Mother's Day Brunch

[bonnie]

Diced Fresh Fruit Salad

Serves 4.

Experiment with different kinds of fruit, depending on the season and your tastes.

1/2 pineapple, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup seedless green grapes, quartered
1/2 pint raspberries, sliced in half
1/2 mango, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves
Honey(optional)

Combine pineapple, grapes, raspberries, and mango in a large bowl. Squeeze lime juice over the fruit. Sprinkle chopped mint over the top, and drizzle with honey, if desired. Gently toss to combine, and transfer to individual dessert bowls or plates.

[bonnie]

Mini Coffee Cake Muffins

Makes 2 dozen.

For the topping:
1/4 cup light-brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
Pinch of ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

For the batter:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons buttermilk
Nonstick cooking spray, for pans

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. To make the topping, in a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon. Add butter, and work in, using your fingers or a pastry cutter, until well combined; set aside

2. To make the batter, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat to combine. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and buttermilk, and beginning and ending with the dry ingredients; scrape down the bowl as necessary.

3. Spray eighteen cups of a mini-muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Divide batter evenly between cups. Sprinkle topping over batter. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let stand in pans for 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Use immediately.

[bonnie]

Potato and Onion Frittata

Serves 4; Prep time: 15 minutes; Total time: 45 minutes

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 baking potato (8 ounces), peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
Coarse salt and ground pepper
5 large eggs
5 large egg whites
1/2 cup whole flat-leaf parsley leaves

1. In a medium (10-inch) nonstick broilerproof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onion, potato, and rosemary; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

2. Cover skillet, and cook 10 minutes; uncover. Cook, tossing mixture occasionally, until onion and potato are tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, parsley leaves, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

4. Heat broiler with rack set 4 inches from heat. Add remaining tablespoon oil to vegetables in skillet. Pour egg mixture into skillet.

5. Cook on stove, over low heat, lifting mixture a few times around the edges with a spatula to let egg flow underneath. Continue cooking until frittata is almost set in center, about 10 minutes.

6. Place skillet under broiler; broil until frittata is set and top is lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Run a clean spatula around edges to loosen, then slide frittata out onto a serving plate, and cut into wedges.

Per serving: 238 calories; 13.2 grams fat; 14.2 grams protein; 15.6 grams carbohydrates; 1.6 grams fiber

Note: To store extra yolks (for custards or egg washes), place unbroken yolks in water in a covered container, and refrigerate, up to 2 days. If you have no use for them, you can buy unprocessed pure egg whites in the dairy section at the market.

[goodcookin]

BREAKFAST CREPES

1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Scant 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup brandy (or your favorite liqueur)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

Additional butter for cooking
Additional sugar or clear jelly such as apple or apricot for serving

Special equipment:
Iron skillet or crêpe pan
Flexible metal or plastic spatula

In a blender, combine milk and eggs. Mix on medium-high speed until foamy, about 10 seconds. Turn blender to low speed and remove feed top. With blender going, add sugar and salt. Replace feed top and blend on high speed for a few seconds, then turn blender back to low. In the same manner, add butter, brandy, and vanilla, replacing feed top and blending for several seconds after each addition. Turn blender off. Add flour all at once and blend until just combined.

Place crêpe pan over moderately high heat. With flexible spatula, spread a tiny amount of butter in pan (an alternative method is to brush the pan with melted butter using a pastry brush) and heat until butter just begins to smoke. Pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter into the pan. As you pour, quickly tilt the pan in all directions to spread a thin layer of batter across the bottom. Pour in just enough batter to cover the pan.

Cook crêpe over moderately high heat until bubbles just begin to form on the exposed surface, about one to two minutes. Lift up the edge to check the cooking process — if the crêpe starts to burn before it is cooked through, turn down the heat. If it is not nicely browned after two minutes, turn up the heat.

When underside of crêpe is browned, flip and cook another minute or less, until other side is browned. Remove from pan and keep warm in the oven, loosely covered with foil.

