Challenge: Eggless Brunch

John Liu

13 years ago

That sounds like plenty of food. Pancakes, bacon, casserole, doughnuts.

I'd replace the doughnuts with thinly sliced and toasted bagels with lox or sliced turkey, low-fat cream cheese, onions, capers. At brunches I'm usually looking for a lower-calorie option.

Add a fresh fruit salad - melons, apples, pears, berries.

I think a ham is an unnecessary dish, and an unnecessary expense, since you already have bacon.

If you want another protein, how about crab cakes or fish cakes, which can be made with canned crab or canned salmon/imitation crab, plus bread crumbs, finely minced onion and garlic, olive oil, mayo, mustard, etc. Normally an egg is used to bind the cakes, but it is not required, just be gentle when handling.

sameboat
Original Author

13 years ago

Brilliant!! Thomas's bagels are EGGLESS, too! Cream cheese and smoked salmon on it. I think that's terrific, thank you!!

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This recipe is a T&T one, and everyone adores it. Well, almost everyone. DH doesn't because he doesn't like caviar. But try it...uses 4 hb eggs. Avocado and Caviar Pie I donÂt know who created this recipe, but I wish I could take credit for it! IÂve been making it ever since my days with Judith at the Chicago Caterers. It takes a few minutes to put together, and it costs a few pennies, but itÂ¹s a real crowd pleaser. Write more textures. Softness opulence what? Chef June Jacobs, C.C.P. Makes one 7-inch pie Ingredients: 1 package unflavored gelatin 1/4 cup cold water Egg Layer: 4 hard cooked eggs, chopped 1/2 cup homemade mayonnaise (see Basics) 1/4 cup chopped parsley 1 large green onion, chopped pinch of salt dash of hot pepper sauce pinch of white pepper Avocado Layer: 1 medium (9 oz) avocado/diced 1 medium (9 oz) avocado/pureed 1 large shallot, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons homemade mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoons salt dash of hot pepper sauce freshly ground black pepper Sour Cream & Onion Layer: 1 cup sour cream 1/4 cup chopped onion 4 ounces black, red or golden caviar (I donÂ¹t think IÂ¹d use Beluga for this, but almost anything else goes. Actually, I prefer salmon roe for its unctuousness.) Fresh lemon juice one thin slice lemon Pam a 7-inch springform pan. Soften gelatin in cold water in measuring cup. Liquefy gelatin by setting cup in pan of hot water or in microwave for about 20 seconds on low. Egg layer: Combine all ingredients with 1 TABLESPOONS of gelatin. Taste and adjust seasoning. Neatly spread egg mixture into prepared pan. Smooth top. Avocado layer: Combine all ingredients with 1 TABLESPOONS gelatin. Spread evenly over the egg layer. Sour cream layer: Mix with rest of gelatin. Spread over the avocado layer. Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, place caviar in fine sieve and rinse gently under cold water. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Drain. Spread evenly over sour cream. Garnish with a thin slice of lemon. Nancy

