TIME: 15 MINUTES • SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
1 rounded tsp. brown mustard (not honey mustard, but horseradish mus-
tard or champagne mustard works very well)
¼ cup plain yogurt or sour cream
2 English muffins or 4 leftover biscuits
4 slices sandwich ham or Canadian bacon
⅔ cup water
Pinch of salt
A few shakes of Tabasco sauce (or your preferred pepper-vinegar sauce)
4 eggs, room temperature, as fresh as possible
This takes a little practice in terms of timing because the heat goes on the sauce, the eggs, and the meat from different directions at the same time. Once you get the timing down, however, it’s the easiest Eggs Benedict you’ll ever cook.
Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, and yogurt or sour cream in a small, cold saucepan. Set aside. Split your muffins or biscuits and lay them, torn side up, on a cookie sheet. Preheat the broiler but don’t put the bread in yet.
Lay the meat in a cold skillet, preferably with a touch of bacon grease, and place the skillet over low heat to brown the meat. If not using a castiron skillet, start with a very low heat. Allow meat to cook, making certain it does not burn. Note: The meat cooks better if it is cut into strips before being laid in the pan, but then it looks less like Eggs Benedict.
As soon as you have the meat pan on the heat, turn to the eggs. Pour ⅔ cup water into a 1-quart bowl. Salt it. Shake in a few good jolts of Tabasco or your favorite vinegar-based pepper sauce. Stir. Crack the eggs and gently slip them (minus the shell) into the water, pricking each yolk once with a toothpick.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Microwave on full power for 2–3 minutes. Let the eggs stand, covered, to give the whites time to completely set and the yolks time to thicken, about 2 minutes.
As soon as you turn on the microwave, put the saucepan with the mayonnaise mixture over low heat and stir pretty constantly for about 5 minutes, until heated through.
When the microwave dings, pull the sauce off the heat long enough to put the bread under the broiler to toast the torn side lightly. While the bread toasts, put the sauce back over low heat and stir. Allow the bread to lightly toast, and then remove it from the oven. The sauce is done when the bread is.
Once the bread is out, quickly drain your eggs and roughly divide them. Shuffle your hot bread onto plates. Top with the meat, then the eggs, and then the sauce. Don’t agonize over the nonround eggs or piles that slip over sideways.
FRENCH MARKET BEIGNETS
TIME: PREP TIME 15 MINUTES, REFRIGERATION TIME 8 HOURS, COOKING TIME 15 MINUTES • SERVES 8
INGREDIENTS:
1 package dry yeast
½ tsp. plus ½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup water, warm to the touch
1 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Oil for frying (preferably canola, but whatever oil you’ve got in the Fry
Daddy will do)
1 cup powdered sugar in a brown paper lunch bag
The night before you plan to eat these, dissolve your yeast and ½ tsp. granulated sugar in the warm water in a big mixing bowl. Stir gently until the yeast dissolves; let rest for 5 minutes until the yeast is nice and bubbly.
Add the evaporated milk, ½ cup sugar, and the salt to the bubbly yeast. Crack the egg into a small bowl, beat it well, and add the beaten egg to the big bowl. Stir until well blended. Add the flour, ½ cup at a time, blending well. Cover the bowl with a wet towel and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, fill your Fry Daddy, your electric wok, or a deep and sturdy saucepan or skillet at least 3” deep with oil. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F.
While the oil is warming, roll out the dough on a well-floured surface. The thickness is a personal preference, but anywhere from ¼” to ½” is traditional. Cut the dough into 2” to 3” squares, also a matter of personal preference. Let the dough rest while the oil heats up.
Drop the beignets, three at a time, into the hot oil. Cook until they are nicely brown, and then turn them over to brown the other side, approximately 1 minute per side. Pull the hot beignets out of the oil with a slotted spoon. Let any excess oil drip off. Drop them into the bag of powdered sugar. Close the bag and shake it. Take the sugar-coated beignets out of the bag and serve immediately. Continue with the rest of the beignets.
Tip: Beignets are best served hot.
Lunch
BURGERS LAFAYETTE SAUCE
TIME: 30 MINUTES • SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS:
1 medium onion, chopped
¼ stick margarine
¼ cup vinegar
½ cup water
½ tsp. salt
Dash of cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. prepared mustard
½ tsp. pepper
½ cup ketchup
Sauté the onion in the margarine. Add all of the other ingredients. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
Place cooked hamburgers or leftover roast in the skillet and steep for at least 10 minutes.
Place the meat on a bun and put a spoonful of extra sauce on top. Makes enough sauce for about 4 hamburgers.
COLD-WEATHER CHILI
TIME: PREP TIME 15 MINUTES, COOKING TIME 15 MINUTES, SIMMERING
TIME 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES • SERVES 6–8
INGREDIENTS:
½ lb. ground chuck or ground round
2 medium onions, sliced
1 can (28 oz.) whole tomatoes
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 cup water
1 beef bouillon cube
2 Tbsp. green peppers, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. chili powder or ground cumin
½ tsp. crushed red peppers (or to taste)
1 whole bay leaf
2 cans (16 oz. each) red kidney beans
⅛ tsp. ginger
Combine ground beef and sliced onions in a large saucepan. Brown the meat and drain off the fat. Add remaining ingredients and stir to blend. Cover and simmer about 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf before serving.
Tip: Top with shredded cheddar or mozzarella and sour cream.
Variation: Omit the kidney beans for a thicker chili to serve over French fries. Top with cheese and bacon bits for cheesy chili-bacon fries.
MERLOTTE’S CHICKEN STRIPS
TIME: PREP TIME 40 MINUTES, MARINATING
TIME 8 HOURS • SERVES 2–4
INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup buttermilk or unsweetened yogurt thinned with a touch of milk
1 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. adobo or ½ tsp. curry powder
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 cups oil or bacon grease
1 cup flour, as needed
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Mix buttermilk or yogurt, cayenne, and adobo or curry powder into a gallon-sized ziplock freezer bag. Slice meat into thumb-thick strips. Put them in the ziplock bag, mash out all the air, and seal. Allow to marinate 8 hours in the refrigerator.
Heat oil or bacon grease in a large skillet. Season flour with plenty of salt and pepper, and pour into a brown paper bag or a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Shake chicken pieces, a few at a time, in the flour, then fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.
Tip: Serve with French fries and either honey mustard or ranch dip.
MITCHELL’S FAVORITE MEATLOAF
TIME: PREP TIME 15 MINUTES, BAKING TIME 75 MINUTES • SERVES 4–5
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Nonstick cooking spray
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Mix together ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, and cheese to form a loaf. Place in a pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 75 minutes (a little longer if necessary).