Summer Brunch Menu

Summer brunch in the backyard with friends...it doesn't get much better than that.

This was an Aussie-themed spread, inspired by some beautiful tableware from www.kitchenwaredirect.com.au.

The gorgeous coloured serving plates and bowls are from the Ecology Beach range, made from bamboo fibre.  It's lightweight, has that unique "recycled" look and is simply stunning on the table!

On the Ecology Beach Charger Plate, I made a basic damper, served with breakfast bruschetta-inspired accompaniments: smoked salmon, diced tomato tossed with balsamic vinegar, and a freshly-made pesto.  These were served in the divine little Ecology Beach Snack Set.

Pesto
In a food processor, combine 1/2 cup cashews, 1 clove crushed garlic, 80g feta, 1 cup fresh herbs, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup oil.

I wanted something delicious, fresh, colourful and "brunchy" to serve in the Ecology Beach Salad Bowl.  The result was a hit - this gorgeous Brunch Salad.

Brunch Salad
Toss together 80g salad leaves, 4 rashers of cooked, chopped bacon, 1 cup mushrooms, sautéed with 1 clove crushed garlic, 10 baby bocconcini, 1/2 punnet halved cherry tomatoes, 4 boiled eggs, quartered and 1/2 sliced avocado.  Serve with home-made tomato relish.

I always get nervous when I'm entertaining outdoors and using my fancy glassware.  Especially when young children are around!  But neither do I like tacky, plastic, disposable glasses.  Enter: the Swish Plastic range.

This range gives you all of your favourite styles of glassware, in an unbreakable plastic - genius!  The quality is amazing, but you still get the look and feel of glass.

I wanted to get creative with my Swish glassware and had to think outside the box.

So here it is: 3 different glasses, used in 3 different ways.  They went down a treat!

First of all, Swish Plastic Martini Glasses filled with layers of Home-made Muesli, Yoghurt and Spiced Stone Fruit, topped with berries.  Divine!

Vanilla & Cinnamon Spiced Stone Fruit
Place 500g fresh, sliced stone fruit in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 cup water.  Stir gently, bringing to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Now, I've decided that chocolate is perfectly acceptable for brunch - it's never too early!

So, using the Swish Plastic Highball Tumblers, and continuing the Australian theme, I decided on Lamington Trifles.  These were probably the hit of the morning, and we so easy to make!

Lamington Trifles
16 small laming ton
200mL whipped cream
1 cup chocolate sauce (combine 1.5 cups icing sugar, 1 cup cocoa, 1/4 cup coconut cream and hot water to reach desired consistency)
1/4 cup shredded coconut

Break up the lamingtons and divide half of them between 4 glasses.  Drizzle with half of the chocolate sauce and dollop with half of the cream.  Repeat with remaining ingredients, then top with coconut.

And to finish up the brunch, we needed an actual beverage to serve in the glasses!

So I used the Swish Plastic Champagne Flutes (teamed perfectly with my Juice Jar!) to make a fresh and fruity drink.  It was a lovely mix of flavours and not too sweet to serve in the morning.

Raspberry and Lemon Refresher
Combine
1Litre raspberry iced tea
1.25L sparkling mineral water
3/4 cup lemon cordial
Juice of 2 oranges
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 cup chopped mint
crushed ice
1 sliced orange
1 sliced lemon
and serve!

So there you have it - a simple and delicious Summer Brunch, perfect for the Aussie back deck.  When are you hosting yours?!

*Thanks to www.swishplastic.com.au and www.kitchenwaredirect.com.au for the glasses & platters*

Bagels

Bagels are not something I'd really thought of trying until recently.  I got my bake on a couple of weekends ago and it was a pretty good result!  They were probably a bit more dense than I'd have liked, but overall they tasted good, and were a great variation to our usual lunches.

And of course, now that a couple of weeks have passed, I can't even remember which recipe I used, so I'll just link to a few here and you can have a look for yourself.  They are so delicious freshly-baked and always remind me of holidays overseas for some reason.

