I have become increasingly obsessed with breakfast, my favourite meal of the day. As soon as I wake, and sometimes before I go to sleep, my thoughts are of what to have for the first meal of the day. As I fill my old stovetop coffee maker with scoops of espresso (sadly now decaf) and cold, clear water from the tap; and mark time as I wait for the telltale hiss and splutter, I survey the innards of my fridge. Is today a plump berries and creamy yogurt day? Or, – more likely – that Instagram cliche, #avocadotoast, built to height with glowing, orange homemade kimchi and a flurry of sprouts?
There are so many ways to go with breakfast. Sweet or savoury. Simple or leisurely. Alone or shared. Virtuous or vice-ridden (avo toast v. cigarette and hair of the dog). I love all of the options that breakfast invites.
Few have expectations of breakfast beyond quick fuel and a soupçon of nourishment. So, going beyond the bounds of cold buttered toast eaten in the car, or a hurried bowl of processed flakes – the vitamins magicked back in by automated hands – seems wonderfully decadent. This despite the fact that breakfast, even one to be eaten with a full set of cutlery and a bevy of bottles and jars ripe with jams and savoury condiments, is about simple. Unless of course you are at a good hotel and being tortured between choosing the omelette bar and the waffle station: Not so simple.
Lately I have been crushing a bit on eggs Benedict. Not the true Benedict though, a hangover cure of “some buttered toast, crisp bacon, two poached eggs, and a hooker of hollandaise sauce” ordered in 1894 by Lemuel Benedict at New York’s Waldorf Astoria. Mostly I favour it with wilted baby spinach or griddled asparagus. Or smoked Scottish salmon if I really crave savoury. The key is that sauce: a fat emulsion of egg yolk and melted butter, usually enlivened with lemon juice, salt, and a little white pepper or cayenne pepper. Few savoury foods would not be enhanced under a pelt of this smooth, creamy sauce.
But the calories. The fat. My arteries.
I have made hollandaise a few times, but have been abhorred, even in my younger, less nutrition-wise years, at the great wodge of butter needed to make this classic sauce. It tastes wonderful, and the whole breakfast fills you far longer than a less fat-stuffed breakfast would. But healthy it will never be.
Unless hollandaise had a whole food makeover.
Eggs smothered in a blanket of blended butternut squash sounds odd, but read on and I will hopefully convince. Some of the other players are present: lemon juice, cayenne pepper. Add in savoury superstar white miso, sharp Dijon, a hint of butter and you’ve got yourself a sauce. You won’t fool yourself or anyone else but, honestly, the texture and the essence of that mouth-filling unctuousness of the original is there. And really quite nice.
Play with it a little to tweak to your liking. Maybe more miso; perhaps more water. Nail it and luxurious breakfasts, with limitless savoury combinations, are yours for the blending.
What is your favourite breakfast makeover tip?
Butternut Squash Hollandaise with Egg, Shiitake and Chard
Blend steamed butternut squash with a few key ingredients and you have a credible whole food hollandaise sauce for topping your eggs, veggies, pasta – and anything else that takes your fancy. Once made, this sauce will be your go-to for luxurious but nutritious breakfasts, and more. xx
Whole Food Squash Hollandaise
225g butternut squash or other winter squash such as dumpling (shown), peeled, deseeded and cubed
Juice of 1/2 small lemon – more to taste
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp white or yellow miso
20-30g organic salted butter, melted – optional
Very hot water, to thin
Cayenne pepper or white pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
The Rest
2 tsp coconut oil or olive oil
100g shiitake mushrooms or other mushrooms, thinly sliced
100g chard, kale or spinach, washed and thick stems removed, leaves chopped
2 organic eggs for poaching
Bread for toasting
Method:
1. To make the hollandaise-ish sauce, steam the squash cubes for 8 minutes and blend with the lemon juice, mustard, miso and butter. Add warm water to thin as you wish, and cayenne or pepper to taste.
2. For the rest, heat the the oil in a saute pan or wok and add the mushrooms. Saute, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes then add the chopped greens. Stir the vegetables and cook until the greens are soft – about five minutes for chard and kale, two for spinach. Meanwhile, poach the eggs and slide the bread into the toaster.
3. Gently reheat the hollandaise if you like, then top the toast with your sauteed veggies, egg and a fat dollop of hollandaise-ish sauce. Store the remaining sauce for up to five days.
Portions of Vegetable/Fruit per serving: 2-3.

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**PS: I use my Optimum 9400 Froothie power blender daily for work and home. If you want to make your own flours, nut butters, power balls, smoothies, cocktails, super smooth sauces, purees and soups (and loads more), use my ambassador link to get £100 off the price (as of today, 8 March 2017. Offer may stop at any date.). Includes a 30-day money back guarantee.**
I have LOADS of breakfast and brunch recipes on Food To Glow, but here are a few of the more unusual ones. Check this master link to ALL of my breakfast posts.
Watermelon and Tomato Breakfast Salad
Baharat Quinoa, Lentils and Egg Breakfast
Greens and Beans Breakfast Tostados
Sunny Spring Vegetable Breakfast Muffins
Waffles with Sweetcorn Chilli and Coriander
Spring Vegetable Brunch Pancake (gluten-free; shown below)
Other savoury, vegetarian breakfasts from fellow food bloggers
Beetroot Green and Cabbage Muthiya (delicious sounding Gujarati steamed vegetable dumplings)
Smashed Avocado and Feta Two Ways
You might just have changed my life right there… What a fabulous recipe! Thank you!
