Breakfast is the best meal of the day – especially if it’s enjoyed post-9 a.m. and served with a large cup of freshly perked coffee.

It’s also one of the easier meals to dine out on if you’re a vegetarian who eats eggs. There’s usually a fruit plate or an omelet or pancakes or something tasty to order, which is probably why I never really missed eggs Benedict. Most restaurants serve eggs Benedict with bacon or ham, and paired with a rich hollandaise sauce, it’s a great way to clog the arteries before noon.

But when I saw a vegetarian version of this dish – substituting roasted red peppers and asparagus for the meat – on a restaurant menu, I was intrigued.

Then I came across a recipe for “healthy hollandaise sauce” in the cookbook, “101 Things to Do With Tofu” (Gibbs Smith, 2007, $9.95), and I decided to launch an eggs Benedict breakfast adventure of my own.

It should be noted that the accompanying recipe for hollandaise sauce doesn’t contain the typical dash of cayenne pepper, which I missed. I recommend adding one-fourth teaspoon cayenne to the mix.

Contact Liz Kohman at versatile.vegetarian@gmail.com.

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Eggs Benedict with Healthy Hollandaise Sauce
2 poached eggs

3 medium mushrooms, sliced

4 small asparagus spears

1/2 medium red pepper, sliced into strips

olive oil

1 small tomato

1 English muffin, toasted

1/2 to 1 cup healthy hollandaise sauce (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place mushrooms, asparagus and red pepper on a baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil. Roast until veggies begin to brown (about 10 minutes).

Divide veggies in half, and stack them on half of a toasted English muffin, add a thin slice of tomato and a poached egg. Pour about 1/4 cup of the hollandaise sauce over the egg, adding more to taste. Repeat using other half of English muffin, veggies and egg.

Serves 2.

Healthy Hollandaise Sauce
16 ounces silken tofu

one-half cup olive oil

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons butter-flavored granules

1 teaspoon salt (optional)

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender until smooth. Heat in microwave on medium until very warm, but not hot, about 60-90 seconds. Serve over broccoli, asparagus spears, cauliflower or eggs Benedict. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week.

Yield: 2 and one-half cups.

Source: “101 Things to Do With Tofu,” by Donna Kelly and Anne Tegtmeier (Gibbs Smith, 2007, $9.95)

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MORE FOR YOUR HEALTH For more information on healthful eating, got to the Tucson Citizen’s Body Plus.

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