What should I cook for Easter brunch

We're vegetarians so the first person who says "The Easter Bunny" can



It's gonna be like 7 of us from 3 families and I usually like to impress with my cooking, even though they're all easily impressed.

I'm thinking a fruit salad and cinamon rolls so far, but beyond that/main course, I'm clueless.

I thought about a Californian Eggs Benedict (avocado and tomato instead of canadian bacon), but my Hollandaise sauce abilities are pretty weak. Does anyone have a good and easyish recipe?

Ideas?

david

Many years ago, Julia Child did a thing of a kind of sandwich of two pieces of puff pastry with asparagus and hollandiase in the middle. Obviously, you'd eat it with a fork, but that always looked great.

Artichokes would be good, too. Maybe an artichoke frittata

But I've never done puff pastries before, and I'd rather not start on Easter...

Sounds good, though. Maybe next year.

Mmmmmmmm... artichokes :)

david

Some really nice white bread, crusts removed, toasted and buttered. Or no butter with the hollandaise.

Or on biscuits...

It sounds like you're okay with eggs--why not a frittata? Say, greek-inspired, with spinach, garlic & feta? Super-easy, serves many, stays hot.

Oh, and cinnamon rolls are so over! :P Impress your friends with marzipan rolls (just make any kind of pastry roll and add marzipan AKA almond paste inside the roll.)

that I'm practically famous for. Mmmmmmmm...

marzipan rolls sound quite good too, though!

david

Hollandaise isn't hard. There are a couple of tricks that make it easier. Instead of a double boiler, use a bowl set over the boiling water in the saucepan. It's easier to get the whisk over the bowl than in the corners of a double boiler (thank you, Joy of Cooking).

After you beat the egg yolks and just before you put them over the boiling water, add an extra Tbs of butter. As the butter melts, it'll keep the egg yolks from heating up too fast (thank you, Julia Child).

Of course, you have to make it at the last possible moment, and everything else must be ready.

okay, I'll shut up now :)

Great idea with the hashbrowns! I probably would have forgotten.

Do you have a good recipe for the Hollandaise sauce? The last one I did was a little too lemony.

david

I don't have access to my cookbooks. The one in the Joy of Cooking is good, as I recall. Any encyclopedic cook book ought to be good. Anything by Julia Child will be excellent.

I'm at work too. Probalby should be working, huh?

:)

Thanks again!

david

Maybe you could make fresh fruit, yogurt, and granola (or similar cereal) parfaits layered in pretty glasses.

Also, you could use veggie Canadian bacon for the eggs benedict.

I don't know if you have egg coddlers, but if you do, that might be good too with veggie bacon...instead of eggs benedict.

They sound cool!

david

You put an egg (or more) into the coddler, putting other stuff at the top and bottom, and then boil it. An example would be: crumbled up veggie bacon, then add the raw egg, then more crumbled veggie bacon at the top, salt & pepper. Immerse in boiling water for 10 minutes or so (can't remember exactly), and voila!

Those are some fancy coddlers!

david

I put a little cheese, parsley, pepper flakes in mine...have done a few ham & egg numbers to impress friends.

Got 'em as a wedding present over 25 years ago. I should get them out again. Thanks for the reminder

maybe 1 or 2 of these will catch your eye

vegetarian lasagna
steamed broccoli or cauliflower with cheese sauce
cheese enchiladas
caesar salad
veggie Meditterranean pitas
veggie pizza
garlic bread
blueberry muffins
potato or mac salad
fruit salad
deviled eggs
sweet potatoes
mashed potatoes
green beans
corn
strawberry shortcake

enough

:hi:

And yes, Welcome to DU!!!

Good suggestions. I'll be able to pick some to go with the breakfastish theme.

Thanks again!

david

i use this for super easy hollandaise sauce



i add extra butter and some fresh lemon juice to taste and it really does turn out pretty good.

you could do pan roasted potatoes in olive oil, garlic, sea salt - they are sooo good!

I think I probably can. Most of the guests eat TV dinners most of the time, so anything is really gormet to them. :)

Mmmmmmm, pan roasted potatoes does sound good. Hmmmmm...

david

butter a rectangular baking dish

Cover the bottom of the dish with sliced MOnterey Jack or colby jack cheese.

drain a large can of mild chopped green chiles and spread them all over the cheese

beat 1 1/2 cups sour cream with 2 eggs and pour over the chiles.

Top with chile powder or paprika


bake at 400 until puffy, browned and bubbly.

TIPS: chop up some fresh tomatoes and green onions and add with the chopped chiles.

add a can of drained mushrooms with the chiles

I have even added thinly sliced zuchinni

I use an 8 x 11 pyrex to make this dish.

It is easy easy and wonderful

Boil a dozen eggs.
Peel them and slice or quarter them.

Make up your favorite really good thick cheese sauce:

3 T butter to each 1 cup of milk
# T flour to each 1 cup of milk

You will want about 3 cups of sauce..

To make sauce:

melt butter over high heat but do not brown
whisk inthe flour and cook until bubbly ...don't let it brown

You want the milk to be warm, heat it up in the microwave while you are doing the butter and flour.

Pour the warm milk into the flour mixture, and whisk it in quickly, so it is nice and smooth. Now you have thick white sauce. Add the cheese, grated or shredded. You can use cheddar, or colbyjack or whatever your favorite casserole cheese, but it looks better if the cheese is orange, not white. You can add some cayenne pepper if you like for a little bite (it's a nice touch)

Combine the cheese sauce and hardboiled eggs in a deep baking dish,
sprinkle cracker crumbs on top and dot with butter. You can also add pimento strips for color.

Bake until bubbly, at around 350 degrees.

This is similar to an old classic dish: Goldenrod which is hardboiles eggs in a rich cream sauce.

Serve over toast points, or english muffins, or biscuits.

Cheese Grits Souffle is good too.

Cook up about 4 cups of grits(don't use instant!!) and combine with 1/2 stick of butter, about 2 cups of cheddar cheese, some garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper to taste. Beat 4 eggs until smooth and yellow and add to the grits mixture. You will want to warm the egg mix up with a little of the grits mixture then add all back to the grits mixture and stir well.

Bake in a deep casserole at 400 for about 1/2 hour. It will puff up and be beautiful and is the only civilized way to eat grits.