I love brunch.
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I mean, who doesn’t! It’s the best time of the weekend, truly. Where there is not judgement for your indulgence and no limit on number of cocktails you get to consumer because it’s before 2pm. This is also one of my favorite reasons why I love Easter! No matter where we are or what we are doing, we always have brunch on Easter Sunday. One of my favorite brunch spots in Dallas is Al Biernat’s, which I CANNOT wait to go to this weekend! It’s a Dallas tradition!
If you are looking to stay at home this Easter Sunday, I have the perfect menu to whip up! All these recipes are pretty simple (the muffins will take the longest). It’s a lighter menu but will be sure to fill you and your guests up! Don’t forget about the cocktail I chose at the bottom!
To Start
Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Serve with raspberry jam!
Ingredients
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon pure cane sugar
- 2 medium lemons, preferably organic (you’ll need the zest of both and the juice of one)
- 1½ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup poppy seeds
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ¾ cup plain yogurt (plain Greek yogurt works, too)
- 1 large egg (update 3/20/14: use 2 eggs for richer and slightly fluffier, more cupcake-like muffins)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease your muffin pan using butter or non-stick cooking spray. (Pro tip: grease only the bottoms and halfway up the cups so your muffin tops don’t flatten out while baking.)
- Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a medium mixing bowl. Use your fingers to rub the zest into sugar until the sugar is fragrant and pale yellow throughout. Whisk in the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a separate, smaller mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, yogurt, egg, vanilla and the juice of one of your bald lemons.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a large spoon to mix the two together. Stir only until the flour is fully incorporated into the liquid.
- Divide batter evenly between the 12 muffins cups. The batter will be thick but don’t worry, your muffins will turn out great. The cups should not be more than three-fourths full. Sprinkle the muffins with turbinado sugar and wipe off any sugar that lands between the muffin cups.
- Bake for 16 to 19 minutes, until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then carefully transfer the muffins to a baking rack to cool completely.
| Recipe and image borrowed from here.
Mains
Smoked Salmon Avocado Toast
Ingredients
- 1 slice country or sourdough bread, approximately 1/2 inch thick
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (15g) goat cheese, or enough to spread a thin layer over surface of bread
- 1/2 medium pitted and peeled Hass avocado
- 1 teaspoon capers, plus more to taste
- 2 slices tomato from 1 medium tomato
- 3 thin slices red onion, cut in rounds from 1 medium onion
- 3 pieces thinly sliced smoked salmon
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste, from 1/2 lemon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Lightly brush bread with olive oil and toast to desired level of doneness. Spread goat cheese over surface. Top with avocado and mash with a fork to cover entire surface. Sprinkle capers evenly across surface and top with tomato, red onion, and smoked salmon. Add lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve.
| Recipe and image borrowed from here.
Bacon with a Citrus Glaze
Ingredients
- 8 slices slab bacon (1/4 inch thick) or regular bacon
- 2 navel oranges
- 1 tablespoon cane syrup or honey
Directions
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay bacon on a baking sheet. Juice oranges into a small saucepan, and add cane syrup. Cook over medium heat until glaze is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes.
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Brush some glaze over the bacon, and bake for 10 minutes. Brush with more glaze. Continue to bake until golden, about 15 minutes more (10 minutes if using regular bacon). Brush bacon with remaining glaze, and transfer to a parchment- or paper-towel-lined plate to drain before serving.
| Recipe and image borrowed from here.
Four Fruit Compote
Ingredients
- 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
- 3 to 4 medium apples, chopped
- 2 to 3 medium bananas, sliced
Directions
- Drain pineapple, reserving 3/4 cup juice. In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in the orange, lemon and pineapple juices until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the fruits. Pour warm sauce over the fruit; stir gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate. Yield: 12-16 servings.
| Recipe and image borrowed from here.
Cocktail
I highly recommend a Bloody Mary bar if you are hosting many guests so they can make theirs to their liking! The perfect pairing to a Bloody Mary bar? A mimosa bar! For those guests who prefer something sweeter to sip on.
The Best Damn Bloody Mary
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (2 ounces) tomato juice
- 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) vodka
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated horseradish
- 3 dashes hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 dash freshly ground black pepper
- About 1 cup ice cubes
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 lemon wedge (optional)
Directions
In 11-ounce highball glass, stir together tomato juice, vodka, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Fill glass with ice, then pour mixture into second glass. Pour back and forth 3 to 4 times to mix well, then sprinkle lemon juice over. Garnish with celery stalk and lemon wedge (if using) and serve.
| Recipe and image borrowed from here and here.
| Featured image borrowed from here.
SHOP EASTER BRUNCH TABLE-WARE
Definitely trying the avocado toast this weekend!