When I started fresh lifestyle Monday’s I promised it wouldn’t be all health and greens all the time. We need some enjoyment and indulgences in what we eat regularly so today I’m sharing some super savory sauces that will make you want to lick the bowl!

Guest hosting this week is Brigette from my domestic den, a holistic health blogger and also my sister in law who is married to my youngest bro! She avoids dairy, I avoid gluten and we are sharing two sauces that meet both of those requirements. Brigette’s recipe is dairy free and mine is gluten free!

If you have watched the movie 100 Foot Journey or know anything about French cooking then you know that there are 5 sauces “they” say a chef needs to master; béchamel, velouté, Espagnole, hollandaise, and sauce tomate. While these have many uses, home chefs rarely need to make all 5 of these in today’s cooking. If you ask me, these are the 5 you should know!

• hollandaise
• béarnaise
• aioli
• tomato
• barbecue (béchamel is a close 5th to barbecue)

In lieu of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, we picked our 2 faves that make for great special occasion meals; Hollandaise and Béarnaise.

Hollandaise

Hollandaise is good on so many things but Brigette and my bro most often eat it on Eggs Benedict. “Eggs Benedict is my favorite breakfast meal but since I have a dairy intolerance I rarely order it because of the loads of butter in the hollandaise sauce. However, making it at home with olive oil has helped curb my cravings and I can add my own spicy kick to it (the cayenne pepper). Plus, olive oil has tons of health benefits including anti-inflammatory properties and is loaded with antioxidants.” ~Brigette. This is the perfect way to start your Memorial Day!

---

Dairy-Free Hollandaise

1/4 cup olive oil 
4 egg yolks 
4 drops Young Living Lemon Vitality Essential Oil 
4 tbsp water 
Salt to taste Cayenne to taste

1) In a glass or stainless steel bowl, separate egg yolks, add 1 tbsp cold water and lemon essential oil. Beat well.
2) In a double broiler, continue to beat until yolks are thick & creamy.
3) Remove bowl from heat and slowly add olive oil while whisking. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in room temperature water. 
4) Add salt and cayenne to taste.
Serve immediately over eggs benedict, asparagus, or potatoes.
If you don’t have a double broiler you can heat water in a sauce pan and put the bowl over the top of the hot water.

---

Béarnaise

Béarnaise is one of those sauces that I crave. We absolutely love it on steak. Burch Steak in Mpls and Bavettes in Chicago are two of the best places to get a good béarnaise sauce. Since we aren’t supposed to enjoy these restaurants right now, I found one that I could master on my own. Simple but decadent. End your Memorial Day with a good steak on the grill and a side of béarnaise for dipping!

---

Béarnaise Sauce

1 tbsp plus 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
3 tbsp minced shallots
Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 large egg yolks
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, add more to taste
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon (I usually like less of the tarragon)

1) Melt 1tbsp butter in small saucepan over medium heat. 
2) Add shallots and a pinch of salt and pepper; stir to coat. 
3) Stir in vinegar, reduce heat to medium-low, cook until 
vinegar is evaporated. 
4) Reduce heat to low & continue cooking shallots, stirring frequently, until tender and translucent. Transfer shallot reduction to a small bowl and let cool completely.
5) While cooling, fill a blender with hot water to warm it; set aside. 
6) Melt remaining 1 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until foamy. Transfer butter to a measuring cup.
7)Drain blender and dry well. Combine egg yolks, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon water in warm, dry blender. Purée mixture until smooth. 
8) Remove lid insert. With blender running, slowly pour in hot butter in a thin stream of droplets, discarding milk solids at bottom of measuring cup. Continue blending until a smooth, creamy sauce forms, 
2-3 minutes. 
9) Pour sauce into a bowl. Stir in shallot reduction, tarragon and season to taste with salt, pepper, more lemon juice (to taste)

---

Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend! We will be back the following week with a new fresh lifestyle Monday recipe!