All posts by Jolyn

New to this blogging world. Even new to brunches. I've never seen myself as much of a cook or hostess, but it's amazing how simple it can be, and I'm enjoying it so much that I want to document my process and inspire others to give it a try.

Cookies and Brownies, Desserts, Easy Brunch Recipes

Boston Cream Bites

March 2, 2016 Jolyn Leave a comment

Such a simple, yummy and impressive dessert! This recipe is from BettyCrocker.com.

Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist French vanilla cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup butter, softened (I substituted coconut oil)
3 eggs
1 cup vanilla pudding
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup whipping cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 48 mini muffin cups.

2. Combine cake mix, water, butter (or coconut oil) and eggs and mix until smooth. Spoon batter into muffin cups — do not overfill, just below rim.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until they spring back when touched lightly.

4. Once they are completely cool, slice off the top of each cupcake.

5. Spoon 1 teaspoon pudding onto the bottom half of each cupcake. Cover with top half.

6. Melt chocolate chips and whipping cream together (60 seconds in microwave or use a double boiler on stovetop). Stir until smooth.

7. Spoon chocolate mixture on top of each cupcake.

Store in refrigerator up to three days. Prepare for lots of OOs and AHs.

Breakfast, Easy Brunch Recipes, Vegetables

Sweet Potato Hash

February 19, 2016 Jolyn Leave a comment

“I yam what I yam and that’s all that I yam.” –Popeye

The internet is great for so many things, but one of the problems is too much conflicting information and difficulty determining which website should be believed. Take, for example, the difference
between yams and sweet potatoes. Some websites claim emphatically that there is no difference, that a sweet potato is a yam and a yam is a sweet potato. Others claim just as emphatically that they are distinctly different, from different parts of the world and should be cooked differently. Here’s a website I found interesting in case you want to explore the topic further, though I make no claim that it’s accurate: http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-yams-and-sweet-potatoes-word-of-mouth-211176.

After spending waaaay too much time researching the issue and
asking produce department clerks, I’ve stopped caring. I just pick the ones I want when shopping and use them interchangeably. My mouth and my stomach certainly don’t care what I call them.

For this recipe I used two yams(?) and two sweet potatoes(?), and it was delicious

1. First I skinned and cubed the tubers and cooked them in boiling salt water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Then I drained them and laid them on paper towels to dry.

2. In two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat, I sautéed red bell peppers, red onions, green onions and garlic until tender, about 8 minutes.

3. Then I added the yams/potatoes to the pan, seasoned them with salt and pepper and gently stirred to combine. I turned the heat up to high and let the vegetables sit untouched so the potatoes would crisp up. After about five minutes, I flipped them and let them crisp on the other side for a few minutes.

If not serving bacon elsewhere in the meal, you could certainly add it to this hash.

A hearty, healthy dish that can be made the day before and refrigerated. Reheat before serving.

Bacon, Easy Brunch Recipes

Maple Bacon

February 17, 2016 Jolyn Leave a comment

Sweet-n-savory Maple Bacon. So simple to make and such a hit at any brunch.

Cut bacon strips into three or four pieces.

2. Place on a rack over a foil-lined baking sheet.

3. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes.

4. Baste each piece with maple syrup.

5. Bake another 5 to 10 minutes until nicely browned.

Yummy!

Didn’t I tell you it was simple?!

I got the type of compliments I always enjoy getting when I know how simple something was – “Where did you find this maple bacon? At a special deli?”

Cookies and Brownies, Desserts, Easy Brunch Recipes, Food Art, Holidays

Fudge Brownie Hearts with Fresh Raspberry Cream

February 15, 2016 Jolyn Leave a comment

These brownies were a hit at my Valentine’s brunch and are so
simple to make.

You can make brownies from scratch if you like, but I think some of the box mixes out there are as good as any brownies I’ve tasted and certainly a lot simpler to make. And you can make your own icing from scratch, too, but I chose the simpler path of using canned
frosting. Below I’ll explain how I used fresh raspberries in the creamy frosting and share with you some tips for creating these special Valentine’s brownies.

Ingredients:
Fudgy brownies (from the bakery, box mix or from scratch)
Buttercream frosting (canned or freshly made)
1 cup of fresh raspberries

Directions:

Line a 13″x9″ pan with foil so the edges hang over the sides. Spray with cooking spray.

