Brunch has always been a favorite pastime of mine. It enables me to fend off my hangover and discuss what got into my girlfriends last night. Brunch is the last ditch effort to pretend like you don’t have to drag yourself into the rat race tomorrow and simultaneously try NOT to kill yourself. So drink it up ladies because this is the last chance before Monday morning shows its sorry behind. BOOOO MONDAYS BOOOOOOO!

I’ve got cocktails here to freshen up brunch because lets face it, if we had to consume one more Andre based mimosa we were going to rip off our Shellac nails without the help of acetone.

Wakey Wakey Eggs and Bakey

This one is for all my mixologists 

• 1½ oz. bacon infused gin
• 1 oz. egg whites
• ½ oz. fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz. honey syrup

I loved this drink because it reminded me of a Pisco sour, a personal favorite of mine.

To create bacon infused gin, simply place a few pieces of bacon in a bottle of gin and let it sit in the fridge over night. For honey syrup mix hot water, honey, and sugar together until the sugar is completely dissolved. To make the cocktail put everything into a shaker filled with ice and shake. Pour into a glass and serve with eggs any style.

Island Hydration (sort of)

To help with that impending hangover try this coconut water cocktail.

• 2 oz. pineapple juice
• 1 oz. coconut water
• 1 oz. white rum

This recipe is super easy. Just pour the ingredients into a glass filled with ice. Enjoy!

Shaker’s Remorse 

In college when you were caught doing the saunter of shame you were referred to as a shaker. Even though we have our BA’s some of us still commit this act over the weekend.

• 1 oz. Stolichnaya Blueberi Vodka
• 2 oz. prosecco
• 5 blackberries

First off all for those of you who don’t know what prosecco is it’s an Italian sparkling white wine. It’s the key ingredients in Bellinis. My girlfriend Sam introduced it to me and I’ve never looked back. It’s better than American sparkling white wine and still cheaper than champagne.

Muddle the berries, add the vodka, and shake. Then pour into a glass filled with shaved ice and add prosecco. Also try not to leave your jewelry at his place.

The Bitter Hottie

Did you spy your crush or ex with another girl last night? If so you may be in desperate need of the bitter hottie… only because it matches you so well. You’re sexy but you’re pissed. It’s ok girl, he was only a junior level associate anyways

• 2 oz. IPA
• 1 oz. Sriracha sauce
• 2 oz. limejuice lime
• 2 oz. bitters

Pour all ingredients into a glass filled with ice. Sip Away.

Happy Brunching, ladies and remember, no judging. No one can be blamed for her actions after 5 whiskey ginger ales. 

 

Photo Credit: Pixomar | freedigitalphotos.net 

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This recipe was born out of my borderline unhealthy obsession with roasted butternut squash on top of having a group of friends who just can’t manage to give me more than an hour heads up that they’re coming for dinner.

 

It’s also a really easy way to get a ton of veggies into your diet while still managing to impress the your friends, who by the way should be given instructions to bring over some wine in exchange for your insane cooking skills. I recommend a lighter, spicier red like a tempranillo or pinot noir. 

As a general rule pizza can be as fancy or down-home as you want it to be. Like I said, pair this with a decent wine and an easy salad and you’ve got yourself a grown-up style dinner in under a half an hour. 

Ingredients

• Whole-wheat pizza dough (I buy it in a bag and freeze it for when I need it)
• 3/4 of a can of tomato paste
• 4 to 5 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 of a small butternut squash
• 1 large carrot
• 1 small eggplant
• 1/2 of an avocado
• 1 bell pepper (red or green depending on your taste)
• 1 small onion
• 1 handful of low-fat mozzarella cheese 
• 1-2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese 
• 1 big sprig of fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons of dried Italian seasoning
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of salt

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 °F, then cut up carrot, squash, and eggplant into bite-sized cubes. In a roasting pan, cover the cubed veggies in olive oil and add Italian seasoning, a few bits of fresh rosemary, and salt to taste. 

Roast for 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Get your pizza dough into the shape you want, and spread your tomato paste.

Dice up your garlic and onions and distribute evenly atop the pizza. Then spread the roasted vegetables on top of that. Dice up the avocado and bell pepper and add it on top of the roasted veggies (these ingredients haven’t been cooked yet so you want them closest to the heat)

Sprinkle a small handful of low-fat mozzarella cheese on top, followed by a sprinkling of the fresh rosemary. To top everything off sprinkle a little grated Parmesan cheese on top (this will brown beautifully and make you look like a total pro).

Cook for 20 minutes at 375 °F, or until the crust starts to brown at the edges. 

Enjoy!

 

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I have a mild obsession with cooking dishes that manage to taste even better the day after. Lunchtime, despite its potential to be a respite from a stress filled work day tends to be easily be lost to YouTube searches for cats doing funny things and lack-luster microwaveable calorie bombs.

I love cooking this recipe during early Spring, the colors and flavors are cheery and refreshing, but the warmth and stew like quality helps chase the chill out of those early Spring nights. 

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or 2 table spoons of peanut oil for some extra depth)
• 2 large onions – diced
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of sea salt
• 5 chopped garlic gloves
• 4 cups of cherry tomatoes – each cut in half
• 2 teaspoons of turmeric 
• 1 teaspoon of mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika or chili powder
• 2 teaspoons of garam masala (sometimes labeled as red curry powder)
• 1 can of lower fat coconut milk
• 1 bag of frozen peas

Directions

• Find yourself a nice big pot with a lid. Over a medium heat, add your oil, chopped onions, and salt until the onion becomes a little transparent. 
• Throw in the chopped garlic, the halved cherry tomatoes, and the spices. Let the mixture cook for about five minutes then add in the can of coconut milk. 
• Turn the heat down to the medium end of “low” and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes add your frozen peas and let cook until the peas are bright green.
• Serve over brown rice or if you are really ambitious whip up some Thai style coconut rice – the combination is mind blowing. 

Photo Credit: Nigella

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So I definitely need to redeem myself after that Mac n Cheese recipe. You don’t have to follow this recipe exactly. I just used the vegetables that I had lying around so feel free to get creative with this one. Also instead of brown rice you could use quinoa or lentils. 

Ingredients

• 4 cups brown rice
• sweet golden corn
• green beans
• mushrooms
• green onions
• cranberries
• candied pecans
• golden cauliflower
• yellow bell pepper
• 3 tablespoons of champagne vinaigrette 

I didn’t put amounts of ingredients because I used leftovers. I want you to use this recipe as a chance to get creative. Utilize whatever you have lying around. You don’t have to use pecans try peanuts or walnuts or instead of nuts you could do rice and lentils. Instead of cranberries try cherries! Also substitute with your favorite dressing.

So let's get down to brass tax. The first thing you need to do is cook your brown rice. I use a rice cooker so it leaves out all the guesswork out. If you don’t have a rice cooker you can check the instructions on the bag of rice, usually though it’s two cups of water for every cup of rice. 

Next, as far as your vegetables go I precooked mine but you could do it raw foodist style. Also, the longer you cook fruit and vegetables the more nutrients they lose. 

So all you need to do is cook your rice, combine it with your choice of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and dressing and store in the fridge for at least an hour. Also feel free to add any seasonings you want.

I’d really love to hear your variations on this salad so please share in the comments below. 

Photo Credit: Leela Cyd Ross

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