Grease pan with a very small amount of butter and repeat process. Continue until all batter is used, stacking cooked crêpes on a plate in the oven. To serve, sprinkle each crêpe with sugar or spread with jelly and fold or roll up.

Note: Making the batter for these crêpes is relatively easy, but cooking them can be laborious. Once you have a gotten a feel for the procedure (you will probably have to tinker with the heat and cooking time, since every pan behaves slightly differently), you can save time by using two pans at once. Stagger the process so you are pouring the batter into one pan while a crêpe is cooking in the other. This way, you will be able to closely attend to both but will finish in half the time.

Makes approximately 12-15 crêpes.

[amirah]

Banana Muffins with Tart Lemon Icing

POINTS® Value | 3
Servings | 18
Preparation Time | 15 min
Cooking Time | 30 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy

desserts | If the mouth-puckering lemon icing isn’t enough flavor for you, try adding 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to the flour mixture.

1/2 cup sugar
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened, divided
1 large egg(s)
2 tsp vanilla extract, divided
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup fat-free skim milk
4 large banana(s), ripe, mashed
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest, strips, or more to taste
Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 18 muffin holes with paper liners.

2. Place sugar and 5 tablespoons of butter in a large bowl; cream with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla; beat until thoroughly mixed.

3. In another large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add half of flour mixture to butter mixture; beat well with mixer. Add milk and remaining flour mixture; beat until batter is combined and then fold in mashed bananas.

4. Spoon batter into muffin liners about 3/4 full. Bake until muffins start to brown and a tester inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Allow muffins to cool in pan for about 2 minutes; remove to a wire rack and cool completely before icing.

5. Meanwhile, to make icing, combine powdered sugar, remaining tablespoon of butter, lemon juice, zest, and remaining teaspoon of vanilla in a medium bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Ice cooled muffins; cover and refrigerate any uneaten muffins. Yields 1 muffin per serving.

[amirah]

Apple-Raspberry Stuffed French Toast

POINTS® Value | 6
Servings | 4
Preparation Time | 12 min
Cooking Time | 10 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy

breakfast | Frozen and canned fruits enjoyed on their own - or used in this tasty fruit-stuffed French toast - are a great way to get in some of your five-or-more servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

1 cup canned fruit pie filling, apple, chopped
1/3 cup sweetened frozen red raspberries, thawed
8 slice raisin bread, or cinnamon raisin bread
1/4 cup regular egg substitute
1/4 cup fat-free skim milk
1/3 tsp vanilla extract, or maple extract
1 Tbsp margarine
1 Tbsp powdered sugar
2 Tbsp reduced-calorie pancake syrup
Instructions

1. Combine apple filling and raspberries. Arrange 4 slices of bread on a flat surface. Top each with about 1/3 cup fruit filling. Cover with remaining bread slices.

2. Combine egg substitute, milk and extract in a bowl.

3. Heat margarine in a large skillet.

4. Dip each sandwich into egg mixture; place in skillet. Cook on medium until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Sprinkle each with 1/4 tablespoon powdered sugar and then drizzle each with 1 1/2 teaspoons syrup. Serve.

[amirah]

Whole-Grain Banana Pancakes with Blackberry Syrup

POINTS® Value | 8
Servings | 4
Preparation Time | 15 min
Cooking Time | 15 min
Level of Difficulty | Moderate

breakfast | Give your favorite pancake mix a health boost like we did here. Roasted nut oils deliver unsaturated fats, while flax seeds and wheat germ up the fiber, vitamin E, folic acid and Omega-3 fatty acid contents. The result is ultra-tasty and ultra-filling.

