Hollandaise Sauce in a Blender

Hollandaise Sauce in a Blender

by | May 31, 2023 | Breakfast, Dinner, Ladies of the Manor Recipes, Recipes, Side

Hollandaise Sauce in a Blender!

Hollandaise was once the most temperamental of sauces…but that was before blenders made it quick, easy, AND delicious!

Printable Version

Makes

8-12 servings

Prep time:

5 minutes

Total Time:

10 minutes

Good For:

Dinner, Breakfast, Side

Inroduction

About this Recipe

I’ll be honest. I hadn’t had Hollandaise sauce until a couple years ago…when I was inspired by my own writing to try it out, LOL. In The Lost Heiress, Brook is facing down a moody chef at Whitby Park, and he chides her for interrupting him when he’s making Hollandaise, the most temperamental of sauces. Which I chose by looking up “most temperamental dishes” or something like that. Back in the day, one whisked this sauce by hand, and you literally couldn’t stop or it would separate.

Well, thank heavens for blenders! Seriously. You can now make this “most temperamental of sauces” in half a blink, just by tossing it into a blender instead of using a whisk. Woot!

The recipe I first tried called for a tablespoon of lemon juice, and I found that to be WAY to sour for my family’s taste. I dialed it back to a teaspoon, and my husband said, “Yeah, little more than that, please.” So my instructions say to start with 2 teaspoons, but add more to taste. (I liked it with only 1 teaspoon, LOL.)

It’s also very important to note that the temperamental soul of the sauce is still there. You MUST drizzle–don’t pour all at once!–that melted butter into the egg base WHILE the blender is running! If you don’t, you’ll end up with a mess. (Ask me how I know.)

Serve over eggs benedict, aspargus, chicken, pork, or anything else that needs a jolt of salty, rich deliciousness! This recipe makes A LOT, so you’ll have plenty to try on a variety of things. 😉

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 10 tablespoons salted butter
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoons – 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Dash of cayenne
  1. Melt the butter in a spouted measuring cup.
    .
  2. Put egg yolks and lemon juice in a blender. If using unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon salt to it. Blend on medium high speed until the egg yolks lighten, about 30 seconds.
    .
  3. Turn blender to lowest setting. While running, slowly dribble in the butter. After butter is added, taste for salt and lemon juice, adding more of either if needed.
    .
  4. Transfer to a container you can pour it from and keep it warm (not hot) until you’re ready to use.
Printable Version

From the Books

Hollandaise Sauce is specifically mentioned in The Lost Heiress, when the Brook interrupts the chef while he’s making it and he’s none too happy about it.

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Cannellini Dip

Cannellini Dip

by | Apr 5, 2023 | Recipes, Shadowed Loyalty Recipes, Side

Cannellini Dip

White beans pair with sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and parmesan for a smooth and delicious dip. Try it with fresh veggies, bread, or pita!

Printable Version

sMakes

2 cup

Prep time:

2 minutes

Total Time:

5 minutes

Good For:

Side

Inroduction

About this Recipe

Dips play a big part in Mediterranean fare, and this white bean dip has a sturdy base thanks to the nutrient-packed beans, but also a big burst of flavor with familiar Italian flavors like basil, parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes. Lemon juice brightens the mixture, and a touch of salt will heighten the flavors.

But how to eat this delicious cannellini bean dip? You can boost your healthy intake by dipping your choice of fresh veggies in it; broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, bell pepper slices. It also pairs perfectly with pita crackers (I’m especially fond of it with Town House’s Mediterranean Herb flavor!) or a few slices of baguette.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 1 15-oz can cannellini beans (white beans), drained and rinsed
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 4-5 sun dried tomatoes packed in oil (to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil or 1 tablespoon basil paste, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  1. Combine all ingredients to a blender or food processor.
    .
  2. Process until beans are all broken up and the mixture is the consistency of hummus.
    .
  3. Add more seasoning to suit your tastes, as necessary.
    .
  4. Serve with pita chips, fresh veggies, or on hearty bread like a baguette.
Printable Version

From the Books

This Italian side would have been enjoyed by the families in Shadowed Loyalty.

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Apple Clay (Charoset)

Apple Clay (Charoset)

by | Mar 25, 2023 | Biblical Fiction Recipes, Recipes, Side

Apple Clay (Charoset)

Part of the traditional Passover seder, this sweet apple “clay” represents the brick and mortar the Israelites used in their captivity.

Printable Version

Makes

1 cup

Prep time:

2 minutes

Total Time:

5 minutes

Good For:

Side

Inroduction

About this Recipe

My favorite part of the Passover Seder meal has to be this: apple clay, or charoset in Hebrew.

