New Year's Day Brunch 2011

It's the first morning of the new year...what will you make? Some of you will use it as the first meal of a healthier eating regime, some will be looking for a hangover cure, and everyone wants something delicious! If you're looking for something festive try these Cranberry-Orange Scones or Gingerbread Waffles. Don't forget to serve great beverages too!

Lighter Fares


Brunch Parfait
courtesy of Cooking Light magazine
serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup apricot preserves
• 3 cups sliced strawberries
• 2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup low-fat granola without raisins (such as Kellogg's)
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted

Preparation

1. Place apricot preserves in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at high for 10 to 15 seconds or until preserves melt. Add strawberries, and toss gently to coat.
2. Spoon 1/4 cup yogurt into each of 4 parfait glasses; top each serving with 1/3 cup strawberry mixture. Repeat the layers with the remaining yogurt and strawberry mixture. 
3. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons granola and 1 1/2 teaspoons almonds. Serve immediately

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom, Gruyere Quiche with Granola Crust
Ellie Krieger via Food Network

Ingredients
For the crust:

• Cooking spray
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons cold, lowfat buttermilk

For the filling:

• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, sliced thinly into half moons
• 8 ounces sliced mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, oyster, shiitake
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dry)
• 3 large eggs
• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup evaporated fat-free milk (not condensed milk)
• 2/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese (about 1-ounce)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray.
2. To prepare the crust, put the oats, flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 3 times to combine. Add the butter and pulse about 12 times, until you get a pebbly course texture. Add the buttermilk and pulse 3 to 5 times more to combine.
3. Form the mixture into a ball and place it between 2 large pieces of waxed paper. Roll out into a circle about 10 inches in diameter.
4. Remove the top sheet of waxed paper. Transfer the crust, still on the other piece of waxed paper to the pie dish, then remove the waxed paper from the top. Press the crust gently into the dish. Bake for 9 minutes, then let cool.
5. To prepare the filling, heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large nonstick pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Transfer the onions to a bowl. 
6. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan and heat over a medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have released their water and begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the onions back to the pan, stir in the salt, pepper, mustard and thyme.
7. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, egg whites and evaporated milk.
8. Sprinkle the cheese into the pie crust. Top with the mushroom-onion mixture and pour the egg mixture on top. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for 35 minutes or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into 6 wedges and serving.

Hangover Help (check out Emily's Pancakes!)



Chorizo and Scrambled Egg Tacos

Ingredients

• 4 corn tortillas
• 1 cup grated extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
• 4 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 7 ounces fresh chorizo sausage, casing removed if necessary
• 4 green onions, sliced
• Sour cream (optional)
• Hot sauce or salsa (optional)

Directions

1. Brush large nonstick skillet with olive or vegetable oil. Char tortillas over gas flame or directly on electric burner until blackened in spots, turning with tongs. Arrange tortillas in single layer in skillet. Sprinkle each tortilla with 1/4 cup grated cheese and set aside.
2. Whisk eggs and 2 tablespoons cilantro in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté chorizo sausage in heavy medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking up with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Add green onions and sauté 2 minutes. Add egg mixture and stir until very softly set, about 1 minute. Remove egg mixture from heat.
3. Cook tortillas in skillet over high heat until beginning to crisp on bottom, but still soft and pliable, about 1 minute. Divide egg mixture among tortillas and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro. Fold each tortilla in half. Serve with sour cream and hot sauce, if desired.

Buttermilk Spice Muffins

Muffin Batter:

• 3 Eggs
• 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
• 2-1/2 Cups Flour
• 2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Tsp Nutmeg
• 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
• 3/4 Cup + 1 Tbs Buttermilk
• Additional butter or margarine for greasing the baking tins

Nut Topping:

• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Cup sugar
• 1/2 Cup Butter or Margarine
• 1 Cup Walnuts, Chopped
• 1/2 Tsp Nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° in a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and the butter together with an electric mixer. When they are thoroughly mixed, add eggs and beat one more minute.
2. Sift the flour into a separate bowl, together with the baking soda, nutmeg and the cinnamon.
3. Add the flour and the buttermilk to the first mixture, mix at low speed until smooth. To avoid lumps in the batter, add the wet and dry ingredients alternately, in small amounts.
4. Make the nut topping: Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. The nuts should be finely chopped.
5. Grease muffin tins with additional butter or margarine. You can also use paper baking cups. Fill each cup 3/4 full of batter. Add a full rounded tablespoon of nut topping on top of the batter in each cup. Bake immediately or the topping will sink to the bottom of the muffin.
6. Bake at 375° for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin should come out dry. Home ovens heat differently from commercial ovens, you may need to adjust the temperature or the baking time accordingly.
7. Recipe yields 12 standard-size muffins, or six large size muffins. If using the jumbo muffin pans, reduce the oven temperature by 25° and increase the baking time 5-10 minutes.

Drinks

Sunrise Morning Cocktail (non-alcoholic)
(recipe adapted from Taste of Home’s Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook, 2002)
serves 4


Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons grenadine
• 4 cups orange juice
• crushed ice

Directions

1. Add ice to 4 glasses. Pour 1 tablespoon grenadine syrup over ice in each glass. 
2. Slowly add 1 cup orange juice. Stir only if desired (drinks in this photo were not stirred). 

Virgin Mimosas
(sorry for the weird measurements...I put it into a servings calculator)

Ingredients

• 12 ounces orange juice
• 3/8 containers frozen lemonade concentrate, large
• 3/8 litre ginger ale
• 1/4 orange, thinly sliced
• 1/4 lemon, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Best when all ingredients are cold before mixing. Place an ice ring or ice cubes in punch bowl to keep mimosa cold.
2. Combine all the ingredients in punch bowl. Add slices of orange and lemon to punch bowl as a garnish.

Best wishes for the New Year!!!