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