in the eggs. The ones in the photo have been soaking for about a week. And they are fantastic. My favorite...

Peppercorn Steak with Garlic Butter Mushrooms

Red Meat Monday returns! I actually had the idea of a steak with a peppercorn sauce, but the key to that is shallots, and the Food Lion had none. So in the store I decided on a peppercorn steak with a garlic mushroom side. It was delicious! I dried a rib-eye and used my spice grinder (formerly my coffee grinder, but for Christmas I gave myself a coffee maker with a grinder built in) to coarsely grind a good amount of black peppercorns. I coated the carefully dried steak with the peppercorns and a hint of Himalayan Salt. While that rested, I cleaned a pint of white button mushrooms and sauteed them in a mix of butter and Spanish olive oil. After initial browning, I added a quarter of a fine diced sweet onion and about 8 small cloves of diced garlic. When they...

Valentine’s Shrimp & Grits

For a Valentine’s weekend we prepared the perfect meal. Shrimp & Grits! Make your shrimp marinade. Simple melted butter and garlic is fine. We mixed a creole seasoning (Kevin Bolton’s) with Spanish olive oil, Flatiron 4-pepper blend, Spanish paprika and fresh crushed black pepper. We tossed in 10 peeled jumbo shrimp and let them rest. Ingredients: 1 to 2 lbs. Shrimp 1-2 TBS. butter 1 TBS. olive oil ½ medium onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 red bell pepper, chopped ½ lb. Andouille Sausage, rough diced ¼ c. dry white wine 1 cans fir roasted diced tomatoes 2 c. chicken broth (*we used bone broth) ½ c. half & half 1 c. quick cooking grits Ground pepper 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Melt 1Tb butter...

Spanish Black Bean Stew

Potaje de Alubias Negras is for dinner tonight. This is a Spanish Black Bean Stew. It’s a wonderful one-pot meal for a cold, snowy Colonial Beach evening. 2 tbsp extra virgin olive1 medium onion5 cloves garlic1 green bell pepper2 carrots, peeled, sliced thin1 tbsp red wine vinegar1 tsp sweet smoked paprika1/2 tsp ground cumin2 tomatoes (grated) or a can of fire roasted diced.2 medium potatoes, I used 4 small yellow2-3 cups chicken bone broth, as needed3 cans black beans, low sodium1 bay leafsea salt & black pepperfresh parsley for garnish For protein, I half chopped a section of turkey kielbasa and fine chopped the other portion. I do this with most meals that have any kind of sausage. I want good bites, but I also want it to become part of the...