Let me know if you try them out!

http://www.sophisticatedgourmet.com/2009/10/new-york-style-bagel-recipe/

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/22378/poppy+seed+bagels

http://www.taste.com.au/kitchen/articles/making+homemade+bagels,340

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/bagels

Salmon & Ricotta Quiche

I threw this one together as I had a few leftovers and it was a fabulous result!  I made the shortcrust pastry with my friend's Thermomix, but you can easily make your own with a recipe like this - or buy it, of course.  I didn't blind bake mine, but you can if you wish.  It's suitable to freeze and would suit breakfast, lunch or dinner - how versatile!  You could also add other vegetables, like peas, pumpkin or sweet potato (make sure you get them from www.charliesfruitonline.com.au!) and they would be great in mini-form for a party or afternoon tea.  And it's worth making your own relish to go with - yum!

Ingredients
1 sheet shortcrust pastry
3 eggs
200g ricotta cheese
100g sour cream
1/4 cup milk
60g smoked salmon, chopped
1/2 cup corn kernels
2 teaspoons fresh or dried herbs, chopped

Method
Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius (180 fan-forced).

Line a flan tin with pastry.

In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients.  Mix well (use a stick blender or similar if you wish, to combine the eggs, ricotta, sour cream and milk).

Pour into pastry.  Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until golden and set.

Serve warm or cold.  Delicious with beetroot, tomato or capsicum relish!

Roast Vegetable Frittata

This was a bit of a throw-together meal that turned out really well!  Super easy - a bit time-consuming because of the cooking times, but the actual prep time is not much.  Loved by the whole family and would suit breakfast, lunch or dinner - it comes in at just 265 calories per serve.

Ingredients (serves 4)
300g pumpkin, peeled, seeded and chopped
300g sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
olive oil spray
2 tablespoons relish/chutney (I used this home-made capsicum & onion relish)
100g feta cheese, chopped
6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons dried herbs

Method
Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius/200 fan-forced.

Combine pumpkin, sweet potato and onion in a baking dish and spray with olive oil. Bake for about 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender and golden. Reduce oven to 180 degrees Celsius/160 fan-forced.

Add relish to vegetables and mix until combined. Top with feta.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs and milk and whisk well.  Pour over the vegetables then sprinkle the herbs on top.

Bake for about 30 minutes until egg is set and top is golden brown.

Sausage & Egg Pie

This recipe is so versatile, you could serve it up for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even as a party food!  They are simple, quick and easy to change up with your favourites.  You could even mix it up by using puff or shortcrust pastry rather than filo.  Serve with a salad, or add some veges into the mix - roast pumpkin would be delicious, or just add some peas or corn!

Ingredients (makes 6)

3 sheets filo pastry, thawed
olive oil spray
1-2 cooked sausages (flavoured is delicious, but it can be any variety), chopped
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons caramelised onion (home-made is the BEST, especially using Charlie's onions!)

Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Lightly spray each sheet of filo with olive oil.  Cut into 6 equal pieces and press the stacks into 6 holes of a muffin pan.

Whisk the eggs in a jug with milk.  Divide chopped sausage between each filo base.  Pour egg mixture on top.  Dollop with caramelised onion and mix it in lightly with a teaspoon.

Bake for about 20 minutes until egg is set and pastry is lightly browned.

Serve warm or cold.

Whole Wheat Waffles

I've posted before about my fondness for waffles every once in a while.  I usually do a basic sweet mix, or these tasty savoury ones.  I came across this recipe from the 100 Days of Real Food Blog - they are refined sugar-free, can be dairy-free if you use something like almond milk, and taste amazing!  It's great to have a breakfast treat that you don't have to feel guilty about.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk

¼ cup oil (I used coconut oil)
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
Warmed 100% pure maple syrup for serving
Fresh fruit for serving

Instructions

Preheat your waffle iron.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, honey, cinnamon, and baking soda until well combined.

Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk together just until the large lumps disappear.

