Easy Weekend Brunch

When I have friends over for brunch - or most meals for that matter - I like to keep it simple. No fuss, no looking up new recipes, no over-thinking it. I choose a couple dishes I'm very comfortable making, think up a quick menu with a mix of sweet and savory options and try to pick at least one dish I can make ahead of time. These few steps are my tips for eternal stress-free entertaining! As for table decor, I like to add a few fresh blooms in mismatched vases and display them around the table. All easy and inexpensive, these little touches add a welcome dose of whimsy to a weekend morning.

The brunch I made this weekend fit the bill. I first made yogurt parfaits (by mixing Greek yogurt with honey, and layering slices of fresh strawberries). I topped these with a few spoonfuls of good granola and served them family-style, in a couple of pretty bowls. I made these a couple hours before my guests arrived, popped them in the fridge and topped them with the granola at the last minute. Next of my list were creamy scrambled eggs with feta and chives, with a side of crispy bacon (no time for a photo unfortunately!). This was the only tricky dish - you have to make this right when you want to serve it, but it's worth it, and what brunch would be complete without some sort of egg concoction?

Then, there was an easy homemade bread pudding using sweet challah (I used my base recipe and added raisins and vanilla paste to the mix). I toasted the leftover challah bread and served it with a couple jams - a orange and lemon one, and a classic strawberry. We washed it all down with dark coffee and freshly pressed orange juice.

I'm looking forward to many more of these kinds of brunches this summer!

Herb Frittata with Feta, Green Onions and Arugula

We had some of our friends over for brunch Sunday morning."Why don't we make them poached eggs?" Oliver asked seconds after we were brainstorming brunch ideas. Oliver has a sort of obsession with poached eggs and has spent weeks (or is it months?) perfecting his poaching skills. But, true to habit, we still went browsing through our ever-growing cookbook collection when we stopped on one of Jamie Oliver's recipes for a shrimp frittata. I had made it a few months ago and I remembered it being easy and delicious. "Maybe we should make a version of this instead? It would be easier to prepare beforehand, don't you think?". Oliver didn't look entirely convinced, but as soon as I suggested a mix of herbs, feta and green onions topped with market fresh arugula, he was sold.

The thing is, when you have guests over, there is nothing more annoying than having to run back and forth to the kitchen. Don't get me wrong, getting your guests in the kitchen to all cook together is on the top of my list of great entertaining, but sometimes it's just not what you want. Frittata made our brunch preparations a breeze. I had everything ready in a bowl and just popped my cast iron into the oven as my guests were coming in, and 5 minutes later - literally - it was on the table, warm and rustically served in the cast iron. I also made a batch of chocolate and candied orange muffins the day before, our guests brought a lovely fruit, coffee and hot chocolate, and we were set.

Recipe (for 4)
8 eggs at room temperature
1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley
1/2 tablespoon of chopped chives
1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/2 lemon zest
1/4 cup of crumbled feta
3 spring onions, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
A small handful of arugula
Extra virgin olive oil
Squirt of lemon juice

Preheat your oven to 400F. In bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the parsley, chives, dried oregano and lemon zest. Stir gently. Fold in the feta and green onion. Season with salt and pepper. Place a cast iron (or any oven-proof pan) on medium heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the egg mixture and stir with a wooden spoon for 1 minute. Place the cast iron in the oven and cook for 5 minutes or until the egg has set.
In a bowl, add the arugula. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Serve frittata in the cast iron, topped with the arugula.