Aw I’m SO glad you like it. Tweak it to your liking and it may be a very useful and versatile sauce for you beyond hollandaise idea 😊😊
I LOOOOOOVE breakfast, I look forward to it every morning, and mourn it when I’m finished!
Your sauce looks fab 🙂 another winner x
PS I’ve now had 2 nutribullets and they’ve both ended up overheating and smoking and smelling of burning and emitting bits of plastic, really not good, so your blender looks interesting. Have you used it to make homous?
Ugh. Nutribullets are great for smoothies but anything that requires a longer blend does just as you’ve said. The Froothie blenders are awesome. One of the newer ones has an extra, shorter wider jug that’s perfect for hummus. If you’re interested in it, let me know and I’ll send info on it and any special offers on the go for it xx
Brilliant, yes please, do email me any offers. I’m currently using the blender that came with my food processor which is okay, but it can’t achieve that final perfect smoothness..x
Will do once I get to my sister’s to charge my laptop. I’m in Florida just now xx
Really? I didn’t realise you are away again. Have a great time xx
Visiting my Dad while my little family goes skiing. 😊😊😊
Lovely, have fun xx
Beautiful photography, not to mention looks delicious!
Thanks so much, Marylin. 🙂
I LOVE breakfast too and also crave savoury. This looks perfect and what a start to the day eating so many lovely colours.
My default is cured herring but I could move over to this recipe any day!
I wish I could “do” herring, but – despite having recently found out I am almost as Scandinavian as you (!) – cured fish isn’t something I have got into. You may need to try it out on my again now that I know I am 15% Scandi 🙂
Gorgeous!
We always begin the day with breakfast, my husband’s favorite, scrambled eggs. And mine too, homemade, whole grain toast with almond butter or when splurging, homemade jam. (A sweet scoop of summer always starts the day on the right note!) But this version of a creamy, flavorful alternative to traditional hollandaise sauce has captured my imagination. This is a recipe I must make!
I love scrambled eggs, too. My daughter makes the best ones I’ve ever tasted so I always wait until she’s home to make them for us. Homemade nut butter and jam is also great – and so quick and filling. I like what you say about sweet scoop of summer. So true, Deb. 🙂
This looks delicious! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Now iam hungry! Looks
Wonderful we are big breakfast eaters here
What’s your favourite breakfast, Lisa?
We do a lot of skillet scrambles-potatoes ,eggs ,meat and cheese. A lot of what evers in the fridge.
Yum!! 😍
Looks delicious, can’t wait to try and make this 🙂
I too love a good benedict, but with your enlightened sauce I can indulge more frequently now! Thank you 😉
It’s not *quite* the same, but I do hope you give it a try, Karen 🙂
I always want to order Eggs Benedict when I’m out for breakfast but can never bring myself to for the very reasons you state above (absolutely adore hollandaise but, you know). I’m so intrigued by your version. Will have to try it.
I know what you mean Tracey, but although this isn’t a döppelganger, it’s nice in its own way. Will you let me know if you try it and how you tweaked it to your liking? Thanks 🙂
Trying this today!!!
This looks amazing!!! I love Eggs benedict, and I will have to try this!
Omg I totally want this for brunch this weekend! Thanks for sharing!
Julia – http://bunnybaubles.com
I love a good breakfast and yet it’s the meal I mostly often overlook, falling back on quick, easy or portable. Love the idea of butternut in a Hollandaise!!!
Oh! You are one clever lady. Now you’ve pointed it out, I can just see how well squash would work in such a sauce. It has a wonderfully smooth texture when pureed. And I’m so glad you’ve allowed a little butter 🙂
Never mind allowed, Choclette. Positively encouraged! 😁😁
This looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing 🙂 http://www.smallsuitcases.me
Such creativity & deliciousness as always! You are a genius breakfast maker Kellie :-)I wish we could swap breakfasts-I’ll trade you my Greek Chilaquiles for your yummy EggsBenedict!
Wow, sounds and looks SO good!
Your photography is so gorgeous! I imagine this dish also tasted incredible good too. I want to try it so much – I’m obsessed with butternut squash!
Thanks so much, Sisley. I don’t know how much longer it will be stocked but I’ll eat it as long as it’s around. I’m trying to grow it this year too. 🙂
SO obsessed with breakfast… i’m about to make brunch now and THIS is what I want… I love this so much. Please come make it for me.. come on… now!
No, YOU catch a plane to Florida and I’ll make it here for you. 😊😊😊 They literally have any fruit or veg anyone could want here. And we all are breakfast-obsessed. It’s in my DNA
Very clever and creative. Hollandaise always kind of grossed me out with the raw eggs. This looks so much better – Kat
Thank you, Kat. This one is way safer for anyone to eat just because of what you say. And you benefit from a good whack of beta carotene instead of feel rubbish with a load of sat fat 🙂
this looks so much better, and also delicious.😂
Oh my goodness Kellie, that’s food heaven right there, I would love this for brunch, lunch or even dinner! Thanks for including my dish:-)
Wow, what a way to start the day with a bang! Would love to find out what pumpkin and miso combined taste like…
Brilliant recipe! 🙂
We love Eggs Benedict, can’t wait to try this alternative.
so delecious
Dearest kellie. Thank you so much for linking to my muthiya recipe. Sorry for the very belated reply. I’ve been off blogging for a while as you know. Back to it now and looking forward to trying this ‘sauce’ soon. I’m with you on the hollandaise. I just cannot bring myself to eat it anymore having made it once. Today I topped my egg with a coriander and green chilli drizzle. I think I too am becoming a breakfast lover.