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Occasional visitor to this forum--AND, I can't write a short post! This one is VERY long!: As work-in-progress asked: Where do you usually put your tree? If you use one, that item needs attention first. Where does it go? What do you move/get rid of to set up your tree? I agree w/ everyone: lose/move the Armoire. It could go in the basement or upstairs, either forever, or at least til after the holidays. Hire some local high school boys to move it for you, and you'll have that chore done pronto. Or else, re-sell it on Craig's list and let someone else worry about it. Craigslist and regular retailers are full of alternate (and possibly cheaper) storage pieces. If you move it upstairs or down, you haven't lost the piece or the storage, you've just moved it elsewhere! Something I don't think anyone's mentioned yet is putting the sofa on the Armoire wall, (w/o the Armoire, of course), and putting the yet-to-be-bought table-top flat screen tv on one of the low double shelving units I've seen at Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware, IN FRONT OF the Windows. Glare aside, it at least gives you a different option. When my kids were small, I once moved our round kitchen table OUT of the breakfast nook, and into the immediately adjacent living room. My toddler twins could better play w/ legos/building blocks on the flat kitchen carpet (egads, but eventually removed), and I could SEE them from my work area in the kitchen. The table ended up just a few feet away from the nook area, in front of the sliding glass doors, and w/ visibility to the TV. Soooo, you may want to do something WAY out of the box, somewhat like one of Mile's drawings: put your dining table INTO the living room!!! Move the sofa into your (former) breakfast area, facing the kitchen bar area. (It looks like there's enough room). Let the kids have some of their toys in the breakfast/kitchen area, (but like someone above mentioned, put/keep most of the toys in their rooms, or give some to charity). I've seen homes (much bigger, but still) w/ sofas in their kitchen/eating areas and it is SO coooool! Guests and family can sit in comfort and watch you cook/serve. (or panic, depending on your cooking/hostessing skills & prep!) I was even able to do that in my previous home. Looked great. Put the (hopefully small) Christmas tree in front of your living room windows. (if you haven't put the tv there.) Center your table in the living room space, and place it perpendicular to the Fire Place wall. (short end of table parallel w/ FP wall.) Starting at your window wall and coming into the room, it would be set up as: Window, then tree, then narrow walkway between tree and DR chair, then DR table, then DR chairs on the opposite side of the table (aprox where Armoire is now), then narrow to slightly wider walkway behind those chairs. Once Christmas is over, you could push the table towards the solid wall. For daily or Christmas meal eating & floor protection, throw down some shower curtain liners under the kid's area! (Not pretty of course, but WAY practical!) I do understand that putting the table AND tree in the living room might create narrow walkways, but for Christmas, at least, it's not permanent. I've been to or seen countless Christmas/Easter functions in TINY dining rooms w/ very narrow walkways, and the guests & family all do fine. If you've bought and installed an over-the-fireplace tv by Christmas, then guests can sit at the DR table & watch the TV from there. Clean off the dishes and they can have coffee (or other beverages) on the table. Those that don't want to watch tv can come help you in the kitchen or sit on the sofa in the nook and visit while you clean. If you have counter space, (and budget) buy an inexpensive counter-top TV, so the ones in the kitchen can watch the same or different from the other tv fans, but in the semi-privacy of the kitchen. If there's a cable/antenna hookup in the basement, let the tv watchers go down there w/ folding chairs to watch games. You could even move one or more of the recliners down there. Football fans won't care if there's clutter and limited seating, as long as there's a working TV! And, for REALLY OUTSIDE the box thinking: consider buying one of the outdoor propane heaters and putting it on-in what looks like your deck. Make that deck be a part of the Christmas entertaining areas, too. Add a tree, some lights, some folding chairs, and the heater, and then there's at least a few minutes worth of alternate space to use for you and your guests. In general: Until you can move or enlarge your home, you can't afford the space-taking-up-ness of large furniture (and big toys for the kids). Just because you bought it (even at a bargain, or at full price luxury retail) doesn't mean you have to keep it. Ikea was mentioned as a place to get smaller furniture, and stagers/designers for small size show-homes get their small furniture from somewhere, so start asking around for ideas. Think in terms of the Japanese or Shaker ethic. NOTHING in the home, (it seems!) and work up from there! (Says one of the original clutter queens!). Imagine what you'd toss if you had to move to an even smaller place, and get rid of those things. 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Gooster, this is the Spaetzle maker I used - it is very inexpensive and it worked very well for me. It was also easy to clean. It has a small hole at the top for hanging, and so I can store it away in my overhead rack, which is now, however, pretty much full. I haven't made gnocchi for a while because they are a lot more effort (although significantly better than Spaetzle), and the dough does not keep in the fridge. I do not like to freeze leftover gnocchi, although I will cook extra and then reheat them the next day. I make Spanish rice on a regular basic, but mine is usually vegetarian. However, I sometimes add spicy Italian sausage to it. If I add uncooked sausage, I cook the sausage whole in the rice, remove it when cooked, chop it up, and then add it back. If I use cooked sausage, I add it after the rice has cooked, during the "fluffing" stage. I always cook mine in the pressure cooker, however, as it seems to cook a bit faster and is a bit more convenient. Kevin won't eat beef, but I could use ground turkey instead to make a recipe similar to yours.

Teresa_MN

13 years ago

If you have bacon on the side and sausage in the casserole, I don't think a ham is necessary.