2. Bake the brownies, following the box instructions or your own recipe.

3. Let them cool completely. Lift the brownies out of the pan using the excess foil.

4. Use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut out the brownies.

5. Slice each brownie in half horizontally and lay the bottom half on the serving tray.

6. In a small saucepan, add the raspberries and cook over medium heat until the raspberries begin to break down, about 5 minutes.

7. Put the raspberries into a strainer and press out the juice. Let the juice cool.

8. Stir the raspberry juice into the buttercream frosting, and put into a pastry bag with a small tip. Pipe the frosting onto the bottom half of each heart brownie.

9. Put the top half of each brownie on top of the corresponding iced bottom half.

10. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Breakfast, Casseroles, Easy Brunch Recipes, Holidays, Main Dishes

Baked Scrambled Eggs With Veggies

February 1, 2016 Jolyn Leave a comment

Light, fluffy scrambled eggs to serve 12 people.

INGREDIENTS:
½ cup butter, melted
24 large eggs
1 ¼ cup Half-n-Half
1 ¼ cup milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cup olive oil
Fresh veggies, chopped (suggested: mushrooms,
red and green bell peppers, spinach, onion)
3 green onions, chopped
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Pour melted butter into 9″x13″ baking dish.

2. Whisk together the eggs, Half-n-Half, milk and salt.

3. Pour eggs into baking dish.

4. Put eggs into 350 degree oven, and stir every 5 to 10 minutes
until beginning to set.

5. While eggs are baking, sauté veggies in olive oil until lightly browned.

6. If using spinach, add it to sautéed veggies to let it wilt for just a minute.

7. Add vegetables to eggs and bake another 8 to 10 minutes.

8. Once eggs are set nicely but still moist, stir again and top with green onions and cheese.

9. Bake 2 to 3 minutes longer and serve immediately.

Easy Brunch Recipes, Healthy, Main Dishes, Soup

Love Yourself Taco Soup

January 7, 2016 Jolyn Leave a comment

This taco soup is hardy, healthy, simple, inexpensive, and
oh-so-yummy.

A one-cup serving of this recipe has only 186 calories, 25 carbs and 3.5 grams of fat. It also provides a whopping 61 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber. I top it with 1 tablespoon of sour cream which adds only 30 calories and 3 grams of fat — so worth it! AND it only cost $1.29 per serving!

It is based on an old Weight Watchers recipe, but I’ve added a few things to make it even healthier: kale, tumeric and
cardamom. Among the many benefits, kale adds fiber and antioxidents, tumeric is anti-inflammatory and aids with healing and
alleviating arthritis, and cardamom aids digestion, immune system and blood pressure. In this recipe, I used two cups of kale, which seemed about right to me. I used 1 teaspoon each of turmeric and cardamom with no noticeable taste, so I would increase those next time to get more of the health benefits.

The sodium content is higher than I like at 815 grams per one-cup serving because of all the canned ingredients and the packaged
seasonings. You could reduce the sodium level dramatically by cooking the beans yourself rather than using canned beans and by using your own seasonings instead of the packaged ones. Since my emphasis is on simplicity, though, I’ll just buy low sodium versions of the canned ingredients next time.

So here’s the recipe as I prepared it:

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 lb. lean ground turkey
2 c kale, de-stemmed and chopped
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cardamom
15oz can black beans
15oz can kidney beans
15oz can cannellini beans
15oz can corn
28oz can diced tomatoes

Rinse and drain beans.

2. Sauté the onion in olive oil over medium heat for just a few minutes, until it begins to become translucent.

3. Add ground turkey and cook until browned.

4. Add seasonings and mix well with the turkey.

5. Add red pepper and tomatoes.

6. Add the kale and mix in until it begins to wilt.

7. Add all the rest of the ingredients and combine well.

8. Add a cup or two of water to desired consistency.

9. Turn up the heat until the soup comes to a boil then cover and
reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes.

Enjoy guilt-free yumminess. And please share your ideas for making it even better.

To Print Recipe: Love Yourself Taco Soup

Appetizers, Dips and Sauces, Easy Brunch Recipes, Vegetables

Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip

December 7, 2015 Jolyn Leave a comment

Quick, easy and tasty Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip

Ingredients:
1 cup thawed, chopped frozen spinach
1½ cups thawed, chopped frozen artichoke hearts
6 oz. cream cheese
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Tip: I like to chop the artichokes while
they are halfway between frozen and
thawed — easiest to cut at that texture.

Directions:

Boil spinach and artichokes in 1 cup of water until tender. Drain.

2. Heat cream cheese for 1 minute in microwave, just until hot and soft.

3. Combine all ingredients and stir well.

Serve hot, but it’s yummy cold, too.

