Brunch is maybe my favorite meal. While it is generally relegated to Sundays, I have a bad habit of making it any day of the week, any meal of the day. Eggs benedict for breakfast? Yes please! To top it off, there always seems to be a cocktail that goes along with brunch. Who am I to discount a meal that gives us permission to have a tasty cocktail any time of the day? Hopefully you love brunch as much as I do and will enjoy these recipes. |
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There are two foods I always think of when I think of brunch: eggs benedict and hashbrowns. These are my two favorite brunch foods. Usually they are served separately, but I thought "why not put them together?" Using a bacon-filled hashbrown as the base of this benedict makes it so that all your favorites are in one dish. Many people avoid the benedict because they are afraid of the hollandaise. It's simpler than you think. I even have a video showing you how to do it. | | |
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Serves 4 Ingredients: For the Hash Browns 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips 1 small leek, sliced in half moons (approximately 1 ½ cups), see how here 1 egg Vegetable oil for frying Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed For the Hollandaise: 2 egg yolks 2-3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (or vinegar), divided 1 1/2 teaspoons cold water 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted Pinch cayenne (optional) Salt and pepper, to taste For serving 8 poached eggs (see how here) Minced chives, for garnish Procedure: Make hashbrowns Peel and halve potatoes. To a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add potatoes, cover with water, and generously season with salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook potatoes until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well and spread potatoes out on a baking sheet; pat dry with paper towels. Alternatively, prick the potatoes with a fork. Cook in microwave for 6 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove skin and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, shred the potatoes using a box grater and transfer to a large bowl; set aside. Meanwhile, to a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat, add the bacon and enough water to just cover the bottom of the pan (see a video and explanation of why here). Cook until crispy and fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Carefully transfer bacon to the bowl with the shredded potatoes, leaving the fat in the pan. Return the skillet to the heat and add the leeks. Sauté until tender and translucent, about 8 minutes, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan as the leeks cook. Add the leeks and bacon drippings to the potato mixture, season with salt and pepper, and fold to incorporate all the ingredients. Add egg and mix thoroughly. Preheat oven to 180 degrees F. Return the skillet over medium-high heat and add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. When oil is shimmering, add potato mixture to the skillet, approximately ½ cup at a time (making 8 cakes in all). Press down slightly in to individual cakes. Cook until golden brown on one side. Flip hash browns and continue to cook until golden brown on the other side, about 3 minutes. Transfer the hash to a tray and place in the oven while poaching eggs and making hollandaise. Make hollandaise Add yolks, 1 teaspoon lemon juice (or vinegar), and water to stainless steel bowl and whisk together. Cook, whisking constantly, over double boiler set on medium heat until yolks thicken and begin to leave trails behind the whisk. Remove bowl from heat and add 1 teaspoon lemon juice (or vinegar) to stop eggs from continuing to cook. Drizzle in melted butter or oil, slowly, whisking constantly. When completely thickened, season with salt and pepper, and cayenne (if using). Assemble benedicts Place two hash browns on each plate. Top each hash brown with a poached egg. Top each egg with hollandaise. Garnish with chives and serve immediately. |
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Like I said - a cocktail is one of my favorite parts of brunch. But it's such a hard decision between my two favorite brunch cocktails: sangria and mimosas. Something about sparkling wine just makes you feel "fancy" and sangria has fruit, so it's completely healthy, right? One day I asked myself, "why do I have to choose?" The Sangrimosa was born. I chose Sauvignon Blanc here because it's light and refreshing, and plays well with citrus. But most dry white wines would work. Cheers! |
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Makes 4 large cocktails Ingredients 1 bottle light, dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice 1 cup Triple Sec 2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice 1 bottle sparkling wine Procedure: Mix all ingredients except sparkling wine and let sit overnight in refrigerator. Fill pitcher with ice and pour wine mixture over. Add bottle of sparkling wine. Mix and serve in ice-filled glasses garnished with fresh citrus slices. |
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Dutch Baby with Rum Raisin and Pear Compote |
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There are few kitchen items I love more than my cast iron skillet. It is my kitchen miracle worker. And, what's more, it is the perfect vessel for a Dutch Baby. What do you do when you feel like pancakes but don't want to sit and cook a bunch of individuals? Dutch Baby. Throw all that stuff in a blender, throw it in the oven, and watch it puff. Once if falls (it will - but it's supposed to), it turns in to this lovely cross between a pancake and a crepe that your whole family will love. I made this recipe with a bit of whole wheat flour to give a bit of nuttiness and a boost of nutrition. If you don't have any whole wheat flour, sub 2 Tablespoons of All-Purpose (AP flour makes stronger gluten strands and if you go one for one it will be too chewy). |
