Spring Fling Brunch Nutritious and Delicious?
By sarah hedger
Why is it often a natural reaction to shy away from the word nutritious and lean toward the word delicious? Is it possible to have something nutritious be delicious and something delicious be nutritious?
My goal, as a food writer/recipe creator, is to help the nutritious world become (more) synonymous with the delicious world. I believe the first step is to start with the highest quality ingredients. Fortunately for those of us living in the Central Coast, high quality ingredients come not only in copious quantities, but with plentiful options, and conveniently close to home. It is impossible for an apricot from Chile to taste as good as a local Blenheim off the tree. Cooking seasonally, and listening to our natural seasonal cravings, is the most important factor in making delicious cuisine nutritious. The goal of this spring menu is to focus on local (organic) ingredients, making a seasonal meal, full of deliciousness that just so happens to be healthy. Yum.
There is no denying that spring is a bountiful time. The options to choose from are nearly endless. We have everything from artichokes to arugula, asparagus, carrots, fennel, green (spring) onions, lemons, mushrooms, new potatoes, peas, strawberries, (green) garlic and so much more. We are also fortunate that many local specialties are grown year round, for example, the many fresh herbs. The Spring Fling Brunch menu is simple and delicious. It starts with roasted vegetables, bringing out the natural sweetness of the seasonal veggies. The main course is an omelette with fresh goat cheese, roasted asparagus, and fresh basil. Next are glutenfree lemon yogurt muffins with crystallized ginger. Your guests will be pleased to know this delicious meal is full of nutrient-rich ingredients, good for the body and soul!
Once the skill of roasting vegetables is learned, bringing out their natural buttery flavor, other vegetables can be incorporated as the seasons progress. The vegetables used here are spring (green) onions, cauliflower, fennel and new potatoes. There is so much diversity in the vegetable family, and by roasting them it can often turn the most apprehensive vegetable eater into an enthusiast (really). Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable, which is known for many things, most notably its antioxidants. Spring (green) onions have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. The asparagus for the omelet is roasted with the first course vegetables, making the main course easily come together. The chevre (fresh goat cheese) is a bit of an ingenious ingredient in itself. Many people who have allergies to cow’s milk or are lactose intolerant can digest goat’s milk products. The third part of the Spring Fling Menu is some of the tastiest muffins around. How, you might be asking, can a muffin be healthy? Often full of calories, fat and sugar, muffins can easily weigh in at 800 calories with a plethora of unhealthy ingredients. These gluten-free delights are quite the contrary because they have no oil or butter and their fat content comes solely from nutrient-rich ingredients such as flax seeds, ground almonds and eggs. They are made moist by yogurt (kefir works equally as well) and a brilliant spring flavor from crystallized ginger and lemon zest. Cakey and gooey at the same time, they add new words to the “nutritious” category. Enjoy this menu and celebrate spring!
Roasted Spring Veggies with Olive Oil and Sea Salt
Serves 4 to 6
1 pound cauliflower, cut into ½ inch chunks
1 pound or 1 small bunch baby carrots, cut into ½ inch
pieces
1 bunch green (spring) onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 large fennel heads, roots cut into ¼ inch slices
1 pound small new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ¼ inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a large baking sheet, preferably with ½-inch sides. Place all ingredients in extra large bowl and toss thoroughly to coat all vegetables. Empty onto baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, mixing veggies mid-way to ensure even cooking. Keep an eye on them for the last 10 minutes as they can go quickly from golden to too brown! Veggies are done when cooked through and turning golden brown on edges (warning: home will smell lovely and, yes, buttery). Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.
Spring Omelette with Roasted Asparagus, Chevre and Fresh Basil
Makes 2 omelets
1 pound roasted asparagus, tough ends removed
5-6 eggs
2 T. water
Pinch of salt
Pinch of fresh ground black or white pepper
½ cup fresh basil chiffonade (leaves rolled and finely chopped)
2 ounces chevre, coarsely crumbled (go local! Seek out Happy Acres and you won’t regret it – fresh and unbelievably good)
In a bowl, lightly whisk eggs until pale yellow. Add water, salt and pepper. Whisk.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Spray with non-stick oil or apply a thin layer of butter. When pan is hot, add half the egg mixture. With a spatula, slowly lift up edges of omelet, allowing the uncooked egg to flow under the cooked portion. When there is no more runny egg, cook for about 30 seconds until set in middle. Top with asparagus, chevre and basil. Fold in half and turn off heat. Serve immediately.
(Gluten-Free) Lemon Yogurt Muffins with Crystallized Ginger
Makes 12.
3 cups gluten-free mix (You can use Trader Joe’s gluten-free pancake/waffle mix, Pamela’s gluten-free baking mix, or make your own with equal parts white rice flour, tapioca starch and cornstarch.)
½ cup freshly ground flax (preferably golden flax)
½ cup almond flour or freshly ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder (or 4 tsp if you use your own gluten-free baking mix)
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup plain yogurt or kefir
1 organic lemon, zested and juiced (should yield 1 tsp. zest and ¼ cup juice)
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 to ½ cup crystallized ginger, chopped into ¼ inch pieces)
Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp. lemon zest
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare standard 12-muffin pan with paper liners or non-stick spray.
In large bowl, whisk gluten-free mix, flax, almond flour, baking powder and salt, to incorporate well. In small bowl, mix yogurt (or kefir), lemon juice, eggs, egg yolk and sugar. Add to dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in crystallized ginger and fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake 25-30 minutes, checking in the last 10 minutes to make sure they are cooking evenly. Cool on racks.
While muffins cool, mix glaze ingredients. Once muffins are cool to the touch, remove from pan and set on a rack or cutting board (glaze will spill over so plan accordingly). Spoon glaze over muffins.