When the waffle iron is hot, dab it with a little butter and then ladle some batter onto the center of the iron. Follow the instructions that came with your waffle maker to know how long it should be cooked (mine takes about 3 – 4 minutes each).

Keep waffles warm until you finish cooking all of them. Top with pure maple syrup and fruit.

Breakfast Quinoa

As you know, I've been trying out a few new recipes with quinoa and loving it, so I was really curious to try it at another time of day - breakfast!  I adapted this recipe from Happy Healthy Mama and really loved it.  It's such a nutritious and delicious start to the day - and it can easily be intolerance-friendly by using almond milk (which also gives it a slightly different flavour) - yum!

Get all your freshness from Charlies Fruit Online!

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cups milk or almond milk
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
zest from 1/2 an orange
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
generous pinch nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped cashews

Method
In a small saucepan, bring the milk, orange juice, and orange zest to a boil. Stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and quinoa. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook for 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, dry toast your cashews in a small skillet pan.

Remove quinoa from heat and stir in maple syrup. Sprinkle with nuts and cranberries and serve.

Healthy Breakfast Crumble

Here's a fantastic Mother's Day recipe that your mum is sure to love!  You can make all of the elements from scratch, or just buy them, and bring it all together for a delicious and nutritious breakfast (brownie points for serving it in a heart-shaped bowl!)  This recipe has no added sugar, just sweetened naturally, and incorporates the most amazing flavours and textures!

Ingredients (serves 2)
2 pears, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup water
250g low-fat natural yoghurt
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup natural muesli
1/8 of an orange, sliced

Method
Combine pears with spice, vanilla and water in a small saucepan.  Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, until tender.

Mix the honey into the yoghurt.

Place pears and yoghurt in a bowl, sprinkle with muesli and garnish with orange.

Savoury Waffles

I was given a waffle maker some time ago and have usually associated it with high-fat, high-sugar toppings like ice-cream & golden syrup (yum!)  So a couple of weeks ago I just randomly thought that there must be savoury waffles out there!  I found this recipe here and it was superb! I added boiled eggs and ham (which weren't really necessary - the waffles were filling enough) and it was a very delicious weekend treat!

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup polenta
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions
Preheat a waffle maker on medium-high heat according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, polenta, baking powder, baking soda, black pepper, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter and buttermilk. Stir in the grated cheese. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, then add the chives and parsley. Stir until just incorporated. Try not to over-mix the batter.

Cook according to your waffle machine instructions.

Garnish with extra chives and parsley and serve immediately with bacon and fried eggs. Add a dollop of sour cream if you wish.

Brown Rice & Carrot Bake

I had a flashback to my childhood the other day and had to call my mum to ask for the recipe I was thinking of - and it's this Brown Rice & Carrot Bake! I made it for some friends for lunch and it was just as tasty as I remembered! It's a bit like Zucchini Slice and is great for using up leftover rice you might have on hand. I added some chopped asparagus and you could pop in other veges like corn, capsicum, zucchini or peas. Mum got the recipe from the Nursing Mothers Association (now the ABA) cookbook and it comes in at only 200 calories per serve - it's so versatile as it can be served warm for dinner, cold with salad for lunch, or even for breakfast! Give it a go!

Ingredients (serves 8)
2½ cups finely grated carrot
125g cheese, grated
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 eggs, well beaten
1¼ cups milk
2 teaspoons melted butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper

Method
Mix carrot, cheese and rice in a bowl.  Combine other ingredients and add to carrot mixture. 

Spread into a greased casserole dish. Cover and bake in a moderate oven for 45 minutes to an hour, until cooked through.

Frittata

Frittata is a great way to use up the leftover veges at the end of the week.  My kids love it and so do I - serve it as a breakfast, lunch or dinner - how versatile!

Ingredients (serves 4 - 235 calories per serve)
300g sweet potato, peeled and cubed
150g broccoli, chopped into small florets
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 red onion, chopped
100g mushroom, chopped
100g low-fat feta, crumbled
25g tasty cheese, grated
1 teaspoon dried basil
Olive oil spray

Method
Steam sweet potato in a saucepan or microwave until tender. Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius, fan-forced.

