Reason #48: Mother's Day Brunch

Since I was in South Carolina with my girlfriends last weekend, and my parents were vacationing at the beach, we celebrated Mother's Day one week later. My sister and I decided to celebrate Mother's Day with a brunch full of all of our mother's favorite foods. Below is our menu with the chosen recipes:

Brunch Menu
Smoked Salmon, Dill & Cream Cheese Frittata
Sweet Potato Hash
Avocado & Tomato Salad
French Toast
Peanut Butter and Carmelized Banana Paninis

Smoked Salmon, Dill and Cream Cheese Frittata
serves 6
Adapted from Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition - 2006

1 1/2 cup egg substitute (or 6 eggs, beaten)
salt and pepper
4 oz smoked salmon, chopped or fork shredded
8oz of cream cheese OR 3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Additional add-in options include: red onion, avocado, potatoes, red pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium.

In a large bowl, stir together the egg substitute (or eggs), salt, pepper, smoked salmon, goat cheese and dill until well combined. If you are using cream cheese instead of goat cheese, spoon small balls of cream cheese out of the container and fold into the mixture.

Add the olive oil to the skillet and swirl around to coat all the sides. Pour in the egg mixture and cook without stirring until the bottom is set, but the top is still loose.

Place the pan into the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the stop is set. No need to let it brown — you just want it firm.

Serve hot.

Sweet Potato Hash:
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup red onions, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Thyme

1. Peel sweet potatoes and chop into small cubes. Coat potatoes with olive oil and place in oven for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet and fry red onions over medium high heat until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and sweet potatoes, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through and crispy. Add thyme.

Serves 4.

Avocado and Tomato Salad3 large tomatoes, chopped
3 avocados - peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
Balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing or red wine vinegar

In a large serving bowl, toss together the tomatoes, avocados and red onion. Dust lightly with black pepper, and drizzle desired amount of vinaigrette over salad . Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving to blend flavors.

Peanut Butter and Carmelized Banana Panini
Serves 4
Peanut Butter
3 bananas, slightly green, not quite ripe, sliced crosswise into 1/4″ slices
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
dash of cinnamon
8 slices good-quality white bread
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

Place a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, sizzle one tablespoon of butter in the pan for a few seconds, then add bananas. Allow bananas to brown for about 30 seconds without stirring or moving them. Use a heat-proof spatula to turn bananas over, then add brown sugar, cinnamon, and remaining tablespoon of butter. Shaking pan to keep bananas moving, cook about one minute more, until sugar is melted and bananas are caramelized, but still solid. Remove from heat.

Preheat the panini grill to medium-high heat (375 degrees).

For each sandwich: Brush melted butter onto the outer sides of two slices of bread and spread a generous amount of peanutbutter on the inner sides. Arrange a single layer of caramelized bananas on one of the slices of bread and close the sandwich with the other slice. Grill 2-3 minutes until the bread is toasted and golden grill marks appear. Serve immediately - with a tall glass of cold milk - and enjoy!

My sister also made raisin bread french toast - so delicious!
Brunch was a hit and everything was devoured. My mom's only request was for brunch to be a annual tradition! Happy Mother's Day Mom!