I think John's suggestions are good.

Teresa

User

13 years ago

Your menu sounds fine. Love John's idea about the bagels and smoked salmon.

My only concern is making pancakes and bacon for 10 adults and teenage boys...that's a lot of food to make at the last minute and basically at the same time. I would be in a frazzle and I cook for large groups often.

I'd do a ham instead of the bacon. So much easier to manage. Just throw in the oven, heat and slice. It doesn't have to be an expensive spiral.

Given it's brunch I'd swap out the pancakes for a potato gratin or some other simple potato dish....home fries?

Fresh fruit is always a good thing!!!

azzalea

13 years ago

I'd leave the pancakes, BUT make pancake squares, instead of fried pancakes. Pour a thin layer of the batter (about 3 cups of dry mix is about the right amount, usually), into a 10 X 15 inch jelly roll pan that's lined with parchment. They only take about 12-15 minutes to bake that way, and you can then cut them into squares or fingers. They're just as good, but save you a lot of time and effort.

I wouldn't add another meat, if you're already having bacon and sausage. BTW--cook the bacon the day before, and just microwave--another timesaver and you won't notice the difference.

As long as you have enough fruit that's served in a way people can use it on their pancakes or as a side, I'd say you're there.

Only think I'd add--if you elimintate the donuts--is some sort of dessert. I'd pick something very light. Maybe an orange spong cake? or jelly roll?

User

13 years ago

Azalea, interesting idea on the pancakes. How many pans do you think sameboat would need to make for the group she has coming? How do you hold the pancakes while another batch or two are made?

I regularly feed a bunch and am always looking for breakfasts and brunches that are easy to put together.

sameboat
Original Author

13 years ago

ooooh I like the idea of making a pan of pancakes and cutting it. My son asked if we could get a waffle iron and make waffles instead. I could put the boys in charge, my husband and son. Can I use pancake batter for waffles? I've never made them before. Also love the idea to cook the bacon ahead. Instead of the microwave, could I put it in the oven to reheat? I'm afraid the microwave will make it chewy.

Lars

13 years ago

Waffle batter is essentially the same as pancake batter. To make them extra rich, use half & half instead of milk, or substitute a bit of cream for some of the milk.

I agree with Chase that ham is a good substitute for the bacon, and you do not need both. I like to make ham sandwiches with croissants for brunch, and sometimes I add Swiss or Italian cheese to them.

Lars

annie1992

13 years ago

I also have been known to make waffles with pancake batter, although I like corn waffles or whole wheat waffles with some nuts added to the batter.

Azzalea's pan of pancakes is interesting, I could see cutting that into squares, sprinkling it with brown sugar and fruit like bananas and broiling it until the bananas are caramelized, like bananas foster.

I'd also swap the bacon for a ham, it's easier and I think cheaper than serving bacon to all those people.

A fruit salad is always good and makes a lighter addition to brunch. The bagels and smoked fish idea is a good one too.

I'm in a rut, my brunches usually consist of meat, potatoes, muffins, fruit and a breakfast casserole of some kind, but I LOVE eggs, so I always gotta have those somewhere. Of all the allergies a person could have, that's the one that would bother me most, I think.

If you want to go off in another direction altogether you could make corned beef hash instead of bacon. It's relatively inexpensive and stretches corned beef a lot, since it's mixed with potatoes and onions.

Annie

annie1992

13 years ago

I also have been known to make waffles with pancake batter, although I like corn waffles or whole wheat waffles with some nuts added to the batter.

Azzalea's pan of pancakes is interesting, I could see cutting that into squares, sprinkling it with brown sugar and fruit like bananas and broiling it until the bananas are caramelized, like bananas foster.

I'd also swap the bacon for a ham, it's easier and I think cheaper than serving bacon to all those people.

A fruit salad is always good and makes a lighter addition to brunch. The bagels and smoked fish idea is a good one too.

I'm in a rut, my brunches usually consist of meat, potatoes, muffins, fruit and a breakfast casserole of some kind, but I LOVE eggs, so I always gotta have those somewhere. Of all the allergies a person could have, that's the one that would bother me most, I think.