1 sprays cooking spray
2 cup unsweetened frozen blackberries, or fresh blackberries
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 cup Aunt Jemima Original Pancake Mix, or other brand
1/4 cup flax seed(s)
1/4 cup wheat germ, toasted-variety
1 cup fat-free skim milk
3 large egg white(s)
1 Tbsp walnut oil, roasted-variety
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 medium banana(s), thinly sliced
Instructions

1. Coat a griddle or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and preheat over medium heat.

2. In a small saucepan, combine blackberries and powdered sugar; set pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce thickens and reduces, about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine pancake mix, flax seeds and wheat germ; mix with a fork to combine. Add milk, egg whites, oil and vanilla extract; whisk until large lumps disappear (ignore any small lumps).

4. For each pancake, pour a scant 1/4-cup of batter onto hot griddle or skillet. Cook until bubbles appear around edges and then top each pancake with banana slices; flip pancake. Cook until golden on both sides, about 1 minute more.

5. Remove cooked pancakes to a serving plate and cover with foil to keep warm (or keep warm in a 250ºF oven). Repeat with remaining batter to make 12 pancakes. Serve pancakes with blackberry syrup spooned over top. Yields 3 pancakes and about 3 tablespoons of syrup per serving.

[amirah]

Berry French Toast
From Cooking Light

2 cups frozen blueberries
1 1/2 cups frozen blackberries
1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cooking spray
1 cup fat-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 (8-ounce) loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch slices
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a 13 x 9- inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Combine milk, vanilla, egg whites, and egg in a large, shallow baking dish, stirring well with a whisk. Add bread, turning to coat. Let stand 5 minutes, turning bread occasionally. Arrange bread in a single layer over berries. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Sprinkle evenly with powdered sugar.

Yield: 6 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 374(6% from fat); FAT 2.7g (sat 0.6g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 9.2g; CHOLESTEROL 36mg; CALCIUM 114mg; SODIUM 300mg; FIBER 7.4g; IRON 2.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 80.4g

[amirah]

Brunch Parfaits
From Cooking Light

Assemble everything but the granola and almonds ahead of time, and store in the refrigerator for up to an hour. Sprinkle with granola and almonds just before serving for the optimum crunch.

1/3 cup apricot preserves
3 cups sliced strawberries
2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup low-fat granola without raisins (such as Kellogg's)
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted

Place apricot preserves in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at high for 10 to 15 seconds or until preserves melt. Add strawberries, and toss gently to coat.

Spoon 1/4 cup yogurt into each of 4 parfait glasses; top each serving with 1/3 cup strawberry mixture. Repeat the layers with the remaining yogurt and strawberry mixture. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons granola and 1 1/2 teaspoons almonds. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 parfait)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 279(14% from fat); FAT 4.2g (sat 1.4g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 8.7g; CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 240mg; SODIUM 94mg; FIBER 3.9g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 53.5g

[amirah]

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins
From Cooking Light

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 cup blueberries
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through nutmeg) in a medium bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Combine buttermilk, egg, and rind; stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moist. Gently fold in blueberries.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until the muffins spring back when lightly touched. Remove muffins from pans immediately, and place on a wire rack to cool.

Combine lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze evenly over cooled muffins.

Note: You can make these muffins up to 2 days ahead and glaze them the morning of the brunch.

Yield: 1 dozen (serving size: 1 muffin)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 187(23% from fat); FAT 4.8g (sat 2.7g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 3.7g; CHOLESTEROL 30mg; CALCIUM 59mg; SODIUM 264mg; FIBER 1g; IRON 1.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 32.6g

[amirah]

Banana-Berry Smoothie
From Cooking Light

Sip this power breakfast which boasts more than 300 milligrams of calcium while getting ready for work or on your way there. A scoop of powdered milk boosts the calcium contributed by the yogurt and the calcium-fortified orange juice. Additional nutritional benefits come from potassium-rich banana and antioxidant-rich berries. Frozen berries ensure a thick, creamy consistency, but you can also use fresh ones. Other frozen fruits, such as peaches or mangoes, work well, too.

