26 | MAY 7 • 2020 

M

other’
s Day is this 
weekend. But this 
year, everything’
s 
different. While, typically, 
many of us 
would have 
reservations 
at some of the 
best eateries 
in town, the 
restaurants are 
empty. We are 
celebrating at 
home. In limited numbers. 
Extended families are not 
invited.
If there’
s one thing this pan-
demic has done for many fam-
ilies, it’
s brought them back 

into the kitchen. We’
re eating 
most every meal at home. It’
s 
turned many into home chefs, 
with big ambitions.
Still, you want to show 
Mom this Sunday just how 
much you appreciate her.
Breakfast or brunch is the 
easiest meal to prepare and 
a delightful way to begin the 
day. And preparing foods with 
a blender or food processor 
is a fail-safe way to make 
breakfast food fancy, fast and 
delicious.
Imagine a delicious quiche 
— quick and savory — that 
can go together in a few min-
utes. Just bake — the oven 

does the hard work. Steamed 
asparagus gets a slightly 
flamboyant makeover with 
a blender lime Hollandaise 
sauce. And so on. 
Serve these foods for a 
gorgeous, luxurious mini-cel-
ebration. Add bagels and lox if 
you’
d like. In the end, it’
s about 
honoring mom and all of us 
during these unusual times. 
 These recipes are small 
— to serve only about four 
people. Double them to feed 
more. 

ASPARAGUS WITH LIME 
HOLLANDAISE
Ingredients
 1 pound asparagus spears
 ½ cup (1 stick) butter 
 1 egg yolk
 1 tsp. hot red pepper sauce 
(such as Tabasco)
 1 Tbsp. fresh lime or lemon 
juice
 Salt and white pepper to 
taste

Directions
Trim the woody ends from 
the asparagus. If the stems are 
very thick, peel the bottom 
three inches with a vegetable 
peeler (so that they are the 
same thickness as the upper 
stems). 
Melt butter in the micro-
wave oven, in a micro-
wave-safe bowl (cover loosely 
with plastic wrap and cook on 
high for about 1½- to 2-min-
utes). The butter should be 
very hot. 
 Meanwhile, place egg yolks 
and hot pepper sauce in a 
blender and blend on high 
until foamy. With the motor 
running, slowly drizzle in the 
melted butter (the sauce will 
thicken). Drizzle in the lime 
juice. Add salt and white pep-
per to taste. Set aside
Steam or microwave the 
asparagus until just al dente. 
Serve the asparagus hot with 
the Hollandaise sauce spooned 
over. Makes 4 servings.

SPINACH AND SWISS 
EGG SOUFFLÉ
Like a quiche and soufflé in 
one. Make this and people will 
ask you for the recipe to be 
sure. The bread disintegrates 
into a creamy, spoonable, 
almost custard-like dish.

Ingredients 
 6 slices good quality white 
bread, pulled apart into small 
pieces
 ½ cup finely chopped sweet 
onion, such as Vidalia
 1 package I10-ounces), fro-
zen chopped spinach, thawed 
and well drained
 ½ cup chopped red bell pep-
per
 3 cups shredded good quality 
Swiss cheese (such as 
Gruyere)
 5 eggs
 1½ cups milk
 ½ tsp. salt
 ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
 1 tsp. hot pepper sauce (such 
as Tabasco)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter 
a glass or ceramic baking or 
casserole dish. Set aside.
Combine all ingredients in 
a large bowl and stir well. Let 
the mixture stand for about 10 
minutes before transferring to 
the prepared baking dish. Bake 
immediately (or cover with 
plastic wrap and chill up to 12 
hours before baking). Place the 
baking dish on a cookie sheet 
and bake for 50-60 minutes 
or until the top is golden and 
the soufflé is very puffy. Serve 
immediately. Makes 4-6 serv-
ings.

OVEN EGGPLANT FRIES WITH 
YOGURT MINT SAUCE
Ingredients 
 Olive oil
 ½ cup breadcrumbs
 ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
 1 tsp. granulated garlic
 ½ tsp. salt
 1 tsp. chili powder

Annabel Cohen
Food Columnist

The Perfect 
Blend for Mom

Prepare a brunch to celebrate all she does.

ANNABEL COHEN

Arts&Life

dining-in