What, you ask, is apple clay? In the context of the seder, it’s a sweet mixture slightly red in color that represents the brick and mortar the Israelites were forced to make while in captivity in Egypt. It’s made of simple ingredients, all chopped up and blended together into a smoothie-like consistency: apples (I like honeycrisp or gala for this), almonds, honey, cinnamon, and grape juice.

Then comes the next question…how do you eat it? In the seder meal, it’s usually eaten with matzah or unleavened bread, along with a bit of horseradish, which are the bitter herbs that call to mind the bitterness and tears of that captivity. We’ve found that this apple clay pairs perfectly with my unleavened bread with honey and enjoy it as a special treat together!

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 1 medium apple
  • ¼ cup almonds
  • ½ cup grape juice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  1. Chop the apple into small pieces—no need to peel it first!
    .
  2. Combine chopped apple and all other ingredients in a blender or food processor.
    .
  3. Pulse until a coarse clay is formed; it should be thicker than a smoothie but close.
    .
  4. Serve with matzah, unleavened bread, crackers, or with other fruit slices.
    Printable Version

    From the Books

    Charoset would have been served with every Passover in my Biblical stories and is particularly mentioned in At His Feet…Mary sends Magdalene to Jesus with his favorite apple clay for what turns out to be the Last Supper. This is definitely the version I had in mind!

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    Best Ever Macaroni and Cheese

    Best Ever Macaroni and Cheese

    by | Mar 25, 2023 | Culper Ring Recipes, Dinner, Recipes, Shadowed Loyalty Recipes, Side, Yesterday's Tides Recipes

    Best Ever Macaroni and Cheese

    A creamy, cheesy mac and cheese that will please the pickiest eaters. The only mac & cheese recipe you’ll ever need!

    Printable Version

    Servings

    8-10

    Prep time:

    5 minutes

    Total Time:

    35 minutes

    Good For:

    Dinner, Side

    Inroduction

    About this Recipe

    I admit it. I never grew out of my love of macaroni and cheese…and I passed the love right along to my kids. We have tasted and sampled and tried making a variety of recipes over the years, and the results ranged from gross and globby to…this. Perfection in a pan. Based on a recipe from Martha Stewart and then tweaked to our tastes, this one is now the ONLY recipe I ever make.

    The History of Macaroni and Cheese

    And really, I feel no need to apologize for my love. Perhaps Kraft has made it a “kid’s dish,” and maybe we think of it as being fairly modern, but in actually, the oldest surviving recipes for Macaroni and Cheese date back to the early 1700s! It’s believed that it was originally Parisian, though the facts are a bit murky there. What we know is that English and American colonial housewives were writing down their “receipts” for pasta layered with cheese and butter for well over three hundred years.

    In fact, macaroni was so popular a dish that the word itself began to be used to mean “stylish,” like we see in the song “Yankee Doodle.” (Did you wonder why someone was sticking a feather in his cap and calling it a pasta? There you go!”

    This Recipe

    This mac and cheese uses ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. I know some people will wrinkle their nose at the American cheese, but it’s used here because it melts better than the alternatives, for that creamy sauce you crave. I highly recommend buying Kraft or another brand whose ingredients are cheddar and whey and milk, not the cheaper versions that use oil to thin the cheese. The other secret is the minced onion. My kids don’t like onions as a rule, but it lends a flavor here that takes the dish to the next level.

    This is the recipe my kids regularly ask me to make for birthdays and special occasions. The first few times I made it, it took me 45-minutes to an hour, just trying to balance all the steps and chop the onion and cheese…these days I can get it on the table in under 30 minutes.

    Ingredients

    Instructions

    • 3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
    • 3 tablespoons butter
    • ¼ cup finely chopped onion
    • 2 tablespoons flour
    • ½ t salt
    • Dash of pepper
    • 2 cups milk
    • 1 lb American cheese, cubed or torn up slices
    • Shredded cheddar to garnish, if desired
    1. Cook macaroni according to package directions; reserve a half cup of the cooking water and then drain the rest. (The water will keep the macaroni from absorbing the sauce too much.)
      .
    2. For cheese sauce, in a saucepan melt butter; cook onion in butter until tender but not brown. Whisk in the flour, salt, and pepper to form a paste. Add milk all at once; cook and whisk until thick and bubbly, then 2 minutes more. Add cheese and stir until melted.
      .
    3. Add cooked macaroni and reserved pasta water to the sauce, stir to combine. Transfer to oven-safe dish, top with shredded cheddar if desired. Bake at 350 until bubbly.
    Printable Version

    From the Books

    You can bet that macaroni and cheese, classic dish that it is and capable of feeding a crowd, would make an appearance on the table of the Ocracoke Inn from Yesterday’s Tides, and I like to think that my characters would favor a recipe like this one. It also would have been enjoyed by the pasta-loving characters in Shadowed Loyalty, and quite likely by my colonial family in Ring of Secrets too!

