Brunch- that relaxed mid-morning meal – can be coaxed in the direction of lunch with the addition of a salad or a colorful veggie side dish – or it can relax back toward breakfast by adding a fresh fruit salad and granola or other cereal.  Whichever way you choose to go, here are a few of our recent favorite brunch main dishes to get you started.

Greek Spinach Frittata – from Global Kitchen

GF- Dairy/Dairy-free and Vegan variations. Prep time 25 minutes- cooking time 40 minutes- Serves 6

Ingredients

½ cup olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced into thin crescents

1 large potato, peeled and sliced into quarter rounds

1 10-oz pkg. frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed

½ TB dried dill

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

¼ tsp crushed red chili pepper

8 eggs, beaten

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled (this can also be eliminated for a dairy-free version)

Directions:

In a large frying pan, saute the onion in the olive oil over medium heat. Add potato and saute until soft. Add spinach and saute until spinach is mostly dry. Add in dill, salt, pepper, and red chili pepper (if desired). Place mixture in an oiled 9” baking pan and press firmly. Pour beaten eggs over the vegetables and sprinkle crumbled feta on top. Bake 350 for 40 minutes, sprinkle with paprika & serve.

Vegan Variation: Eliminate the eggs and cheese. Add 1 red bell pepper cut into 1” cubes when you add the potatoes. Drain and crumble ½ lb of firm tofu, and add to the mixture at the same time as the spinach. Leave some moisture in the mixture and cover with foil to preserve moisture while baking if needed.  Bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes and onions are cooked through.

Chili Egg Puff – from Simply Vegetarian

Prep time- 20 minutes- Baking time- 25-25 minutes- Serves 6-8

Ingredients

10 whole Ortega Green Chiles- appx 1 4-oz can

3/4 lb of cheese (1/2 Jack & ½ Cheddar works well)

6 eggs

1 ½ cup milk

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

¼ tsp garlic powdered

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Butter a 9×12 inch dish. Arrange chiles in a single layer. Spread thinly sliced cheese on top. Mix eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until well-blended. Pour gently over chiles and cheese. Bake at 375 for 25-25 minutes. Serve with Green Taco Sauce, Red Picante Sauce and /or sour cream (or Yogurt), sliced black olives.

Vegan Overnight Baked French Toast

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas

1 1/2 cups almond milk (or other non-dairy milk of choice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided

1 French baguette, slightly stale and torn/cut into large cubes – or any gluten free bread cubed

1/3 cup vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Maple syrup, for topping.

Fresh berries for topping (Optional)

Instructions

  1. Blend bananas, milk, cornstarch, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and vanilla in a blender until smooth.
  2. Cut or tear the baguette into cubes and place into a well-greased 9×13 baking pan. Pour the banana mixture over the bread and press down to make sure all of the cubes are touching the mixture. Cover, and place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
  3. The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  4. Melt the vegan butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the sugar and whisk together until sugar has melted and become like a caramel-sauce. Turn off heat and add the pecans, nutmeg and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.
  5. Spread the pecan topping evenly over the prepared casserole and place in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.
  6. Serve with maple syrup and fresh berries, if desired.