If you want to go off in another direction altogether you could make corned beef hash instead of bacon. It's relatively inexpensive and stretches corned beef a lot, since it's mixed with potatoes and onions.

Annie

John Liu

13 years ago

I like the corned beef hash idea! Economical, a make-ahead, and different/interesting.

spartangardener

13 years ago

What about something like a rice pudding? That can be either done ahead of time or baked, and would be inexpensive and filling. Alternatively, a risotto or arancini as a savory offering. I also am a big fan of baked oatmeal, but have never looked for an eggless recipe. Maybe the trick of using ground flax seeds in water would work? I make one with lots of cinnamon, apples, raisins and walnuts and serve it with vanilla yogurt. Again, you can bake pans of the stuff to free up last minute cooking for other items. Latkes can be made ahead of time too, but I don't have a recipe that doesn't call for eggs. I think there's probably a way to do that.

Annie Deighnaugh

13 years ago

You can do an oatmeal in the crock pot.
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Overnight Oatmeal
HereÃ¢ÂÂs an easy way to serve a crowd a hearty breakfast. You can assemble it in the slow cooker the night before and wake up to a bowl of hot, nourishing oatmeal.

Using a slow cooker eliminates the need for constant stirring and ensures a creamy consistency, but weÃ¢ÂÂve included a stovetop variation too.

Serves 8
Preparation time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
8 cups water
2 cups steel-cut oats (see Ingredient Note below)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Preparation
1. Combine water, oats, dried cranberries, dried apricots and salt in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Turn heat to low. Put lid on and cook until oats are tender and porridge is creamy, 7 to 8 hours.

Stovetop Variation: Halve the above recipe to accommodate the size of most double boilers: Combine 4 cups water, 1 cup steel-cut oats, 3 tablespoons dried cranberries, 3 tablespoons dried apricots and 1/8 teaspoon salt in the top of a double boiler. Cover and cook over boiling water for about 1-1/2 hours, checking water level in the bottom of double boiler from time to time.

Ingredient Note: Use steel-cut oats; old-fashioned oats become too soft during slow-cooking. Don't substitute regular rolled oats, which have a shorter cooking time, in the slow-cooker oatmeal recipe.
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You can get some grenadine and pour slowly into the OJ glasses to make a tequila sunrise sans tequila....

You might swap out the grapefruit juice for cranberry juice....some folks like either or a cran orange blend....

sameboat
Original Author

13 years ago

Oh wow this is all wonderful!!! Corned beef hash - just might try that! And oatmeal in the crock pot? Love it! I am loving all of you over here in Cooking! :)

spartangardener

13 years ago

Corned beef hash, or look up recipes of any ingredients you like for hash - lots of flexibility and all can be prepped ahead of time and just crisped in a skillet. Bacon is a very expensive protein compared to the other suggestions, I agree.

lpinkmountain

13 years ago

My parents used to host a New Year's brunch from time to time and one year my mom made omlettes or something or other that she had to make fresh and she spent the whole time fussing in the kitchen. I know she did not have a good time and she and my dad got into a horrible fight. So much for a Happy New Year. If it were me I would try to make as much ahead as possible so I could spend my time enjoying my guests. Bacon and pancakes are wonderful but labor and time intensive. Nothing wrong with serving them, just depends on your entertaining style. If you've got helpers who don't mind spending time in the kitchen then go for it. Or maybe you'd rather spend time in the kitchen than with certain family members, lol! This year I was sick for Hannukah and we had invited guests for dinner and my SO made the latkes in the kitchen so I could spend time with our guests. He's introverted and didn't mind, and I loved not having to run back and forth between the kitchen and living room. My row house has a hallway between the living/dining room and closed kitchen, something I detest but that's the kind of house I can afford. Just isn't very amenable to casual entertaining!

Anyhow, all these suggestions sound great to me, since I too look for protein and low fat options like yogurt, fish, etc. In areas near sources of good fish it is not at all unusual to have fish for breakfast, but then your family may not like fish. We love it, even the picky eaters in my family like fish. You can mix smoked fish or lox with cream cheese to stretch the flavor of the expensive ingredient. You can also mix cream cheese with gorgonzola cheese and nuts for another classy spread, or even cheddar if your family is uber picky about cheese. I adore hashes too, and there are lots of versions, and it is less expensive and yet these days unusual enough to seem special to boot, win win.

sheilajoyce_gw

13 years ago

I love to slice up fresh fruit and stir in some orange juice to keep the apples from turning brown. If you want to use bananas, they have to be added at the last minute. Sometimes I stir in shredded coconut, but some people don't like or tolerate coconut.

