- Brunch!

It's a meal that sounds like a cause for celebration.

But if you're the one throwing it, you may feel pressure to come up with something beside the usual suspects.

Today, I hit refresh on the typical brunch menu with some make ahead crowd pleasers that are easy, satisfying, and break the mold.

Eggs Florentine in tomato cups.

Breakfast strada primavera.

A three ingredient Brussels sprout hash with egg.

Pumpkin cranberry waffles.

A brunch where the host can enjoy it, too, what a concept, right now on Ellie's Real Good Food.

(cheerful jazz music) - [Narrator] Funding for this series has been provided by ... (upbeat rhythmic music) And by ... (cheerful guitar music) - [Narrator] Grapes from California, grown by families for families.

(upbeat rhythmic music) - [Narrator] And by Regal Springs Tilapia.

- [Narrator] Ellie's kitchen is provided by Clarke, New England's Sub-Zero and Wolf showroom and test kitchen.

- Hi.

I'm Ellie Krieger.

I'm so glad you're hear with me on Ellie's Real Good Food.

I'm giving brunch a new lease on life today.

It can be highlight of the week, but it's also easy to get stuck in a bit of a rut.

Jessica loves brunch, but her challenge is exactly that, how to branch out in more interesting directions that offer hearty and healthy options to help keep everyone happy.

- It's always fun getting together with my family and friends for brunch, but when I do, I really don't know what else to cook.

I normally go for the pancakes, eggs, bacon.

I always try and think of the things that won't take too much time to cook.

Nobody wants to be in a kitchen forever, and you have all these people waiting to eat.

So I always go to my go to meal, which is pancakes, you know the good carbs, well, not good carbs, but they fill you up.

And then the eggs are a good source of protein.

But the only thing is, I don't know how to make other kind of eggs.

Going through brunches, it just seems like the same old same old all the time, so I would love to mix it up.

But what else can I do?

- So Jessica has joined me today to take on the egg challenge.

How do you reinvent eggs as an elegant brunch dish that won't put you into a last minute frenzy?

I can't believe you're making all that stuff at the last minute.

- Yeah, it can be stressful.

(laughs) - Well, I'm gonna teach you a recipe that you're gonna be able to drink your mimosa and enjoy company and also have an inspiring, amazingly delicious egg dish.

- Wonderful.

- And it's these egg Florentine in tomato cups.

And it's fun to make.

I mean, it's definitely a little different.

So first of all, you need some really big tomatoes, so eight to twelve ounces.

It's great for when tomatoes are in season.

And basically, I'm just gonna turn them into cups.

- [Jessica] Okay.

- So you can help me do this, but I'm gonna first cut the tops off of each of these, and then we'll scoop out the inside.

So I've done it to these two over here, so you can see.

And then you just wanna leave enough of a rim so that it can really hold all of the goodies that are gonna go in there, which is this delicious creamed spinach with Parmesan.

- [Jessica] Mm, sounds delicious.

- And the egg.

And it's all gonna back with an egg on top.

So it's a beautiful thing to serve, too.

- Is this good?

- Yeah, I think that's perfect, actually.

So we got that done.

If you could just brush these with oil and put them on the tray.

- Okay.

- Can you reach over there?

And I'm gonna get this creamed spinach going.

Okay, so I have some oil in there, a little olive oil, and I'm just gonna put some shallots in that I chopped.

So I'm just getting this a little softened, which happens really fast.

And while I'm doing this, if you wanna grate some Parmesan cheese, we have a nice microplane there for you.

- Ooh, look at that.

Look at all the curls.

- [Ellie] Isn't that cool?

- [Jessica] Yes.

- I'm just gonna add some flour here because I'm making a little roux, a little mini roux.

This will thicken the creamed spinach.

And now I'm gonna put in the milk.

And you can use low fat or whole milk.

Just let that cook a bit.

So to this, I'm gonna add a little bit of the tomato water.

So the thing about this, so rather than throwing this beautiful liquid out, it had all this wonderful flavor, and we can use it in the creamed spinach.

Okay.

And then I'm just gonna add some spinach, some chopped spinach.

So this is one container, 10 ounce container, of frozen thawed spinach, and then I squeezed it dry.

- [Jessica] And I love spinach.

- Me, too.

And the thing is with this, with a creamed spinach like this, you know what?

