If you’re looking for Easter brunch menu ideas or just some healthy Sunday brunch recipes to have on hand, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve put together some delicious recipes to kick-start your brunch with vibrant flavor and healthy ingredients….like nutrient-dense eggs and avocado.
Why eggs? In the past, eggs got a bad rap for being unhealthy but they should never have been vilified as a cholesterol-containing food. They’re a wonderful vegetarian protein and they contain many important vitamins, minerals and nutrients like choline, which your body uses to make cell membranes. And like olive oil, avocado is a superfood. A terrific source of healthy monounsaturated fat, avocado is also packed with a powerful antioxidant called glutathione. Together, avocados, eggs and olive oils will nourish and satisfy you for the long haul with protein, healthy fats and fiber.
For sumptuous flavor, I use various olive oils in these brunch recipes. With eggs, I love crushed flavored olive oils – Basil or Jalapeño Garlic oils, especially.
Now, let’s get to making brunch!
Omelet with Salad of Spring Greens and EVOO vinaigrette
Serves 2
For The Omelets
- 6 eggs
- 6 tablespoons water, divided
- 2 tablespoons goat cheese for filling (optional)
- 4 teaspoons butter for cooking, divided
- Salt Blend (a mix of pink Himalayan, French Sel Gris (gray salt) and California sea salts)
- Pepper & Juniper Blend (a medley of black and white peppercorns and juniper berries)
- Jalapeño-Garlic Olive Oil or Basil Olive Oil to finish
For each omelet, beat three eggs, three tablespoons water and a dash each of salt blend and pepper juniper blend in a bowl until mixed well. Heat two teaspoons butter in a 7 to 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted and hot. Tilt pan to coat surface with melted butter, then pour in egg mixture. The egg should set immediately at the edges – when it does, gently push cooked portions to the center of the pan with spatula so uncooked egg can reach hot pan. Continue tilting pan and moving cooked portions to the center until no visible liquidity remains. If you opt to fill omelet with cheese, place one tablespoon of goat cheese on one half of omelet now. Fold omelet in half with spatula and invert onto a plate. Finish with a few grinds of salt blend and pepper juniper blend to taste and a drizzle of your choice of flavored olive oil -jalapeño-garlic olive oil for mild-to-moderate heat with robust garlic flavor, or basil olive oil if you like a mild infusion of herbaceous flavor.
For The Spring Green Salad:
- 2-4 large handfuls micro greens
- 2 tablespoons goat cheese
- Optional – chopped carrots, celery, cucumber, tomatoes, beets, broccoli, orange slices, etc.
- Salt Blend
- Pepper & Juniper Blend
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Carefully wash micro greens and pat dry, then place a large handful of greens on a plate. Top with one tablespoon goat cheese and any optional chopped veggies of fruits, as well as a dash each of Salt Blend and Pepper & JuniperBlend, and a drizzle of EVOO.
If you prefer a vinaigrette, combine 3 parts organic EVOO or Basil Olive Oil with 1 part balsamic vinegar in a small jar. Add a few grinds each of Salt Blend and Pepper & Juniper Blend, then shake until emulsified.
Egg and Avocado Toasts
- Avocados
- Eggs
- Optional: prosciutto
- Salt Blend
- Pepper & Juniper Blend
- Whole-grain bread slices
- Jalapeño-Garlic Olive Oil or Basil Olive Oil
Toast slices of whole-grain bread, then top each with lightly mashed avocado. If using proscuitto, place a slice on top of mashed avocado, then set aside while cooking eggs.
Heat one tablespoon of Jalapeño-Garlic Olive Oil or Basil Olive Oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-low. Gently crack an egg into the pan and cook three minutes, until white is mostly set, just a little bit runny near the yolk. Tilt the pan towards you so oil pools at bottom edge of pan, then dip a spoon in the oil and baste uncooked patches of the white until just set. Add a dash of freshly ground salt and pepper, then remove egg from pan. Place egg on top of prepared toasts and drizzle with a few dashes of jalapeño-garlic oil or basil olive oil.
Blood Orange Avocado Toasts with Goat Cheese
- Avocado
- Goat cheese
- Salt Blend
- Blood Orange Olive Oil
- Whole-grain bread slices
Toast slice of whole-grain bread, the top with lightly mashed avocado, a teaspoon of goat cheese and a drizzle of blood orange olive oil. Finish with a few grinds of Salt Blend.
Blood Orange Salad
To cut the richness of avocados and eggs, this juicy, jewel-toned citrus salad is the perfect brunch accompaniment.
For the Blood Orange Salad:
- 2 to 4 blood oranges, peeled
- ½ shallot or small red onion, sliced into thin rings
- 2 to 4 Tbsp organic cheese – goat or feta
- ½ to 1 cup chopped walnuts
- Parsley, as garnish
- Sea salt blend
For the Dressing:
Peel and segment one to three of the oranges. Slice the remaining orange into circular rounds, so you get 2-3 blood orange wheels for each plate. On each plate, spread some oranges, add a scant scattering of onion or shallot, sprinkle a bit of cheese, parsley sprigs and nuts and a few grinds each of salt blend and pepper blend. To dress, simply drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Want to know more about these stunning fruits that are also incredibly good for you? Read my recent blog post to find out why I’m so passionate about the benefits of blood oranges.
© 2019, 2020 Stephen Sinatra, MD. All rights reserved.