Easter Brunch!

Easter Brunch!

Easter is a very special time of the year and while the Captain and I attend church on a regular basis….I especially like going to Sunrise Easter Services.

Over the years, I have attended Sunrise Services on the top of a hilltop overlooking the Bennington State Lake in Kansas…and on the golden prairie among the wildflowers in Texas.  Add in the mountains among the tall pines of the high mountain dessert of New Mexico.  Mustn’t forget the Lovely Sunrise Services near Puget Sound in misty Seattle,

…..and now that we live in Florida….where else to have Sunrise Services, but right on the beach.

It is really beautiful with the aqua colored ocean waters lapping on the white sands of the beach… as our Pastor retells the Easter Story…of Jesus.

After the Sunrise Services, we like to return home and prepare a wonderful Easter Brunch for a few of our friends.

This year was no different…and I would like to share with you three recipes for our Menu for Easter Brunch. 

I also love tablescapes reflecting my dinner theme.  

These flower petal dishes are about 20 years old and I have never seen this pattern before or since I purchased them…so I save them for special occasions and an Springtime Easter Brunch is certainly special. 🙂

The first prep began with a simple Very Berry Parfait that I put into pretty pink glasses…I used blueberries and strawberries but you could certainly use whatever berries you prefer.

I layered a granola mix in the bottom of the glass and added a plain Greek Yogurt and the berries. Easy Peasy and delish!

 The second recipe was a Turkey Hash.

I browned turkey sausage and turkey bacon and then added bell peppers and onions and potatoes.

Another easy dish because you start the ingredients on top of the stove and then pop in the oven to finish the cooking.  

With the Very Berry Parfaits in the fridge and the Turkey Hash in the oven, it was time to prepare the filling for the French Toast.

The filling was made of softened cream cheese and sliced almonds…and here is the best part….Bonn Maman 4 Fruits Preserves. YUMMY!

I really like these French Jams and preserves, but you could certainly use a jam of your choice.  Peach! Strawberry! Cherry! Endless possibilities.

I cut a slit in thick slices of Challah Bread, which is a wonderful Egg Bread….and put the cream cheese filling into the slit.

I dipped the bread in beaten eggs with almond milk and browned them in a cast iron skillet. Just look at a bit of the wonderful filling oozing out!  So Good! 

If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, a griddle or grill would work nicely too.

I put the browned slices of French Toast on a rack set atop a sheet pan and popped them in a 200 degree oven along with the Turkey Hash.

Then all I had to do was pour the orange juice…(Mimosa anyone?), Set out the Keurig for individual cup-coffee making, Bring in the gallon jar of Sun Tea “brewing” on the Lanai and pick a few sprigs of mint from my Herb Garden and Presto, A very nice easy Brunch was made. 

Later in the evening, the Captain and I entertained other friends and we prepared a Ham Steak with Pineapple Chutney Dinner which I will share with you another time.

I just love to entertain and twice in one day is pretty cool…especially if you keep it simple.

We even had a chance to take a break and rest between the two meals. 😉

I hope you all had a Blessed Easter!

Have a great day and the printable recipes are below in case you are planning a Brunch sometime in the near future…or even if you are not! 😉

Bonne Maman Stuffed French Toast

2015-03-29 08:28:50

A very quick and easy stuffed French Toast recipe....cream cheese and wonderful Bonne Maman 4 fruit preserves filling, along with Challah Egg Bread make this an extra special French Toast.