Sometimes frozen is actually the best option, and it's just as nutritious as cooked, fresh spinach.

It just saves you that much effort.

All right, so now, if you could put half of that Parm right in here.

Excellent.

Thank you.

- [Jessica] You're welcome.

- I have brunch a few times a year really.

So just a little salt and pepper in here.

And I always make a point of making things ahead.

So you can make these tomatoes ahead, just like this.

You can make this spinach ahead, just like this.

These will stay overnight in the refrigerator.

Just keep them separate.

So then everyone comes over and you're not like-- - In the middle of making everything.

- You wanna be able to enjoy the company, too.

So now, we just divide this up among the ... - Okay.

So you don't have to fill it to the very top.

- No, and you wanna make sure there's room for the egg.

- Oh, okay.

- [Ellie] If there's leftover spinach, then you can just-- - [Both] Just eat it.

- I like it.

That's something I'd probably do, 'cause I really love spinach.

- I hope so.

And that's the best part about being the cook, right?

(Jessica laughs) All right.

And then we just crack eggs, put them in.

I like to crack the egg into a little bowl, because if there's shell or whatever, then I'm not in my, it just takes the stress out of it a little, and I'm all about taking the stress out of it.

- Yeah.

Everyone wants that.

- So just like that.

Okay.

Here.

You wanna try one?

- Sure.

- I think this one could use, while you do that, I'm gonna put a little more spinach in here.

Perfect.

And I can do this last one.

How about if you sprinkle the Parm?

- Okay.

How much of this should I be putting?

- I would use it all.

Go for it.

There's a lot of flavor there.

- Yeah.

I always feel like the more cheese, the better.

- Yeah, that's probably good, actually.

Let's put these in the oven.

(cheerful jazz music) 20 minutes, 400 degrees, and look, it's so beautiful.

- [Jessica] Wow.

- [Ellie] Look at that.

- [Jessica] Cheese perfectly melted.

- It's a nice to serve this with a little bit of toast points they can almost dip in there.

- Oh, okay.

That's a good idea.

- Please.

Let's dig in.

- [Jessica] So you would cut right in?

- [Ellie] Yeah, just go for it.

It kinda-- - Oh, wow.

- Oozes all over the place.

Look at that.

Eggs Florentine in tomato cups.

Easy, peasy, brunchy.

- Tastes delicious.

- Mm, yummy.

Thank you for making them with me.

- Oh, you're welcome.

- Thanks, Jessica.

- Thank you.

(cheerful jazz music) Breakfast strada primavera.

It just has all the sumptuousness that you want from a brunch recipe, but it's totally make ahead.

Healthy and extremely decadent.

Mm, I love it.

It's just so simple to make.

I'm just gonna start off sauteing some onion.

Large onion here.

So you know a strada, it's like a bread kind of casserole.

And you put it in the refrigerator overnight.

And in the morning, you just put it in the oven and you come out with this glorious, golden brown wonder that everyone is oohing and awing over.

So this is eight cups of pretty much one inch cubes of whole grain bread.

And I get a really nice, hearty whole grain from the bakery.

And it's even okay if it's a day old, so you can have it, half the bread for dinner and then the rest should make enough for this dish.

These are soft.

Just put in some garlic.

So a great savory flavor base already, garlic and onions.

I'm just gonna saute some asparagus.

Now, I like to cut them on the bias like this.

Sometimes these little touches that can make a big difference.

And then just throw that in.

And you could use green beans here.

There's just a lot of flexibility as to the vegetables you could use.

Gonna cook further, so I'm just gonna soften them a little bit here.

Also, I'm gonna put some carrot in, but I'm not gonna cook that here.

I'm gonna grate this, so I want that texture of a little bit of firmness in the carrot.

It'll soften in the strada.

So this being a primavera, we have all the spring vegetables, so asparagus and some peas.

Now, if you're using frozen peas, which you can totally do here, you really wanna just take them of the heat right away, because frozen peas are already cooked.

But if you're using fresh peas, they might need a minute to just soften.

And I'll build the rest.

So it's really easy.

So I have 10 eggs in here, a tablespoon of mustard.

Give a little tangy flavor.

Two cups of milk.

And I'm using low fat milk here or nonfat.

You can use either one.

I'd rather save my richness by adding more cheese.

Just give this a whisk.