1 1/4 cups calcium-fortified orange juice
1 1/4 cups frozen mixed berries (such as Cascadian Farm Harvest Berries)
1 cup sliced ripe banana
1/2 cup vanilla fat-free yogurt
1/3 cup nonfat dry milk
1 tablespoon sugar

Combine all ingredients in a blender; process until smooth.

Yield: 3 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 204(3% from fat); FAT 0.6g (sat 0.2g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 6.6g; CHOLESTEROL 2mg; CALCIUM 327mg; SODIUM 71mg; FIBER 3.3g; IRON 0.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.6g

[amirah]

Spinach and Tomato Strata
From Cooking Light

Use a dense, chewy bread for the best results in this recipe.

1 teaspoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained and divided
Cooking spray
16 (1-ounce) slices sturdy white bread, cut in half
2 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
5 large eggs
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Jarlsberg cheese

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and spinach; cook 3 minutes or until spinach wilts and liquid almost evaporates. Cool.

Spread 1 can of tomatoes over the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange half of the bread slices over tomatoes; top with 1 can of tomatoes, spinach mixture, and remaining bread slices. Combine milk, salt, pepper, and eggs in a large bowl; stirring with a whisk. Pour over bread slices; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Uncover strata. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until set.

Yield: 9 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 271(26% from fat); FAT 7.8g (sat 2.7g,mono 2.8g,poly 1.1g); PROTEIN 15.3g; CHOLESTEROL 131mg; CALCIUM 304mg; SODIUM 631mg; FIBER 3.4g; IRON 3.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 35.3g

[amirah]

Apple-Oat Muffins
From Cooking Light

The shredded apple adds moisture to the muffins. You'll find that the batter fills the muffin cups more than most recipes, but it shouldn't overflow in the oven.

2 cups shredded peeled McIntosh apple (about 3/4 pound)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) carton plain low-fat yogurt
1 large egg
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°.

Place apple on paper towels; squeeze until barely moist. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour and next 6 ingredients (flour through cinnamon) in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk, oil, vanilla, yogurt, and egg; stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in apple.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; place on a wire rack.

Yield: 1 dozen (serving size: 1 muffin)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 190(19% from fat); FAT 3.9g (sat 0.9g,mono 1.1g,poly 1.5g); PROTEIN 4.5g; CHOLESTEROL 20mg; CALCIUM 96mg; SODIUM 238mg; FIBER 1.9g; IRON 1.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.6g

[cat]

hi! i made the coffee cake muffins and fruit salad this morning along with scrambled eggs, coffee, etc. and they were a big hit. i don't think they should just be for mothers day. i'm adding these recipes to my weekend repertoire!
catalina (:a regular lurker:)

[amirah]

Blueberry Bran Breakfast Treats

Yes, you can still have a muffin for breakfast--a sweet, delicious, real muffin, not an over-sugared cake in disguise. These mini treats pack in the flavor of fresh blueberries and are loaded with fiber, which adds up to satisfying start to the day.

1 1/2 cups unprocessed wheat bran or oat bran
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup 1-percent milk or unflavored soymilk
1/3 cup honey
1 ripe medium banana, mashed with a fork
1 large egg
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries or other berries

Prep Tip: Color, not size, tells you which blueberries are the ripest. Look for berries that are deep purple to blue-black.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat 24 nonstick miniature muffin cups with cooking oil spray.

In a medium bowl, combine bran, flour, flaxseed, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. In another medium bowl or in a blender, combine the milk, honey, banana, egg, olive oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour in one-third of the liquid mixture. Stir until smooth. Add remaining liquid mixture and stir just until combined. Add blueberries and stir again, but do not over mix.

Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup. Bake about 8 minutes, or until the tops spring back when pressed gently. Do not overbake. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the cups.

Yield: 24 miniature muffins.

Serving Tip: Spread the warm halves of each muffin with a little mashed, ripe banana instead of butter.

Nutritional Values: Fat: 2 g, Carbohydrates: 11 g, Protein: 2 g, Calories: 63 kcal