California Eggs Benedict with Potato

Whenever I go to brunch, my go-to order is eggs Benedict. Although it’s extremely delicious and filling, it’s not the most nutritious option, so if I’m ever craving the dish, I like to make a version of my own. This eggs Benedict is made “California style,” which means it’s vegetarian, and loaded with spinach, tomatoes, and avocado instead of Canadian ham. The hollandaise sauce is also lightened up, as I use ghee (clarified butter) and mustard in this easy blender version that doesn’t require a double boiler.

Serves 1 or 2

3 egg yolks

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1⁄2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 large russet potato

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

2 cups spinach

1⁄2 heirloom beefsteak tomato

3 large cage-free eggs

1⁄2 avocado, cut into slices

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1⁄3 cup ghee

Thyme, to taste

  1. Begin the hollandaise sauce by putting egg yolks, lemon juice, and mustard into a blender cup, without blending yet. You will want to blend everything together right before serving.
  2. Peel potato, cut in half crosswise, and slice off both ends. Spiralize using a small-noodle blade. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add potato noodles to the pan, adding a dash of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook potatoes for 7–8 minutes.
  3. While potatoes are cooking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a separate large pan on medium heat. Add spinach and cook for about 2 minutes or until spinach begins to wilt. Remove from pan and set aside.
  4. Cut 2 thin slices from the tomato and add to pan; cook for 1 minute on each side to soften. Set aside with spinach.
  5. Once potato is ready, remove from pan and place into a medium bowl. Crack 1 egg into a small bowl and whisk. Mix potato noodles with the egg until evenly coated. Divide noodles into 2 ramekins and press down on the top of the potato to flatten and form a bun shape.
  6. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium heat. Add potato buns from ramekins to pan, keeping their shape, and press flat with a spatula. Cook for about 3–4 minutes on each side until crispy. You may need to add more olive oil to the pan if the buns begin to dry out. Once they are finished, remove from pan. Top with spinach, tomato, and sliced avocado.
  7. To poach remaining eggs, fill a deep, wide pan with about 1" of water. Add white wine vinegar and bring to a boil. Crack each egg into a small ramekin. Bring water to boil, and use a spoon to swirl the water in one direction. Carefully transfer each egg from the ramekin into the center of the whirlpool. Cook for 4–5 minutes and remove eggs with a slotted spoon. Place eggs on top of avocado.
  8. Prepare hollandaise by heating ghee in a saucepan on medium heat until hot and melted. Add to blender a little at a time, pulsing so sauce becomes frothy. Pour immediately over Benedict, and top with a dash of thyme, to taste.

Tips for Hollandaise Sauce

It’s important you prepare the hollandaise sauce right before serving, as its texture will change if it’s left sitting. Also, be careful to slowly add the butter to the blender, so as to not burn yours if it’s plastic.