So I'm gonna put a half cup of mozzarella in there, so there's gonna be this beautiful, melty cheese effect.

And then for a big punch of flavor, a quarter cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Some carrots.

So there's a ton of color in here.

There's a ton of vegetables.

There's a ton of flavor.

And sun dried tomatoes.

Okay, a little salt and pepper.

Start with a quarter teaspoon and you can salt it after to taste.

And one more ingredient, a tablespoon of tarragon.

I'll just give it a little chop.

And I kind of go light on it, 'cause it can be intense.

You can also use dried tarragon.

And if you're wondering what to do with the rest of the tarragon, it's really great in salads.

You can make a lovely dressing with it.

Now, the cooked vegetables go in here if they've cooled a bit.

With all that color, you know this dish just wants to be in your life.

Just gets poured over the bread, and all the flavor will soak into the bread overnight, or eight hours or overnight.

And then when you are ready to eat it, you just bake it and it comes a beautiful golden brown and kinda puffed.

Can't wait to show you.

(upbeat rhythmic music) Look how beautiful it comes out.

You know all your guests are gonna be totally happy to get this.

And it's good for them, too.

Look at that.

It's gorgeous.

All those great veggies and the cheese and egg.

Breakfast strada primavera.

You gotta love such a delicious, make ahead brunch.

(cheerful jazz music) Three ingredient Brussels sprout hash with egg.

I think you're gonna make this all time.

This is a complete go to for me for breakfast and lunch.

And brunch.

Well, that makes sense, right?

So, three ingredients, egg, onion, and Brussels sprouts.

That's it.

And I get salt and pepper and oil for free for my three ingredient recipes.

So I'm gonna start off with a little oil in the pan here, two tablespoons of oil.

And the key to this recipe, really, the big flavor comes from browning the onion a lot, and getting the onion to be not only translucent and soft but to be browned and crisped on the edges gives the whole thing a smokiness.

So I'm just slicing this onion thinly here into half moons.

Make sure that oil is shimmering.

So maybe five, six minutes, medium high heat.

It's almost like more burnt is better, like you can't overcook them.

Okay, so then the Brussels sprouts, I'm shredding them.

So it becomes like a slaw almost, like a cooked slaw.

You could do this in a food processor if you wanted to, or with a knife, like I'm doing here.

I love those recipes where you're like, "I basically have almost nothing in my refrigerator."

Some eggs, maybe one vegetable.

And then you make this and you're like Wonder Woman to everyone you're cooking for because you were able to create this fabulous dish with three ingredients.

Getting gorgeous, brown onions.

I'm just gonna add a little more oil to the pan so it coats the Brussels sprouts well.

One tablespoon more.

And I have five cups altogether.

It looks like a lot, but it cooks down.

Brussels sprouts, meet onions.

Just takes about three, three to five minutes to cook this down.

While I'm here, may as well season with a little salt and pepper.

What I'm gonna do is get my egg started, 'cause I'm gonna serve this with an egg on top.

Now, this is good for four people.

I'm just gonna make myself one egg now.

A little oil in the pan.

Around my house, we like our fried eggs a little crispy on the outside.

I'm gonna try this now, and I can't guarantee you anything.

Here it goes.

The hash is done.

Oh, that looks good.

An egg on top.

Little salt and pepper to top it off.

And there you have it, three ingredient Brussels sprout hash with egg.

It's delicious.

(smooth jazz music) So what better or healthier thing to serve at brunch than sunny citrus?

And I'm here with Ron Arnott at Arnott Farms at this beautiful location where you grow delicious citrus fruits.

And what kind of oranges are these?

- [Ron] Well, we're looking at Valencia oranges right now.

- And when someone is in the store looking for citrus, what should they look for?

'Cause this is a beautiful, I feel like it's nice and heavy.

It feels juicy.

- Yes, that's exactly right.

Some citrus will have a very thick skin, and you pick it up and you feel it and it feels light for the size.

Does that make sense?

- Right.

- And so when you pick up an orange and it feels heavy like this, it's got a lot of juice and it's got a thin skin.

That's what you want.

- And I see we have, so a greenish orange here.

- Yeah.

- And sometimes you see them in the store like that and you might pass them by, and that could be a big mistake.

- Yeah.

Well, it's interesting.

We call oranges orange, but they're not always orange.

