Brunch is a great time to enjoy champagne.
We spoke with author Judy Gilliard about some tasty holiday brunch ideas.
“Brunch can be simply elegant. First, set the mood with some light classical or jazz playing in the background. Have a beautiful buffet table with lots of fresh flowers and candles. Your guests can serve themselves on large buffet plates that they can either set \at their lovely preset table or rest comfortably on their laps as they sit around the room.
On the menu have three different quiches – a shrimp and crab, a mushroom and spinach, and the classic quiche Lorraine – along with a Caesar salad and fresh croissants.
Dessert? A chocolate marble cheese cake, fresh fruit, cookies, and French press coffee. The pièce de résistance to this brunch – Champagne! That always makes it special.”
Let’s eat and... Pop the cork™. Get Judy's book here.
Judy Gilliard’s Brunch Goodies - Four Recipes
Shrimp and Crab Quiche
Serves 6
1 pie crust (9 inch) -- pre baked
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 medium onion – chopped
8 ounces shrimp, cooked
8 ounces crab meat
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
In a medium skillet melt the butter and saute onion until soft. Spread cooked onions, shrimp and crab evenly over pie crust.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, yolks, and milk. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Pour into the prepared crust and bake until the custard is golden, puffed, and set yet still slightly wiggly in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. (Cover the edges of the crust with foil to keep it from burning) Remove from the oven, remove foil and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 305 Calories; 16g Fat (47.8% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 261mg Cholesterol; 554mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 1/2 Fat.
Mushroom and Spinach Quiche
Serving Size: 6
1 pie crust (9 inch) -- pre baked
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 medium onion -- chopped
8 ounces sliced mushrooms -- grated
10 ounces frozen spinach -- chopped, thawed
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
In a large skillet melt 1/2 of the butter and sauté onion until soft, remove and sit aside. Add remaining butter and sauté mushroom until they are cooked down and lightly brown. Add the onions and spinach and heat all mixing all ingredients together. Spread over pie crust.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, yolks, and milk. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Pour into the prepared crust and bake until the custard is golden, puffed, and set yet still slightly wiggly in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. (Cover the edges of the crust with foil to keep it from burning)
Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.
Quiche Lorraine
Serving Size: 6
1 pie crust (9 inch) -- pre baked
8 slices bacon -- cooked and crumbled
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup gruyere cheese -- grated
Arrange the bacon evenly over the bottom of the baked crust.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, yolks, and milk. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Pour into the prepared crust and bake until the custard is golden, puffed, and set yet still slightly wiggly in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. (Cover the edges of the crust with foil to keep it from burning)
Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 333 Calories; 23g Fat (62.9% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 175mg Cholesterol; 519mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 3 1/2 Fat.
Caesar Salad
Serving Size: 6
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 medium lemon
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 ounces red wine vinegar
1/4 cup egg substitute
4 ounces extra virgin olive oil
3 ounces parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 head romaine lettuce leaves -- remove rib and slice 1/2-inch thick
1 cup croutons
Add anchovy paste, garlic paste, juice of the lemon, worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar and egg substitute into food processor or blender and blend for 15 seconds.
While machine is running, slowly add in small amounts of the extra virgin olive oil until emulsified.
Salt and pepper to taste. Toss romaine lettuce with dressing, croutons and parmesan cheese.
Serve.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 277 Calories; 25g Fat (79.0% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 11mg Cholesterol; 433mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 4 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates
Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake
Serving Size : 8
If you are a lover of rich European chocolate you will love this. If you prefer a lighter milk chocolate use milk chocolate pieces in-place of the semi sweet and use regular cocoa powder in-place of the Dutch style cocoa powder.
Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
3 tablespoons melted butter
Filling
8 ounces cottage cheese, lowfat
8 ounces light cream cheese
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract,
1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 cup mini-chocolate chips
Crust
Place all ingredients in food processor and process until fine crumbs. Press mixture in a 7" spring-form pan that had been sprayed with non stick spray, Bake for 10 minutes in a 350 oven, let cool 15 minutes.
Filling
In a food process with steel bland process cottage cheese and light cream cheese until smooth. Add egg substitute, sugar & vanilla and process to mix well. Remove ½ mixture from bowl, than add to process cocoa powder and ¼ cup chocolate chips and blend until well mixed. Pour vanilla mixture over crust, top with chocolate mixture, take a knife and run through mixture into spring-form pan. Bake in 350 oven for 35 min; let cool to room temperature than refrigerate at least 2 hours. (best made a day ahead)
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 275 Calories; 14g Fat (46.0% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 29mg Cholesterol; 418mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
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