Stay-in special: make a scrumptious, special brunch for mom at home 

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Mother’s Day is Sunday, and given that restaurants still have to adhere to limited-capacity guidelines, getting a reservation at your mom’s favorite spot might be a little tougher than usual. And mom still may not feel too hot about dining out, anyway. But you can treat her to a special brunch at home that’s both inexpensive and elegant.

I think the key to a good brunch menu is to include ingredients that you don’t typically get with an everyday breakfast or light lunch. Balancing fresh, bright citrus and rich, earthy flavors is a key strategy to delight the palate, and will let mom know that you put a little extra effort into preparing this special meal just for her.

This three-part brunch has the trappings of an easy-to-assemble, classic brunch — with a mimosa, egg scramble, and fruit parfait — but with some tropical flavors that will transport the taste buds while you stay comfortably and safely in.

You may not have papayas, blood oranges, or kiwi fruit on hand, but they’re not hard to find at your local market or grocery store. The following recipes are best served with coffee, fresh bagels, toast, and jam.

Blood Orange Mimosa
Serves 2-4

You will need:
6-8 Blood oranges (freshly squeezed into juice)
2-4 Blood orange slices, cut halfway through (for garnish)
Dry sparkling white wine or sparkling white grape juice

The juice-wine ratio for a good brunch mimosa is 1:1. It will take roughly 3-4 blood oranges to produce 1 cup of unfiltered juice.

Step 1: Combine 1-part sparkling white wine (or grape juice) to 1-part fresh blood orange juice in a champagne flute and garnish with a blood orange slice on the edge of the glass. Serve chilled.


Skillet Scramble with Asparagus, Mushroom & Raclette
Serves 2-4

You will need:
1 cup Asparagus tips
1 cup Sliced brown mushrooms
1 cup Raclette cheese (cut into small cubes)
6-10 Large eggs
1 tsp Fresh parsley (finely chopped)
2-4 Pads unsalted butter
Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Step 1: Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl, discard the shells and lightly beat with a fork or whisk until fluffy. Set aside.

Step 2: Over a medium-high heat melt half of the butter with a splash of olive oil and lightly sauté the asparagus tips and mushrooms until browned and evenly cooked (about 5 minutes). Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.

Step 3: Over medium-low heat melt the remaining butter with a splash of olive oil and add in the beaten eggs. Slowly cook the eggs, lightly stirring frequently until they are about halfway cooked through, then add in the raclette. When the cheese has started to melt, add in the fresh parsley along with the pre-cooked asparagus and mushrooms. Stir to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.


Fresh Fruit & Coconut Parfait
Serves 2-4

You will need:
2-4 cups Coconut gelato or ice-cream
1 Tbsp Turbinado sugar (more to taste)
3-6 Tbsp Fresh lime juice
2-4 cups fresh fruit, peeled and cut into medium sized cubes such as:
Pineapple
Kiwi
Strawberries
Mango
Papaya

Step 1: Combine the cubed fruit in a mixing bowl add in the lime juice and sugar and mix well. Additional sugar can be added to taste to offset the tartness of the fruit mix. Let stand for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to marry.

Step 2: In pre-chilled serving glasses portion out the fruit mixture and coconut gelato (or ice-cream) in each glass alternating between fruit mixture and gelato in layers. Ideally you want each potion to have at least 4 to 6 layers total ending with a layer of coconut gelato (or ice-cream) on top.

Step 3: Place the parfaits in the freezer for 1 hour before serving. Serve chilled but not frozen.

J. Nevadomski is the author of the long-running "Highlife for Lowlifes" series and is a food and culture contributor to CITY. For more visit: highlifeforlowlifes.com, instagram.com/jnevadomski, and facebook.com/highlifeforlowlifes. Feedback on this article can be directed to Rebecca Rafferty, CITY’s life editor, at [email protected].