Mother of the Year

Last night I decided to make my Lime Buttered Salmon. I love eating my salmon with brussel sprouts so that's exactly what I did. In fact, I love making brussel sprouts with just about everything. It has become my favorite side vegi, and my kids too. Yep, that's right. I remember the first time I served it to them, the look in their eyes were like, "ya right mom, your kidding me right?!". After a little bribing they finally tried them and loved them! I knew they would. (and yes, for a moment I did feel like Mother of the Year). The reason for this is because they are not steamed but instead roasted. So long are the days of steamed brussel sprouts that have a nasty bitter taste to them. And hello roasted perfection.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Garlic and Lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1lb brussel sprouts
1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt
pepper
garlic powder or 1 clove of fresh garlic, minced
1/2 lemon

Half the brussel sprouts and place in a bowl. Mix sprouts with olive oil then lay them evenly on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook for 10 minutes, stir and then sprinkle with galic. Place back in oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until tender and leaves start to brown.

Remove from oven and squeeze lemon over the top. Enjoy!

Getting Saucy

  As I have promised, here is my favorite hollandaise sauce recipe. Recently, I just discovered the succulent egg's benedict. I never ordered it before because it is traditionally served with a english muffin and canadian bacon. I was at the Chuck Wagon here in Corona, CA (my favorite breakfast joint) and I decided to try it with some of my substitutions. I ordered it with a grilled tomato and over hashbrowm potatoes. It was great! So now I like to experiment in restaurants and at home. I'm able to cook this at home because I found a fabulous recipe for the hollandaise sauce from no other then, well, you guessed it, Julia Childs! It was in her "My Life in France" book as one of her "top secret" recipes. I now serve it drizzled on my almond chicken and I love to drizzle it over vegetables if I'm looking to "class up" a dish. Sky's the limit with this sauce so get creative!


Hollandaise Sauce:
for vegetables, fish, eggs, and where a delicately-flavored sauce is desired

2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) of natural butter
2 organic egg yolks
1/8 teaspoon salt; ground pepper
dash of cayenne

Lay a cloth (damp preferred) on a flat surface and place on it a small bowl.  (Cloth keeps the bowl from sliding about).

Place the egg yolks in the bowl and whisk until yolks become thick and sticky (about 1 minute). Beat in the lemon juice, salt, pepper and cayenne (1/2 minute).

Place butter over moderate heat to melt, then raise heat and bring to the boil. Boil is reached just when the butter begans to crackle loudly, indicating it's water content has started to evaporate. Immediately remove from heat at this point so it does not brown. Holding butter pan in left hand, wire whisk in right hand, pour the boiling butter in a thin stream of droplets onto the egg yolks, beating so all the butter is being continously absorbed. The hot butter cooks and thickens the yolks as they absorb it. For most purposes, sauce should have enough body to hold its shape as a mass in spoon. Taste for seasoning. Add more lemon juice if necessary. And most importantly, enjoy!!