This one was orange, but two or three or four months after it was ripe and ready to go, it may turn from orange back to green again.

You can eat a green Valencia orange all the way into September and it's still gonna taste as juicy and fresh as an orange Valencia.

- [Ellie] And what about aroma?

Do you look for aroma when you're buying oranges?

- The aroma would have something to do with a good selection.

Of course, with my oranges, I never worry about it.

They're all good.

- Oh, yeah, absolutely.

Well, it doesn't get any better than this.

I'll tell you that.

(smooth jazz music) Pumpkin waffles with cranberries.

These are so delicious.

And I'm starting off here just cutting up one cup of cranberries.

And I just love the tart, juicy bite that these bring to the pumpkin waffles, which are loaded with warm pumpkin spices.

And these are whole grain, so they're really good for you and incredibly delicious, so it's of course hitting that sweet spot.

So got those going, and I'm going to just get my dry ingredients here, starting with one cup of whole wheat pastry flour.

I love to make waffles all whole grain, 100% whole grain.

I feel like they just lend themselves to that kind of hearty texture.

I'm using wheat germ, and wheat germ is basically what comes off of the wheat when it's refined.

And the germ carries so much nutrition, it's incredible.

It has all kinds of vitamins and minerals, and it gives just a beautiful fragrance and a nutty flavor.

So that's three tablespoons in.

Now some leaveners.

I need a half teaspoon of baking powder, half teaspoon of baking soda.

And now for those warm pumpkin spices.

Half teaspoon of cinnamon.

And a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg, ground nutmeg.

And a quarter teaspoon of ginger.

And then just a pinch of salt.

So I'm gonna whisk this up.

Now for the wet, buttermilk.

So well shaken.

Make sure you always shake your buttermilk really well.

One cup of buttermilk.

And half of this can of pumpkin.

And the thing about pumpkin, it not only adds that great pumpkin flavor, of course, but also loads of nutrition and so much moisture.

Typical waffle recipe has tons of butter in it, and you just don't need it here because you're getting all this moisture and flavor from the pumpkin, and also, the buttermilk adds a lot of moisture, too.

To this, I'm going to add a couple of eggs.

A tablespoon of canola oil.

You could use olive oil here if you want, but just something, very neutral tasting olive oil.

Okay.

Three tablespoons of maple syrup.

Pure maple syrup, because it has the best flavor and it's unrefined.

Just get that all whisked up.

It's so nice to be able to make something that's such a treat.

Waffles are a treat.

Everyone loves them.

And to know that they're really nourishing.

You can have it both ways.

You can have it all.

Okay.

So I'm just gonna sprinkle the dry ingredients into the wet.

Get that all integrated without over mixing.

And stir in the cranberries.

So festive.

All right.

So this batter is ready to meet the waffle maker.

Making waffles.

So first, I'd like to just brush the waffle iron with some oil, because you wind up getting a crispier exterior that way.

And one thing you can do at your brunch, you don't have to stand here doing this all yourself.

People like to be involved, so this is a perfect thing, that kind of little action station for them.

They can make their own waffle as they sip their coffee and chat.

And they smell so delicious.

The aroma just fills the room.

Ooh la la.

Now, that is a glorious waffle.

I'm gonna get another one going and dig into these right now.

Well, just have a taste at least.

A little syrup.

These make me so happy.

Pumpkin waffles with cranberries.

Mm.

And that is how you do brunch in the sweet spot where delicious and healthy meet.

Mm, these are killer.

Brunch!

- [Crew Member] That's great.

That's fabulous.

- Sorry.

I'm sorry.

(crew member mumbles) (crew laughs) Sorry.

Sorry.

Sorry, Chris.

Breakfast strada primavera, you gotta love an amazing make ahead dish like this.

Mm.

Then the host can enjoy it.

(laughs) (crew laughs) - [Narrator] For these recipes and much more, go to ElliesRealGoodFood.com Also, connect with Ellie on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Funding for this series has been provided by ... (upbeat rhythmic music) And by ... (cheerful guitar music) - [Narrator] Grapes from California, grown by families for families.

(upbeat rhythmic music) - [Narrator] And by Regal Springs Tilapia.

- [Narrator] Ellie's kitchen is provided by Clarke, New England's Sub-Zero and Wolf showroom and test kitchen.

(burner firing) (flute music) (synthesizer music)