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    Tabbouleh

    Tabbouleh

    by | Mar 20, 2023 | Biblical Fiction Recipes, Recipes, Side

    Tabbouleh

    This Mediterranean staple features fresh greens like parsley, mint, and onions, with bulgur wheat and tomatoes in a tangy dressing.

    Printable Version

    Servings

    6

    Prep time:

    15 minutes

    Total Time:

    2 hours

    Good For:

    Side

    Inroduction

    About this Recipe

    I asked my ladies of the Patrons & Peers group to share any recipes that would tie in well with my books, and this is one such recipe! Special thanks to Bonnie Fakhri for sharing one of her favorite Mediterranean sides. The note below is from her too.

    I love Mediterranean food and this is one of the staples found throughout the region.  It is best described as a parsley salad and I find it adds a bright, fresh taste to any meal.  The key is not to cook the bulgur wheat but rather to marinate it in the dressing so that every bite you take is full of flavor.

    Ingredients

    Instructions

    • ½ cup fresh lemon juice (~2 large lemons)
    • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 ½ tsp salt
    • ½ tsp pepper
    • ½ cup uncooked bulgur wheat
    • 1 ½ -2 cups finely chopped parsley (one-two bunches)
    • ½ cup finely chopped mint
    • 4 firm roma tomatoes (seeded)
    • ½ English cucumber
      1. Combine first 4 ingredients to make the dressing.
        .
      2. Soak the bulgur wheat in the dressing for at least 2 hours (the longer the better, it needs to be soft, I often let it marinate for 6-8 hours of even overnight). The bulgur should absorb most of the dressing.
        .
      3. Finely chop the herbs and vegetables.
        .
      4. Add the herbs and veggies with the soaked wheat and dressing mixture.
        .
      5. Stir to fully combine.
        .
      6. Serve as a salad or with pita chips or bread.
      Printable Version

      From the Books

      As a staple in the Mediterranean, tabbouleh would have been enjoyed by all the characters in my Biblical fiction worlds.

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      Unleavened Bread with Honey

      Unleavened Bread with Honey

      by | Mar 15, 2023 | Biblical Fiction Recipes, Bread, Recipes, Side

      Unleavened Bread with Honey

      This slightly sweet unleavened bread is a quick and simple recipe…and a crowd-pleaser! Perfect for a Passover meal or communion.

      Printable Version

      Servings

      16

      Prep time:

      15 minutes

      Total Time:

      30-45 minutes

      Good For:

      Side, Bread

      Inroduction

      About this Recipe

      When I was a kid, the church I attended frequently had a meal together on Holy Thursday, and unleavened bread was served…but not just any unleavened bread. It was sweet. It was delicious. It was a recipe I had to recreate for myself when I was an adult!

      The nature of unleavened bread demands that it be quick, and this recipe is no exception. It’s a simple matter of warming and mixing the ingredients, rolling it out, cutting it, and baking…but oh, the results! A slightly sweet bread, dense and chewy, perfect for pairing with a Passover charoset (apply clay), cheese, honey, butter, or even peanut butter, this one will soon be a favorite of everyone in the family!

      Ingredients

      • ¾ cup scalded milk
      • 1 egg
      • ¼ cup honey
      • ¼ cup (half stick) butter, melted
      • 1 teaspoon salt
      • 4 cups all-purpose flour
      1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
        .
      2. Heat the milk until it’s warm but not boiling, about 1 minute in the microwave.
        .
      3. Whisk the egg and honey and salt into the warmed milk.
        .
      4. Melt the butter and then add to the milk mixture.
        .
      5. Slowly add the flour, stirring to incorporate, until it forms a dough that isn’t too sticky to roll out.
        .
      6. Roll to ¼” thickness on a floured surface. Cut into whatever size and shape you prefer. Prick with the tines of a fork.
        .
      7. Move bread to prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, until it’s golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool.
      Printable Version

      From the Books

      Unleavened bread would have been served with every Passover in my Biblical stories and is particularly mentioned in A Stray Drop of Blood and At His Feet.

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