brunchin’ at home
Lately, we’ve been eating at home a lot more. With two small kids, the logistics of getting out of the house for a meal at a restaurant can be overwhelming to say the least. On top of that, our family has some rather high-maintenance food restrictions. My husband is gluten free, my son is sensitive to dairy, and I am a vegetarian who sometimes leans vegan. I used to think that cooking was way more effort than it was worth (and sometimes it still is) but it is actually quite rewarding/satisfying to make something with one’s own two hands.
I’ve always loved brunch. I would say it is my favorite kind of meal for a celebration. Or for any reason, really. So when there is a celebration that calls for brunch and we want to make something special at home, we plan out a menu, shop, and whip it all up together. Our kids are young so we’re up with the roosters every day of the week. *sigh* But we tag team the whole operation and have been pulling out some delicious stuff these days, if I do say so myself! The above picture if from our Mother’s Day brunch where my husband made eggs benedict our way: homemade gluten free english muffin, fresh tomato and avocado, wilted spinach, vegan sausage, and homemade dairy free hollandaise sauce. Today on the menu for Father’s Day was an herb and veggie frittata that I put together with mostly what we already had in the refrigerator. I served it with some garlic and chive roasted baby fingerling potatoes, buttered toast, and Bloody Mary’s (Dad’s favorite brunch beverage).
Making frittatas is surprisingly easy! To do so: preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Chop veggies and herbs of your choice. Beat as many eggs as you need to fill your oven-safe skillet in a separate bowl and salt and pepper to taste. (I used 6 eggs for our 8-inch skillet and we had plenty of leftovers.) Saute the herbs and veggies in the skillet first on medium-high temperature. Add the egg mixture and stir just enough to cover the veggies. Then place the skillet in the oven for about 10 minutes until the fritatta sets. That’s it! I put crumbled fresh goat cheese and sliced avocados on top just for fun.
Happy Father’s Day to all you Dads out there! And thank you to my husband for being the best father our kids could possibly ask for.
