Springy Lemon Coconut Bars

This time of year makes me want to book my calendar with weekly Sunday brunches for the ladies. I love to search for spring brunch ideas and bookmark décor and menu ideas. My Pinterest boards are growing. I have several ideas in mind but really need to narrow it down to more reasonable and budget-friendly options. I get too excited sometimes and plan for extravagant décor and menu only to realize the important thing is to make quick and delicious options so that I have more time to hang out and relax with the ladies. A girl can dream though.

It doesn’t take much time, energy or cash to throw together a brunch. For example, I usually have a main dish such as a spinach quiche. I always have fruit in some form. My favorite is to just slice up strawberries and grapes and stir together with whole blueberries. Keep it simple. And I like to have a sweet dessert type dish if my main is savory. So I’ll have coffee cake or mini muffins made up from the day before to save me time the day of. That’s really all there is to it.

For beverages, I like to have lemonade or tea as well as ingredients for mimosas on hand. That way everyone has the option to have plain juice or kick it up with a splash of champagne. I usually have a couple of juices to try out. For Valentine’s brunch, I had blood orange juice and it was a hit over the normal orange juice. Plus it was a festive reddish-orange color.

These bars would make a great sweet addition to any brunch menu or just a sweet gift for a sweet friend. I found a few recipe ideas for lemon bars, lime bars and also ones that included coconut, which I love. It gives the bars a great texture and boost of flavor. Some lemon bars to me are too custard-like which I’m not always in the mood for. This filling sets up just right in my opinion. The coconut is optional if you’re not a fan.

Crust

1 c flour
1/4 c powdered Sugar
1/2 c (1 stick) butter, cold

Filling

3/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs, beaten
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 – 1 ½ tsp lemon zest
1/2 c sweetened, flaked coconut


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine flour and powdered sugar. Cut in butter with a fork or fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press crust mixture evenly into a greased, 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling.

Stir together sugar, flour and baking powder. Add beaten eggs; combine thoroughly. Add lemon juice, lemon zest and coconut. Blend well so all ingredients are incorporated. Pour onto cooled crust.

Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Cool. To help set up faster, place in the fridge for 30 minutes or more. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into bars. Store covered in the fridge so they stay firm.

BLT Crostini

During the summertime there is no need to slave over the hot stove when you can make easy light meals without much cooking, if any at all.   I’m sure we all feel the same way about cooking and baking.  It’s a great accomplishment to create a delicious meal or dessert that takes a whole day and sometimes more. 

It is not only a rewarding feeling when the final product is so delectable which makes it worth our hard work, but also it’s nice to see the smile on the faces of those we share our treats with.  However, I’m sure we all agree that once in a while it’s nice to throw something together that is easy and simple without much work.   It frees us of distraction and worry so that we have more time to relax on the patio with an icy beverage while visiting with friends and family.

These bacon, lettuce and tomato bites are a great option for something light when you don’t feel like cooking a big meal.   You can make as little or as much as you need or even make bigger sandwich version.  This recipe made me dream of other things I can throw together in a similar manner with French bread, a spread and a fruit or vegetable.   For examples I think the kids would also love this quick idea: toast the slices of bread, spread on peanut butter and top with a slice of banana and drizzle of honey. 

1 loaf French bread

Bacon Slices, cooked or Bacon Jam (Store-bought or homemade. I used the Bacon Jam made by Skillet Street Food and it was really good.)

1 head green leaf lettuce

1 pkg. cherry tomatoes

Sea Salt

I made these delicious bite-sized morsels as snacks for a brunch I hosted.  I sliced the loaf of French bread about ¼ inch thick.  I placed all the sliced bread on a cookie sheet and drizzled with olive oil and broiled until toasted (about 2-4 minutes).   Then spread about a teaspoon of bacon jam on each toast.  Tear clean lettuce leaves into small pieces that fit on the toasts. Place on top of the jam.   Slice cherry tomatoes in half and place both halves on lettuce leaves.  Sprinkle sea salt over the top. 

**This recipe and article is also featured on SouthlakeMoms.com.  http://www.southlakemoms.com/2012/05/01/blt-crostini/

Sausage and Carmelized Onion Bread Pudding

Most bread puddings I've had are sweet. They were either for breakfast or dessert. I was in the mood for something savory and it was lunch time but I still wanted bread pudding for some reason. I can't decipher the reasoning behind my stomach and tastebuds sometimes but I just go with it. So I decided to go for a savory bread pudding.

A friend was coming to visit and I wanted to surprise her with something different. I turned it into a brunch. I went with this Sausage and Carmelized Onion Bread Pudding as it was light, yet filling.