Breakfast, Desserts, Easy Brunch Recipes, Food Art, Fruit

Baked Apple Roses

November 20, 2015 Jolyn Leave a comment

This is an impressive and beautiful dessert. Yummy, too, especially when served warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!

Does it qualify as a Simple Brunch Idea, though? Well, technically it’s simple (as in, five ingredients and very few steps), but definitely not easy. Especially the first time you try it. I recommend that you watch the YouTube video before attempting it yourself. Maybe you’ll see something in it that I missed.
Rose Shaped Apple Baked Dessert by Cooking with Manuela: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rGrwvEjZIQ

Here’s the way I made this recipe, as well as a few of the lessons I learned along the way.

Ingredients:
2 red delicious apples
½ a lemon
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
Apricot preserves
Cinnamon

Core the apples and slice into VERY thin slices. (Lesson one: the
thinner the slices, the easier to roll).

Put the apple slices in a bowl of water and add the juice of half a
lemon. Microwave for about 3 minutes. (Lesson two: be sure they are soft. See the picture further down of what happens when they are not pre-cooked enough.)

On a floured surface, unfold the puff pastry and use a rolling pin to stretch it slightly. Cut the sheet into six strips.

Spread a spoonful of the apricot preserves on a strip of the pastry. (Lesson three: Don’t spend extra on high quality preserves. The one I bought had big chunks of apricot, which makes for a delicious topping on toast, but didn’t spread well for this recipe, so I had to remove the chunks, wasting much of it.)

Lay the apple slices over the top half of the dough, overlapping them.

Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and fold the bottom half of the dough up over the apple slices.

Okay, here’s the tricky part!! Beginning at one end, roll the apple-filled pastry up being careful to keep the apples from slipping out.

Here’s what happens when your slices are too thick and not soft enough. It simply won’t roll.

I put the remaining apple slices back into water and into the microwave for two more minutes and tried it again. (Lesson four: practice makes perfect) You can see the progression in the photo below. The next two I rolled up (bottom row) were better, but still too stiff and thick. For the ones in the top row, I used thinner slices that were also softer, and each one got better as I was practicing (left to right in picture). So hopefully the next batch I do will all come out looking like my final rose.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, checking carefully since ovens vary.

(Lesson five: run a knife around the edge to loosen the entire apple rose before lifting it out of the pan. The edge of the first one stuck to the pan, and the rose just unwrapped as I lifted it out — that’s why there are only four roses pictured on the plate.)

Please leave your comments, especially if you have tips on how to make this better or easier.

Desserts, Easy Brunch Recipes, Holidays

Personal Pumpkin Pie

November 18, 2015 Jolyn Leave a comment

A fun and mess-free way to serve pumpkin pie — personal pumpkin pies, baked in a muffin tin.

Ingredients:
2 refrigerated ready-to-roll pie crust
½ cup sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Whipped cream, optional

1. Roll out dough. Use a 4-inch round cup or bowl to cut out 12 circles. Place each circle in a greased muffin tin. Press into the bottom and the sides of the muffin tin. Use a fork to score the bottom so the crust doesn’t bubble up while baking.

2. Mix sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, eggs, cream cheese and pumpkin spice until smooth.

3. Pour the pumpkin filling into each muffin tin, filling to the rim.

4. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Turn the heat down to 350 degrees and bake another 25 minutes or so, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for at least an hour for the pumpkin filling to set.

Serve with a dollop (or two) of whipped cream.

Dips and Sauces, Easy Brunch Recipes

Quick & Easy Cranberry Sauce

November 13, 2015 Jolyn Leave a comment

So simple to make delicious cranberry sauce and tastes ever-so-much better than the canned stuff. It’s not just for turkey dinner. Try it over some vanilla ice cream!

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
12 oz cranberries

Directions:
1. Over medium heat, stir sugar and orange juice until sugar
dissolves.

2. Add cranberries and cook until cranberries burst, about 10 minutes.

3. Let cool for 10 minutes to serve warm or let cool completely and chill to serve cold. The sauce thickens as it cools.

Simple Brunch Ideas

All posts by Jolyn

Boston Cream Bites

Sweet Potato Hash

Maple Bacon

Fudge Brownie Hearts with Fresh Raspberry Cream

Baked Scrambled Eggs With Veggies

Love Yourself Taco Soup

Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip

Baked Apple Roses

Personal Pumpkin Pie

Quick & Easy Cranberry Sauce

Tips, Recipes and More