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Ingredients

1. One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2. 1/3 cup Bonne Maman 4 Fruit Preserves or your choice of jam
3. 1/4 cup slivered almonds (I like to toast my almonds, but it is not necessary)
4. 4- two inch slices of Challah Egg Bread
5. 4 eggs
6. 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
7. 1 cup almond milk
8. 2 tablespoons butter
9. Pure Maple Syrup on the table

Instructions

1. Preheat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over low heat and preheat your oven to 300 degrees
2. Combine the eggs, brown sugar and almond milk beating with a whisk to incorporate the ingredients and set aside.
3. Combine the cream cheese, preserves and almonds in a small bowl (I don't like my filling to be real smooth...so I do it by hand, but you could certainly use an electric mixer for a smoother mix)
4. Make a slit in the top or bottom of the slice of Challah to form a pocket.
5. Scoop the filling into each slit of a slice of Challah and dip each slice carefully into the egg mixture, turning to coat evenly
6. Spread the butter across the bottom of a cast iron skillet or griddle and cook the French Toast until golden brown on both sides. (watch your heat...I like to use a medium heat)
7. Transfer the cooked French Toast to a baking sheet fitted with a baking rack and place in a 200 degree oven until serving.
8. Serve with plenty of warm pure maple syrup.

Notes

1. I really like the Bonne Maman 4 Fruit Preserves from France...you can find this at WalMart...altho it is a bit more expensive than many brands of jams and jellies....but the flavor is definitely worth it.
2. Challah Egg Bread is available for sure at Easter Time, but it can be found at some stores year 'round. OR you could use a Brioche or any loaf of bread that you can slice yourself. 🙂

Me and My Captain https://meandmycaptain.com/

Turkey Hash

2015-03-29 08:33:06

I love Hash...whether it be corned beef or otherwise.....this is a healthier version because I modified by using Turkey Bacon and Turkey Sausage. Of course, you could substitute any breakfast meat of your choosing.

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Ingredients

1. 1 tablespoon olive oil
2. 1 pound Turkey Sausage
3. 4 slices Turkey bacon, cut into small pieces
4. 1 large chopped onion
5. 1/2 cup of chopped green bell pepper
6. 1/2 cup of chopped red bell pepper
7. 1/2 cup of chopped yellow or orange bell pepper
8. 1 clove minced garlic
9. 4-5 medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into small pieces (you choose the size you prefer)
10. 1 tablespoon of Taco Seasoning
11. Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pan (I use my shallow enameled cast iron brazier)
2. Raise the heat a bit and add the turkey bacon pieces and brown lightly, add the turkey sausage, bell peppers, onion and garlic, and cook until slightly soft
3. Be sure to break up the turkey sausage as you cook as it tends to clump...you can use a fork or the back of a wooden spoon.
4. Add the potatoes and sprinkle with taco seasoning,salt and pepper.
5. Cook for about 5 more minutes mixing occasionally
6. Place the brazier pot into a preheated 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes.
7. Reduce the heat to 200 degrees until ready to serve

Notes

1. This Hash can hold in the oven for 30 minutes so it is a great "prepare ahead" hash.
2. The Taco seasoning gives a bit of Mexican flavor so you could easily serve a salsa on the side

Me and My Captain https://meandmycaptain.com/

Very Berry Parfaits

2015-03-29 08:38:08

I like to add a little granola cereal to this parfait. In fact, there is a particular brand that has dried cranberry, almonds, and clusters of multi-grain crunch that is really good..

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Ingredients

1. 1 cup of granola (I use Great Grains cranberry almond crunch whole grain cereal)
2. 1 3/4 cup of Greek yogurt (I use Fage natural Greet Yogurt)
3. 1 cup blue berries (choose whatever berries you prefer, raspberries and blackberries)
4. 1 cup of sliced strawberries (Once I used bananas because that is what I had on hand)

Instructions

1. Layer the granola into 4 glasses or parfait dishes (about 1/4 cup of granola into each glass)
2. Add the yogurt, blue berries, another layer of yogurt and top with strawberries and another dollop of yogurt.
3. Or choose your own layering...it is all good no matter the order of ingredients.
4. Sprinkle a little granola on the top and place in the fridge until ready to serve.

Notes

1. If you don't want to use a pre-made granola, you could make your own by using a couple cups of rolled oats, 1 cup of pecans, 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup of peanuts, And .... 1/2 cup of honey and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Bake on a baking sheet for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees (be sure to stir frequently). Use the proportions you like ...but you get the idea.

Me and My Captain https://meandmycaptain.com/