MOTHER'S DAY BREAKFAST MENU
Yogurt, Berry and Granola Parfait
Mini Cranberry Muffins
Ham, Cheese and Tomato Stack
Bubbly Orange Juice
Fine Coffee or Tea
Mother's Day is this Sunday and dads and kids will be aiming to please their queen. A flavourful breakfast is a great way to get things started. I've come up with a menu for you to consider.
My goal was to create items that look and taste delicious, but are easy to make - creations children can help make.
One recipe is yogurt, berry and granola parfait. It sounds fancy, but all you need to do is layer yogurt and granola in a decorative glass and top it with your fresh berry of choice, be it raspberries, blueberries or blackberries. Granola is sold in bags and boxes at most supermarkets and some bakeries and fine food stores. The parfait can be made a few hours before needed, so you can have it ready to go when mom is ready to eat.
I like the idea of mini muffins when serving multiple dishes for breakfast. Today's recipe for them is flecked with dried cranberries and lemon zest. If you don't already own a couple of mini muffin pans, which you'll need to make the recipe, you can buy them at stores selling kitchenware. The batter is straightforward to make; just be sure you carefully measure things out before you start mixing.
On the savoury side of things, another menu item I created is called a ham, cheese and tomato stack. Sounds sophisticated, but all you need to do is layer and stack sliced tomato, ham and Brie cheese, and then drizzle it all, last minute, with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
For a beverage on my menu, I feature orange juice made bubbly by pouring in sparkling wine, for mom, and sparkling water for the kids. She may also want to enjoy a stirring cup of coffee or tea.
The bubbly orange juice recipe serves four, but you could expand it if you require more servings. The parfait and stack recipes both yield one serving. Simply multiply ingredient amounts to get the additional servings that you'll need to feed the others enjoying the breakfast. The muffins recipe yields 20 mini muffins, but any leftovers could be packed for work and school lunches the next day.
You could arrange mom's breakfast on a tray and serve it to her in bed. Or, you could serve it in the dining room and enjoy a family breakfast together. Feel free to add items to my menu, such as other fruit, scrambled eggs or baked goods.
YOGURT, BERRY AND GRANOLA PARFAIT
This is a pretty and easy-tomake breakfast creation. This recipe yields one serving. Simply multiply the amounts to get the additional servings, beyond mom, that you'll need.
Preparation time: A few minutes
Cooking time: None
Makes: 1 serving
1/4 cup strawberry or other fruitflavoured yogurt
3 to 4 Tbsp granola (see Note)
1/4 cup vanilla flavoured yogurt
6 to 8 (depending on size) fresh blackberries, blueberries or raspberries
Spoon the strawberry or other fruit-flavoured yogurt into the bottom of a 3/4 cup decorative glass. Top with the granola. Top the granola with the vanilla yogurt. Arrange the berries on top of the vanilla yogurt. Tent the parfait with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Can be made a few hours before serving.
Note: Granola is sold in bags or boxes at most supermarkets.
HAM, CHEESE AND TOMATO STACK
This tasty, savoury breakfast/brunch recipe yields one serving. Like the parfait recipe above, simply multiply the amounts to get the additional servings, beyond mom, that you'll need.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: None
Makes: 1 serving
3 (1/4-to 1/2-inch) slices of ripe, on-the-vine tomato
1 to 2 (1/4-to 1/2-inch) slices Brie cheese (cut to be the same width as the tomato slices)
1 thin slice black forest or country ham (see Note)
- drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Set a tomato slice in the centre of a small plate. Top with the cheese. Set another tomato slice on the cheese. Fold the slice of ham in half, and then fold in half again. Set the ham on top of the second tomato slice. Top the ham with the last tomato slice. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Can be made a few hours before serving. When ready to serve, uncover and very lightly drizzle the stack with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Note: Black forest and country ham are sold in the deli section of most supermarkets.
MINI CRANBERRY MUFFINS
Bite-sized muffins flecked with ruby-red dried cranberries. Muffins can be baked an hour or so before needed.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 14 to 15 minutes
Makes: 20 muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 large egg
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
- vegetable oil spray
- butter for spreading
Preheat oven to 375 F. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Mix in the cranberries and lemon zest.
Place the egg in a second medium bowl and mix until the white and yolk are well blended. Mix in the oil, milk and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just combined. (Do not over mix or muffins will be tough).
Grease 2, non-stick 12slot mini muffin pans with vegetable oil spray. Spoon the batter into the pans, filling each slot just over the top. (You should have enough batter to fill 20 of the 24 slots.) Bake muffins 14 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin pulls out clean. Cool muffins on a baking rack 15 minutes, then unmould. Serve with butter.
Note: Mini muffin pans are sold at most stores selling kitchenware. If you can't find one, use a regular muffin pan and make 9 large muffins. If you do, baking time will be 20 to 23 minutes.
BUBBLY ORANGE JUICE
Fresh orange juice made bubbly by adding sparkling white wine (for mom) or sparkling water (for kids).
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: None
Makes: 4 servings
3 cups fresh orange juice, well chilled
- sparkling wine or sparking water to taste
4 orange or lime slices for garnish
Divide the juice among four decorative glasses. Top up with the sparkling wine or water. Garnish each drink with an orange or, for a touch of green, a lime slice, and serve.
Eric Akis is the author of the bestselling Everyone Can Cook series of cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
eakis@timescolonist.com
