I (Cindy) hosted this month's Supper Club get together and the theme was Sunday Brunch...
I made an Overnight Artichoke and Ham Strata (pictured above), the recipe can be found here. It's a great recipe because you make it the night before and just put it in the oven an hour before you plan on serving it. I will definitely make this again!
I (Lauren) made a quinoa salad with latin flavors I found in Eating Well. I wanted to make something using quinoa, since I visited Peru as it was used a lot in the food I ate there. The salad has onion, green chiles, lime juice, green onion, cilantro, and toasted pumpkin seeds. The recipe had me toast and then rinse the quinoa. I know that you need to rinse quinoa before cooking it because there is a bitter coating that must be removed. Toasting the quinoa gave it a nuttier flavor. I will make this again, but I think I will up the lime juice and maybe try a slightly hotter pepper as I like spicy food.
For a while I (Kim) had wanted to try one of the savory breakfasts that Mark Bittman posted on his blog back in February. I finally settled on the Coconut Oat Pilaf and was pretty pleased with the results.Coconut Oat Pilaf
2 tablespoons peanut oil or butter
1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats (not rolled), rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon minced or grated ginger
1 tablespoon mustard seeds (brown or black are both fine)
3 cardamom pods
1 or 2 dried red chilies, like Thai (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated dried unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, mint, scallions or parsley, or a combination.
1. Put oil or butter in a pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. When oil is hot or butter melts, add oats and ginger and stir until coated. Add spices and a pinch each of salt and pepper; stir until fragrant, just a minute or two.
2. Stir in 2 1/2 cups water, bring to a boil, and reduce heat so mixture gently bubbles. Cook undisturbed, until most of the water has been absorbed and holes begin to appear on surface, 5 to 7 minutes. Cover, remove from heat, and let sit for at least 10 (or up to 20) minutes.
3. Meanwhile, toast coconut in a skillet over medium-low heat, shaking pan and stirring until it is toasted and fragrant, several minutes (watch carefully that it does not burn). Toss coconut and cilantro into oats, fluffing mixture with a fork. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary and serve hot or at room temperature.
Yield: 4 servings.
Lemon & Sugar Puff Pancakes (makes about 20 small pancakes)
NOTE: The recipe actually calls for less zest. I included what I used, but feel free to cut back.
1 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/3 cups sugar
7 ounces skim ricotta cheese
4 tablespoons lemon zest
2 ounces butter
2 eggs, seperated
1. Sift the flour, baking powder, and 1/3 cup sugar into a bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the ricotta, milk, 3 tbsp lemon zest, butter and egg yolks and mix well.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the flour mixture.
3. In a shallow dish, combine 1 cup of sugar and the remaining 1 tbsp of lemon zest. Set aside. This is to dust the pancakes with.
4. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Coat with cooking spray and add spoonfuls of the mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown and puffed. Remove from pan and roll in sugar mixture. Serve with Berry Bircher.
Berry Bircher ( makes 4-6 servings)
NOTES: The recipe actually calls for chopped raw unsalted pistachios. I substituted Hazelnuts instead.
For serving dishes I used 1/2 pint mason jars.
1 1/2 cups quick cooking rolled oats
1 cup apple juice warmed
1/2 cup chopped unsalted hazelnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup plain fat free yogurt
2 cups mixed fresh berries
5 tablespoons maple syrup
1. Place the oats and warmed apple juice in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to stand for 30 minutes or until the oats are soft.
2. Mix the yogurt, nuts, cinnamon, and 1 tbsp of maple syrup. Add the oats and mix well. Carefully mix in 1 cup of berries. Divide the mixture evenly among 4-6 serving dishes.
3. Mix the remaining berries and maple syrup. Divide evenly over the yogurt and serve.
I (Rebecca) made Cooking Light's Orange Bubble Bread, a fragrant citrus version of pull-apart bread, pictured above. A sweet, yeasted bread-machine dough is rolled into balls and then tossed in butter and coated with granulated sugar that has been mixed with orange peel. The bright citrus is a great flavoring for the sweet dough. I did need twice the amount of sugar and orange peel that the CL recipe called for as I ran through the specified amount about halfway through the process. I also modified the preparation so that I could make and assemble the bread the night before but bake it the morning of the brunch. To do this, I made the bread as directed up to the point of placing the dough balls into the bundt pan (another departure from the recipe, which called for a tube pan). Instead of rising the dough at room temperature and then baking, I covered the pan with a towel and let the dough rise overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning, I let the pan sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes and then baked the bread as directed. After cooling and removing the bread from the pan, a light glaze made from powdered sugar and orange juice is drizzled over the rolls. To eat the bread, pull a roll loose from the bundt. I dare you to eat just one!
The next club meeting will be in July at Lauren's house.