Bacon can be baked in a large roasting pan the day before. You can warm it up to serve it in the microwave.

You can have fun with coffee if you have a few different pots to brew various flavors, or a Keurig type maker with little cups of various coffees. Offer whipped cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa powder, fancy colored sugars, sugar substitute and regular cream. Maybe even offer some Irish whiskey to make Irish coffees, yummmmm. They are just a strongly flavored brew (I use French roast) sugar, a Tablespoon or two of Irish whiskey, and a big dollop of whipped cream.

Annie Deighnaugh

13 years ago

When I've eaten out for bkfst at business meetings and such, they usually have an array of cut up fresh fruit with plain yogurt on the side to put on top or mix in with an array of breads/muffins. This is usually to keep people busy while the pancakes or eggs are cooking.

sameboat
Original Author

13 years ago

Ok so my brunch is tomorrow! I also landed a new job so for the past week I've been mentally and physically exhausted. It's Sat afternoon now, my vacuuming is finished, house is tidy and all I have to do is dust, mop the floors and go to the grocer. DS came home the other night with a jumbo waffle iron! We tried an eggless recipe this morning and they were fantastic. Here's my menu:

Giant waffles
Fruit salad for the side or on top of waffles
Sausage casserole (w/ summer squash and zucchini, cheddar cheese, etc.)
OJ and coffee
Oatmeal in crockpot (nuts and raisins on the side)
Lots of bacon
Broiled grapefruit with brown sugar

I think it sounds like more than enough and plenty of variety. Thank you all for the great ideas! I will take a pic of the spread and share!

sameboat
Original Author

13 years ago

ooops no pics. DH and DSs wanted home fries instead of oatmeal so that's what I did. All was delicious! I cut 4 grapefruits and broiled with brown sugar. Only one person tried it and only ate one section, so buying 6 grapefruits at 2/$3 was a bust. Oh well. Thank you all for the great ideas! People also brought donuts, quiche, etc. so there was more than enough for everyone!

Teresa_MN

13 years ago

I was wondering how that brunch turned out. So your son brought home a giant waffle iron? Fun! Waffles are one of those things I will make at my Mom's and then bring home to freeze. It makes a quick breakfast. I leave home at 5:30 some mornings and I don't have time to ding around.

Glad you reported back!

Teresa

sameboat
Original Author

13 years ago

We had about 5 waffles leftover and that's just what I did - popped them in the freezer. The kids loved it and I have to say they were pretty dramatic waffles! The recipe I used has no egg and I was wondering how the waffle puffed up. Must be the baking soda? I always thought it was the egg that made them cake-like. So happy to have found an eggless recipe! Two guests brought quiche for anyone who wanted eggs so that worked out. I do hate having anything eggie around because all I have to do is touch my face and my lids swell shut and get all itchy. People just don't understand. They think I just don't cook with them but I can't even wash a plate that has egg on it.

Annie Deighnaugh

13 years ago

Sounds like a great brunch....congrats!

leahikesgardenspdx

13 years ago

A friend of mine who is a Vegan recently posted about an 'eggless' website and I thought about that while reading this thread. I certainly picked up some good ideas reading this-I would like to try the pancakes in a pan!

Here is a link that might be useful: Madhuram's Eggless Cooking

sameboat
Original Author

12 years ago

I know it's a whole year later but thank you leagardens for the link to the vegan web site. I am going to try the cranberry zucchini recipe. It sounds so yummy!

Islay_Corbel

12 years ago

Flapjacks! They're oaty and relatively good for you!

Melt 150g butter with 100g brown sugar and 3 tbls golden syrup - of you can't get that I think you can use corn syrup or maple syrup.
Add 250g rolled oats and bake in a 20cm tin for 25 minutes.

To make it more festive, you could add cranberries, dried cherries etc.

Challenge: Eggless Brunch

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