Heat a pan over medium heat (save dishes and use a cast-iron pan or similar, that can be transferred from stove-top to oven).  Spray with olive oil, then add onion and broccoli.

Cook for a few minutes until softened, then add mushrooms and continue to cook.  When soft, pour eggs evenly over vegetables.

Sprinkle the feta, basil and cheese on top.  Cook for 2 mixtures then transfer tooven and cook for 15 minutes, or until cheese is sightly browned.

Toasted Muesli

This is a reader recipe sent in by Sonia - I've been meaning to make it for ages and finally got around to it - why didn't I do it sooner?!? Talk about DELICIOUS! And it was so easy, the prep hardly takes any time at all! It makes a huge batch of 24 serves at 50g/half a cup per serve - and mine came in at 210 calories per serve - perfect to serve with low-fat milk or yoghurt for a delicious and nutritious breakfast.  So thankyou Sonia, over to you for the recipe!

"This is so scrummy and rolled oats are very cheap! Once you've made it, you can play around with the ingredient quantities, like adding more or less coconut. Also, if you're on a budget, skip the more exotic additions at the end and it's fine with just a ton of sultanas thrown in."

Ingredients

5 cups rolled oats
1 cups coconut
1 cup bran
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Optional extras:

Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Sultanas
Cranberries
Nuts

Method

Mix together oats, coconut, bran, cinnamon and spice.  Then add maple syrup mix all ingredients together well.  Spread out in a shallow dish/baking tray.

Put in oven at approx 160 deg C for 15 mins. Remove, stir.  Put back in oven for about another 10 minutes, or until browned and toasted.

Stir through any extras you like.  (Editor's note: I used 1/2 cup pepitas, 1/2 cup flaked almonds, 1/2 cup sultanas, 1/2 cup dried apricots, 1/2 cup dried cranberries).

Store in an air-tight cereal container.

Ham & Egg Cups

I've been making variations of these little treats for a few years now.  They are so yummy and perfect to take on a picnic.  And you can even make them in little hearts if you want to impress someone (eg a certain someone on Mother's Day tomorrow!)  I made these yesterday then heated them up this morning and took them down to the waterfront for a breakfast picnic with the family - perfect!  And at just 96 calories each, they're great for mums who are watching their waistline!

Ingredients (makes 8)
8 slices low-fat ham
8 eggs
1/2 tomato, diced
50g low-fat feta, crumbled
dried oregano

Method
Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius, fan-forced.

If necessary, spray 8 cups of a muffin tray with olive oil spray (I used a silicone one so I didn't need to spray it).

Place one slice on ham in each cup.  Crack an egg into each cup.  Sprinkle with tomato, feta and oregano.

Bake in oven for about 25 minutes, or until eggs are cooked and the tops are golden.

Ricotta Corn Fritters

This is another recipe from "Healthy Cooking - A Commonsense Guide" (can you tell it's my current fav?!?) - it's actually from the breakfast section, but I made it for dinner (so versatile!).  Kids love fritters, so you know it'll be great for the whole family.  I especially love the tomato chutney on top :-)  AND it's only 311 calories per serve!

Ingredients (serves 4)
200g low-fat ricotta
1 egg
1 egg white
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
420g can corn kernels, drained
3 spring onions, chopped
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
cooking oil spray
100g low-fat ricotta, extra
1/3 cup tomato chutney

Method
Place the ricotta, egg, egg white and milk in a bowl and beat together until smooth.  Stir in the flour, corn kernels, spring onion and chives.  Season well with salt and pepper.

Spray a non-stick frying pan with oil.  Add heaped tablespoons of the mixture to the pan, four at a time, and flatten to about 1.5 cm thick.  Cook for 3-4 minutes each side.

Drain on paper towels.  Serve the fritters in a stack of three and top with a tablespoon of ricotta and a tablespoon of tomato chutney.