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Serves 4 Ingredients: For the compote 2 cups diced Bosc or Anjou pears 6 Tablespoons (3 ounces) dark rum 6 Tablespoons (3 ounces) water ¾ cup raisins 3 Tablespoons brown sugar 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (learn the best way here) Pinch of Kosher salt 2 Tablespoon pecan pieces, toasted For the pancake 4 eggs 1 cup milk (whole is best) ¼ cup plus 3 Tablespoons All-Purpose flour 3 Tablespoons whole wheat flour 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar ½ teaspoon Kosher salt ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or paste ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter Procedure: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place a 12” cast iron skillet in the oven while it is preheating. Make the compote Place all ingredients except pecans in medium saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until pears are softened and sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and set aside. Make the pancake While pears are simmering, place eggs and milk in blender and blend until smooth. Add all remaining ingredients except butter. Blend until smooth. When pan is preheated, remove from oven and add butter. When butter is melted, pour pancake batter into pan. Place pan back in oven and cook until golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Stir pecans into compote. Top pancake with compote and serve immediately. |
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Cherry Almond Cinnamon Rolls |
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There is something about the smell of cinnamon rolls baking that is just... comforting. I personally love cherries and almonds, and I decided to incorporate those flavors in to my favorite cinnamon roll recipe. The beauty of this recipe is that you can do most of the work the day before. If you want to do them all same day, just let the rolls rise at room temp after shaping for an extra 15-20 minutes, then bake right away. You will need a bit less baking time if your dough is not cold. Serve these up with a cup of coffee, and everyone will be a fan! |
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Makes 12 medium-sized rolls Ingredients: For the rolls 1 ½ cup warm water 3 ½ cups plus 2 Tablespoons (20 ounces) All-purpose flour 6 Tablespoons (3 ounces) granulated sugar, divided 1 ¾ teaspoon (.25 ounce) active dry yeast 1 Tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon (.3 ounces) dry milk powder 3/8 teaspoon (.06 ounces) Kosher salt 5 Tablespoons (2.5 ounces) unsalted butter, softened ¼ teaspoon almond extract For the filling 1 cup dried cherries 1/3 cup amaretto ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted (plus additional for garnish) ¾ cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened For the glaze 1 cup powdered sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or paste ¼ teaspoon almond extract 1 Tablespoon milk or water Procedure Combine yeast and 1 cup of water with 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes, or until creamy. Combine flour, remaining sugar, milk powder, and salt in a mixer bowl. Add yeast mixture and remaining water. Using dough hook, knead the dough on low speed until just mixed. Add butter and continue kneading until smooth, approximately 6 to 8 minutes (learn how to know when your dough is properly kneaded here). Place the dough in a lightly buttered bowl. Cover and place in a warm area until doubled. Punch down the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface. Shape into a rectangle, approximately 14 inches × 21 inches. Make the filling While dough is rising, place cherries and amaretto in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and remove from heat. Let sit for a minimum of 10 minutes. (See a video of how to do this here). In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. When dough is rolled out, spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle sugar mixture over the butter, covering the dough evenly. Sprinkle soaked cherries (drained) and toasted almonds over sugar mixture. Shape the rolls Starting with the longer side, roll the dough tightly into a spiral. Cut into 12-pieces, each approximately 1-1/2 inches (3.7 centimeters) thick. Place the rolls close together, cut side up, in a greased round cake pan and allow them to rise, uncovered, in a warm area for approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and bring dish to room temperature if using ceramic or glass. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C) Bake rolls until golden brown and cooked through, approximately 30-45 minutes. Make the glaze Whisk together all ingredients. When rolls are baked, cool slightly, then top with glaze and additional almonds if desired. |
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Let's face it: brunch dishes are generally not the healthiest. Sometimes you are looking for something not as heavy. Enter in green shakshuka. Full of herbs and healthy greens, this dish will satisfy healthy eaters everywhere. Shakshuka is generally a tomato-based egg dish cooked mainly in North Africa. I have a video where I show how to make a traditional shakshuka (below), but I have a hydroponic system you may have heard me talking about, and I have an abundance of greens right now. This is also great if you happen to have bought a head of lettuce and it got wilty before you finished it. Generally Shakshuka is served with a starch. If I'm serving in the evening, I generally use couscous. For brunch, crusty bread to soak up all the "juices" is just perfect, but you could also use some roasted potatoes to round out the dish. | | |
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Serves 3-4 Ingredients: ¼ cup loosely packed dill leaves ¼ cup tightly packed basil leaves 2 Tablespoons mint leaves ½ cup tightly packed cilantro leaves (learn how to get them off the stem here) 1 cup tightly packed parsley leaves 2 cups lettuce (romaine, green leaf, red leaf, butterhead, etc.) 1 cup arugula leaves ¾ cup water 1 Tablespoon neutral flavored oil such as avocado or canola 1 teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon ground coriander 1 medium leek, sliced in half moons (approximately 1 ½ cups) (learn how here) ½ green bell pepper, cut in ½” pieces (approximately ½ cup) 1 bunch Lacinato kale, stems removed, thinly sliced, and soaked in cold water to remove grit 2 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1 Tablespoon lemon juice 6-8 eggs ¼ cup goat cheese, crumbled Procedure: Place herbs, lettuce, arugula and water in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside. In a large saute pan set over medium-high heat, add oil. Add spices, leek, and bell pepper. Cook until pepper is beginning to soften. Add kale and cook until wilted. Add garlic and continue to cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add lettuce mixture and lemon juice. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Create small divots for each egg. Crack eggs (learn the best way here) in to divots. Cover pan with lid and cook 3-4 minutes for runny eggs, longer for more cooked yolks. Remove from heat and serve with crusty bread. |
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