4 oz pork sausage
1/2 c water
1 1/3 c milk
1/8 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
8 slices french bread, day old, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and cook for about 10 minutes or until carmelized into a beautiful brown, stirring occasionally. Stir in water and cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove onions from pan to a small bowl and set aside. Coat pan again with cooking spray. Crumble sausage into pan. Stir and cook until browned. Add onions back to pan and stir to combine. Once combined, pour onto a paper towel covered plate or bowl. This will help soak up any additional grease. Set aside.

Whisk together, milk, salt, eggs and egg white. Add bread and gently toss to coat all pieces.

Stir the sausage and onion mixture into the bread mixture. Spray a 8-9 inch baking dish. Add the combined mixture. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Cheers to a New Year and Brunch

Cheers to all!  I hope everyone had a safe celebration while ringing in the new year of 2012! 

Here is a delicious breakfast/brunch recipe I wanted to share with you to kick off the new year on the right foot.   My husband introduced me to the Dutch Baby.  Honestly, I had never tasted or even heard of it before I met him.  His parents served this delectable eggy dish for breakfast the first time I met them about 9 years ago for Christmas.  A few wonderful firsts for me happened during that visit: First time meeting his parents, first trip to New York and first time to try Dutch Baby. 

I'll give my sweet man props for being the main reason my eyes and tastebuds are now open in the culinary world.  Unlike me, at an early age, he was fortunate to be encouraged to try interesting foods and is still open to anything.  {By the way, have you heard of Porcupine Meatballs? That was yet another dish I had not heard of or eaten until I met him.  That was another interesting first I when I met his parents that same visit.  I loved it!  He laughed at me because he said it was more of a nostalgic dish his mom wanted to make but not really something he enjoyed.  I'll have to make it with my spin on it and share with you.}

Back to the focus of the post.  He and his family like to serve Dutch Baby with apple sauce and sausage links over the top.  It's a very light and versatile dish so I wanted to make it a little different.  I had a pear on hand so thought I'd try to incorporate that into it.  We loved it! 

Pear Dutch Baby
1 pear, peeled, cored and sliced thinly
1 tbsp brown sugar
6 tbsp butter, divided
4 eggs
1 c milk
2/3 c flour
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Add the eggs, milk, flour, 4 tablespoons melted butter, sugar and vanilla to a medium bowl and whisk until combined.  You can also use a blender or food processor if you prefer.  The batter may have a few flour chunks in it and blending will break those up.  Blend or whisk until well mixed.  Set aside.

Melt the remaining 2 tbsp of butter over medium-high heat in cast iron skillet.  Then add the pears and brown sugar. Stir to coat the pear slices in butter until the sugar is melted.  Then add the batter over the pears and immediately place the skillet in the oven.  No stirring necessary. Bake for about 30 minutes or until puffed up and golden brown and the middle is cooked through.  (Note: It will sink down once you take it out of the oven and cut into it.) Sprinkle powdered sugar and cinnamon and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Ladies & Babies Sunday Brunch

As we get older, it gets more and more difficult to make time to get together with friends.  Too many hurdles get in the way such as work and babies.   I was very happy that my very adorably pregnant friend, Lesley scheduled a brunch at her house.  I always look forward to time with my girls.  It's a rare luxury these days but it makes that time more special when we do get together. 

There was a nice spread of bagels, cream cheese, proscuitto, salami, smoked gouda, fruit, lemonade and other homemade goodies. In an effort to be healthy, I made a crustless spinach quiche.   I realized this is the first time we haven't had alcohol on the menu.  I'm amazed that I didn't bring or ask where the sangria or the champagne was.  Is something wrong with me?  Did I have an actual classy adult moment?  Oh well.  Once in a while won't hurt.  However,  I don't think the alcohol was missed much because we were entertained by the long lost girl talk and the babies chewing on our necklaces when they weren't crawling around our feet.   Overall, it was a great afternoon with the ladies and babies.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried minced onion flakes
pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
6 eggs or 3 individual egg beaters containers
1 1/2 c + 2 tbsp mozzarella, shredded
1/4 c. feta cheese, crumbled

Heat oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Saute spinach, garlic, onion flakes, red pepper flakes until heated through, about 5-7 minutes.   Add salt and pepper.  Taste and add more seasoning to your liking.   Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9-inch pie plate with non-stick cooking spray.

Stir together eggs, 1 1/2 c mozzarella, feta in a medium bowl.  Stir in the spinach mixture.  Pour into the prepared pie plate.  Sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.    Great for breakfast or a healthy dinner.