I may have mentioned before how much I love brunch.
Breakfast is hands down my favourite meal, but I find it hard to stomach more than a cup of tea and a piece of toast before 10 o’clock-ish. Ta-da!
Enter the perfect solution: breakfast at lunchtime. And since it’s deemed perfectly acceptable to start brunch off with a lovely glass of Champagne or a mimosa, even more reason to cherish the concept.
Brunch dishes don’t have to be elaborate or labour intensive. Nobody wants to slave over a hot stove on a lazy Sunday morning. Here are some ideas for a delicious brunch to share with family and friends. Happy Easter everyone. I hope you find lots of eggs, and may they all be chocolate.
Sparkling Grapefruit Sangria
One 750-ml bottle Riesling white wine
One 750-ml bottle Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine)
1 cup pink grapefruit juice (freshly squeezed if possible)
½ cup simple syrup (see instructions below)
½ cup sparkling water or club soda
1½ cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 pink grapefruit, cut into thin slices, slices cut in half
To make simple syrup, combine one cup granulated sugar and one cup water in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and stir constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is clear, about three to five minutes (scoop up a little of the syrup in a spoon, you shouldn’t be able to see any sugar crystals in the liquid).
Remove from heat and let cool completely; store in the refrigerator until needed (simple syrup will keep in the refrigerator for quite a while so don’t throw out what you have left over).
To make sangria, place the fruit into a large pitcher and pour all of the other ingredients over top. Stir to combine, then refrigerate for a minimum of one hour before serving. Makes six to eight servings.
Ham, Asparagus & Cheese Strata
Prepare this the night before your brunch.
½ lb asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into two-inch pieces
5 cups cubed French bread
2 cups shredded Gruyere or cheddar cheese, or a combination
½ cup chopped white onion
¼ cup chopped green onions
½ lb cooked ham, diced
10 eggs, divided use
1½ cups homogenized milk or light cream
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cook asparagus in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just barely tender, about five minutes. In a well greased 9x13-inch baking dish spread half of the bread cubes; top with the cheese, onion, green onions, half of the ham and half of the asparagus, distributing all ingredients evenly over the bread. Top with the remaining bread cubes.
In a bowl, whisk together four of the eggs and the milk; pour the egg mixture evenly over the layers in the baking dish then press down on the bread with the back of a spoon; top with the remaining ham and asparagus. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove strata from refrigerator half an hour before baking.
Preheat oven to 325º F.; bake the strata uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. With the back of a wooden spoon make six indentations, evenly spaced, in the top of the strata. Break an egg into each of the indentations. Return strata to oven and continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes more or until eggs are set. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving; sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and cut into squares. Makes six servings.
Cinnamon Roll Cake
Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
1½ cups milk
½ cup butter, melted
Cinnamon filling:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp cinnamon
Glaze:
2 cups icing sugar
5 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350º F. Add the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, eggs and vanilla to the bowl of your mixer. Pour the milk over top of the other ingredients and mix on low speed until well blended, scraping sides of bowl a couple of times.
With the mixer still on low, slowly pour in the melted butter and mix just until combined. Spread the batter evenly into a well-greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
Combine all the cinnamon filling ingredients in a small bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth and completely combined.
Drop spoonfuls of the filling evenly over the cake batter; drag a butter knife through the filling and cake batter to make a marble effect (don’t go crazy, you want well-defined streaks of filling to show).
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for five to 10 minutes.
While cake is cooling, whisk together the glaze ingredients in a small bowl until smooth; pour glaze over warm cake. Serve cake warm or at room temperature; makes 12 servings.
Angela Shellard is a self-described foodie. She has done informal catering for various functions. Contact: [email protected].
