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It’s the Holidays and for most of us that means getting together with family and friends. When my crew shows up, I like to serve my favorite meal…BRUNCH!

Pretty Simple!

For those of us who try to watch the waistline, even on special occasions, any Holiday gathering can be a challenge, but if you keep it simple and plan ahead, brunch can be a piece of cake (without the cake)! Try to avoid sweet rolls, cinnamon rolls or coffee cake. (1/3 of your recommended daily calories in one spot!) and those egg casseroles are usually a nightmare for anyone who has gluten issues. Offering several dishes, well-labeled, keeps everyone happy.

Scotch Eggs and Dill Sauce

Keep it simple. Try a new recipe or two, wow your guests with something that looks complicated and takes little effort, put it all on the table and then pour yourself a cup of coffee and relax! Sometimes, planning in advance to set a pretty table can make it seem like you’ve slaved for hours over Brunch. Hah! If only they knew…By the way, I found those cute little buffet markers (that look like little pumpkins and squash) plus a large blue pumpkin and some coordinating paper napkins at a cute little shop in Galena, Illinois early in the Fall. The table looked great with some white and brown autumn decorations, bittersweet, these little cuties, and an assortment of white plates for our guests.

The Finley Brunch:

My family is a great blend of nationalities, but we claim Irish and Scottish when we celebrate, so this year’s day after Thanksgiving (before everyone headed out to shop) brunch included Irish Scones, Scotch Eggs with Dill Sauce, sliced turkey ham, a big platter of fresh fruit, a pretty pitcher of orange juice and fresh coffee. The Scotch Eggs were the hit! Even my six-year-old grandson loved them.

Scotch Eggs with Dill Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You will need a good quality non-stick saute pan and a large baking sheet. Preheat the pan over medium-low heat.

Hint: It helps to have a second person to brown the egg/sausage balls while you make more. There is no filler in the sausage, so our gluten-intolerant family member loved this recipe.

Hard boiled eggs, peeled and dry (allow two per person, unless serving lots of small children). Boil and peel eggs the night before.

Turkey sausage (I use Honeysuckle White and blend their Breakfast and Italian Sausages. You will need two ounces of sausage for each egg.) Be a label reader. Make sure the sausage is low fat. Some can have as much or more fat than pork sausage.

This is so simple. Wear rubber gloves. Get the good ones you find at the drug store. Put on the gloves and then spray them with no-stick spray. Using a food scale with a small plate on top, weigh out sausage into two-ounce portions, and place them on a piece of waxed paper.

Use a paper towel to dry each peeled egg before you use it. Flatten two-ounce ball of sausage in your hand. Place one hard boiled egg on sausage and form sausage around egg to completely cover it. Don’t let any bald spots show through. Gently roll egg/sausage ball around in saute pan until browned all over. (You can speed this process up by getting someone to do the browning while you keep making more balls). Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining eggs and sausage. Place filled baking sheet in 350 degree oven for fifteen minutes. Turn balls around on baking sheet. Return sheet to oven and bake an additional ten minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees and sausage looks completely browned. Using a serrated knife, quarter the eggs, lengthwise, and arrange on a platter. Serve with Dill Sauce.

Dill Sauce

1/4 cup low fat mayonnaise

1/2 cup yellow mustard

2 teaspoons dried dillweed

Place above ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly with a small wire whisk. Place in a pretty bowl for serving.

The office dilemma…it’s 10 a.m. and someone just set a box of doughnuts in the break room. You’re starving. What’s just one doughnut going to hurt?

Well, one little round gem can, if you’re counting calories, contain about 25% of your entire daily total. If you’re on a program that counts points, one gooey pastry usually packs 7 to 11 of your daily points totals, and if you have a problem with elevated blood sugar…

Take control! You can do this! You just ate a big, healthy breakfast a few hours ago! What? You didn’t eat breakfast? You had a piece of toast and some black coffee? AARGH!!!

Take a look at this lovely breakfast. This egg frittata and that whole-grain toast will keep you full until lunchtime. That isn’t a small plate, folks. That baby takes up half the plate. Think you’re too busy to whip this up before work? You can assemble this beauty in 15 minutes, or even less! Here we go.

Vegetable Egg Frittata

This frittata is made with liquid egg substitute, but can be made with whole eggs, or just egg whites. It is loaded with your choice of veggies. My favorites are diced red onion, diced green or red peppers, some mushrooms and a handful of fresh spinach leaves. Leave some out, put in your favorites. This recipe uses my favs, but be brave and change it up. REALLY starving? Add some Canadian bacon or cooked, drained turkey sausage. Remember, eggs make a great meal anytime, so add a salad and make it an easy Sunday supper.

Equipment you will need: A cutting board, a sharp knife, a liquid measuring cup, a small wire whisk or a fork, a 10-inch non-stick pan, an oven with a broiler, a rubber “cake” spatula, a wide flat spatula

For one serving:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup diced green and red peppers

1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

a pinch of Kosher salt

a pinch of black pepper

1 handful fresh spinach, chopped or thinly sliced

1/2 cup liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters), two whole eggs OR three egg whites

1 tablespoon fat free liquid coffee creamer

Some Mrs. Dash Seasoning, or Emeril’s Essence (any seasoning to add a little interest!)

2 Tablespoons shredded low-fat cheese (I use cheddar or co-jack)

Preheat the broiler in the oven. Set it to “Hi” if you have that option. Put the oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Start the coffee.

Heat the non-stick pan over medium heat. Using the cutting board and the knife, dice some onion and green/red pepper. Slice some mushrooms, unless you buy the already sliced kind. (If you had veggies for dinner last night, you could already have your veggies diced for breakfast and waiting in a baggie in the frig!) Place the olive oil in the pan and swish it around. Add the onion, peppers and mushrooms to the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute until tender, about two minutes. When tender, add the chopped spinach and stir in around for about another minute, until the spinach is wilted.

While the veggies are sauteing measure out 1/2 cup egg substitute into a liquid measuring cup. Add non-fat liquid creamer and seasoning and beat slightly with a wire whisk or a fork. When veggies are cooked, gently pour egg mixture over veggies. Top with shredded cheese. Allow to cook for about a minute, until eggs look like they are beginning to set up (get sort of firm around the edges). Remove pan from heat. Place pan under broiler for about 2 minutes. Until you know how your broiler works, WATCH IT! The frittata will get puffy and turn a lovely brown on the top. Remove immediately and let sit on top of the stove. Do not try to remove the frittata from the pan, yet.

Put the toast in the toaster. By the time the toast is done, the frittata will have loosened from the pan. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the edges of the frittata from the pan. Gently slide a wide, flat spatula under the mix and fold it in half. Slide it out onto your plate. Spread your whole-grain toast with all-fruit spread. Add a bowl of fresh berries, melon or citrus fruit. Pour your coffee and enjoy. Who needs a doughnut?

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Tag Archives: eggs

Brunch Made Simple

Eggs…ward off those mid-morning hungries!!!