Are you a brunch fan? Flagship trend in recent years, it is growing in restaurants and gaining ground at home. Here are some tips for adopting it in a balanced version.
A practice born in England
Contraction of the words “lunch ” and ” breakfast ” brunch is a British invention dating from the late 19 century. It was introduced in the United States in the 1920s and then in France in the 1980s. Increasingly popular among city-dwellers “late risers” on weekends, brunch is consumed between late morning and early summer afternoon.
It generally consists of fruits, sweet foods like pastries, pancakes but also salty foods: eggs, meats and sometimes cold fish. It can also be served with salads or soups. You can enjoy it all with tea, coffee, fruit juices or hot chocolate. The ingredients and dishes vary by country and region.
How to prepare a balanced brunch?
If you decide to make a homemade brunch, you must take care to consider it as a full-fledged meal, to be satisfied until dinner. Favor diversity and small portions, both for mixed plates, if there are 2 of you, and for a buffet if there are many of you. Be sure to limit the many pastries (fatty and sweet) and opt for mueslis and wholemeal or cereal bread (rich in fiber).
Also bet on dairy products with yogurts, cottage cheese, and cheeses. Do not forget to add fruits or even seasonal vegetables. For a 100% autumn theme, you can thus prepare recipes based on leek, pumpkin, orange or carrot in advance to enhance your brunch. Why not opt for carrot and orange salad or a piece of leek quiche?
Finally, choose lean proteins such as white ham and turkey, rather than cold cuts or grilled bacon, which is too fatty. If the meat doesn’t tell you anything at the end of the morning, choose eggs: omelets, scrambled or poached, you can adapt them to all tastes. Fish such as salmon, rich in omega 3, are also good sources of protein. You can serve them as is or use them in savory cake mixes. As a drink, fresh fruit juices will accompany the meal very well with tea or coffee.
3 recipe ideas for your brunch
Cheese muffins (for 4 people)
To make these muffins, preheat the oven to 170 ° C (th. 5). Mix 45 g of flour, 30 g of Maïzena® and half a sachet of yeast. In a bowl, beat 3 egg whites until stiff. Incorporate them in the flour, Maïzena®, yeast mixture. Gently add (not to drop the whites) 2 tsp. to s. olive oil, then 75 g grated Gruyère cheese. Pour the preparation into muffin tins. Bake 20 min. Serve hot, lukewarm or cold.
Lamb’s lettuce salad with grapefruit, avocado and smoked salmon (for 6 people)
To prepare this salad, wash and dry 125 g of lamb’s lettuce. Peel a grapefruit. To do this, remove the ends of the grapefruit and then, using a knife, remove the skin from the top to the bottom. Optionally remove the rest of the white skin. Over a bowl to collect the juice, pass the knife between the membrane and the flesh at each segment to release the grapefruit segments. In the end, squeeze the rest of the membranes to collect the juice. Drain the supremes, cut them in three and put them in a bowl. In a small bowl, mix 4 tsp. to s. grapefruit juice, 3 tsp. to s. olive oil, 2 tsp. to c. apple cider vinegar, a little fleur de sel and mix to make a vinaigrette. Cut the flesh of an avocado into cubes, pour into a bowl, add 2 tsp. to c. lemon juice and mix. Add the grapefruit, 150 g of salmon cut into strips or small pieces and mix. Mix the lamb’s lettuce with the vinaigrette, spread over 6 plates then add the salmon-avocado-grapefruit mixture. Pepper and serve.
Apple pound cake (for 6 people)
To prepare this pound cake, take 100 g of butter from the fridge in advance. Preheat your oven to 180 ° C (th.6). Line the bottom of a cake pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the edges with a little oil. Work the softened butter with 100 g of powdered sugar. Add 2 large eggs, one at a time, mixing. Add 100 g flour and 1 tsp to the mixture. to c. baking powder. Work the dough well. Add 3 tart apples (Granny Smith, Elstar…) peeled and cut into cubes. Pour the mixture into the mold. Bake for about 45 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to cool before tasting it.