Ham and Cheese Slice

This recipe is perfect for the leftover Christmas ham - and one I made because I also had some puff pastry to use up - thanks again to www.exclusivelyfood.com.au!  I added the veges myself (yes, I am a mum to a toddler!), so feel free to leave them out if you wish.

Ingredients
1 1/2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
110g (1 cup, very firmly packed) grated tasty cheddar cheese
115g (2/3 cup, firmly packed) finely chopped shaved leg ham
3 large eggs
90ml (4 1/2 tablespoons) thickened cream

1 cup frozen veges
1 tablespoon (24g) grated onion
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius (without the fan). Adjust the oven rack to one of the lower positions: the pastry base will brown and crisp better if it is close to the bottom element.

Grease an 18cm by 28cm slice tin.

Place the whole pastry sheet at one end of the tin so that it slightly overhangs the sides of the tin. Place the half sheet of pastry at the other end of the tin, overlapping the first sheet of pastry by about 2.5cm. Ease pastry into tin. Firmly press the pastry together where it overlaps to prevent the filling from seeping underneath the pastry.

Sprinkle 3/4 of the cheese over the pastry base. Top with ham.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Place eggs, cream, veges, onion, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined. Pour egg mixture over ham and cheese.

Fold overhanging pastry over filling.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until quiche is lightly browned and filling is cooked. Cut into slices to serve.

Pancakes

I've been meaning to post this one as a weekend special for a little while - but I think with Father's Day tomorrow, it's the perfect opportunity!  I'm sure any dad would love to be treated to pancakes in the morning - and this recipe is SOOOO easy there's really no excuses!

The recipe is from the delightful Caroline over at http://carriecookingrecipes.blogspot.com/ - she's another busy mum of two with some great recipes, so I highly recommend you check them out!  I don't even use the recipe anymore, it's so easy to remember.  I've also used this recipe to make pikelets.

So here they are - and hooray for dads!

Makes approximately 10 good-sized pancakes

Ingredients:
2 cups self-raising flour
2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons caster sugar
Butter for frying

Method:
Add all ingredients into a bowl.  Mix with a whisk until smooth.

Preheat a frying pan on medium heat.  Melt butter in the pan and tilt to spread.  Pour mixture into pan and cook until bubbles appear.  Flip and cook the other side.  Serve hot with your favourite toppings.

Apple and Oat Muffins

I'm very excited to introduce a guest blogger today to share her wonderful recipe!  Anisia is a mum to a toddler and newborn and wanted to share one of her favourites with everyone.  I hope when I have two kids (in a few weeks) I still have time to bake too!  Anyway, here she is...


"I found this recipe on www.taste.com one day when I was searching for a recipe that I could make using a few key ingredients that I had on hand (yoghurt and apple). We love these muffins and make them regularly in our house. They are quick and easy to make, relatively healthy and very tasty - especially straight out of the oven! I like baking these and freezing the muffins in their own individual bags so that I can easily grab one or two and throw them in the nappy bag as I'm heading out the door as a snack for either myself, my husband or my toddler!"


Ingredients

1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup tightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats, plus extra for sprinkling on top
1 1/2 cups (375ml) vanilla yoghurt, at room temperature
2 eggs, lightly beaten
100gm butter
1 cup stewed apples, cut into small pieces

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 12 x large muffin pan with cooking spray or line with muffin cases.

Sift flours and baking powder together. Stir in sugar and oats. Whisk yoghurt, eggs and oil together. Add to flour together with stewed apple, mix until just combined. Do not over-mix.

Divide mixture evenly into muffin pans until three-quarters full. Sprinkle with extra rolled oats.

Bake for 25 minutes or until golden in colour and cooked when tested. Cool for 5 minutes in pan before transferring to a wire cake rack. They taste yummy served warm!

My 17 month old son loved helping me make these muffins. His crucial role was sprinkling the oats on the muffins closest to him. You can see how proud he was of his efforts!