If you’ve ever made hollandaise sauce (even the much-easier-than-the-traditional version that’s whipped up in the blender), you probably know it’s a bit tricky to do right. Which is only one of several reasons why this newly discovered version is rocking my world. It’s just EASY to make. But the other reasons?

• It’s made with an incredible-tasting, healthy fat.

• It only takes a handful of simple ingredients.

• It’s fast; it whips up in 3 minutes flat.

• And put simply, it’s delicious!

So what is this new twist on an old stand-by? Avocado hollandaise sauce! This new version exceeded my expectations from the get-go.

I found this recipe on one of my very favorite food sites, Kitchen Treaty (www.kitchentreaty.com). Kare, the chef and creator of the site is a vegetarian married to a carnivore. She says her mission is to achieve peace in the kitchen - one delicious recipe at a time. You can tell she’s serious about this when you try her recipes. She’s put lots of time and effort into creating healthy, quality, people-pleasing meals.

And this sauce is an excellent example of what she’s all about. Lemony, velvety, and even a bit buttery, avocado hollandaise is a surprisingly effective stand-in for the real thing. It’s perfect for topping eggs benedict or dressing up steamed asparagus. Plus, add in how simple and fast it is to make, and that it’s healthy as well, and you have a winner!

AVOCADO HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

1 medium ripe avocado

Juice of 1 large lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

Pinch cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper* + more to taste

1/4 – 1/2 cup hot water (from the tap is fine)

1. Place avocado, lemon juice, cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 cup water into the pitcher of your blender. Puree until smooth, drizzling in additional water as need to create a smooth, pourable consistency.

2. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.

3. And serve. It’s that simple!

4. If you want a warmer avocado hollandaise, you can place it in a small pan over low heat, stirring frequently, until warm – about 5 minutes. Add a little more water if needed.

5. Keeps refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat by repeating step 4 (you’ll likely need to add a bit of water).

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* Can substitute black pepper if desired – white pepper is used here so you don’t see black specks in your avocado hollandaise.

Now that you have possibly the best hollandaise sauce recipe around, let’s talk about different ways to use it. It’s all about complements. To make the best food pairings, flavor and texture must be considered.

Hollandaise Sauce is obviously soft in texture, but also creamy. It tastes citrusy (sour), creamy, fatty (buttery), rich. So knowing this helps you know what to successfully pair it with. The goal is an intriguing balance between flavor and texture.

Since this sauce is so creamy, for instance, combining it with something crispy is a perfect approach. This is why you consistently see crispy asparagus garnished with creamy hollandaise sauce.

But hollandaise sauce is also both fatty and sour, making it a perfect complement to bitter-tasting foods. Spinach and Brussels sprouts are two good choices.

Finally, hollandaise works well with the taste of umami. Examples of umami foods are seafood (scallops, crab, lobster, shrimp, and salmon), and mushrooms. This happened to be the favorite use for hollandaise of all the folks I randomly polled.

I’ll close with one last bit of hollandaise advice: If making traditional hollandaise, try to make only the amount you think you will use in one meal. It doesn’t store well. As a leftover, it must be refrigerated. In doing so, the butter will solidify when it cools. When you warm it up, the sauce will break.

If you do end up making more than needed and having some left over, know that it can be salvaged. You will need to warm it very very gently in the microwave until it is liquid. Then you re-emulsify it into a single egg yolk. It costs an egg yolk, but the sauce will be almost as good as new.