There’s no better place to usher in a new season than the kitchen. Easter was just the first occasion of a spring filled with special occasions — bridal showers, Mother’s Day, graduations — and brunch is one of our favorite ways to celebrate. While we always have our go-to dishes (is it even a brunch without ham?), we’re also ready to try something new.
Fresh herbs take center stage in frittatas and quiches, while peas and asparagus remain a match made in culinary heaven. Both kids and adults will enjoy vegetable-filled egg bites, which you can and should tailor to your own tastes, and adding bacon to deviled eggs will make them fly off the plate even faster than usual. Because we’re not quite ready to entirely do away with comfort food, start the morning out with orange-kissed sweet rolls that appeal to our nostalgic side, but without the stress of working with yeast dough. We’re feeling better already.
Crab and Boursin
Cheese Quiche
Serves 6.
In “For the Love of Seafood” (Countryman, 2023), author Karista Bennett writes: “Over the years, I’ve developed a lot of quiche recipes. My preferred ratio for a creamy quiche custard is four eggs to 1 3/4 cups heavy cream, using a deep-dish pie plate (about 2 inches deep). If the pie plate is a standard pie plate (1 1/2 inches deep), reduce the heavy cream to 1 1/2 cups. It’ll still be delicious!” Feel free to substitute your own pie crust recipe, or a store-bought one if time is of the essence.
For the pie crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
1/3 cup ice-cold water
For the quiche filling:
6 ounces crabmeat
1 (5.2-ounce) pkg. garlic and fine herb boursin cheese
1 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
4 large eggs
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
To prepare the pie crust: Combine the flour, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until it forms crumbles. Then, while pulsing, add the cold water and pulse until the dough comes together. It’ll be a bit shaggy. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and form a 10- to 11-inch disk. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface, to about a 12-inch round that is 1/8 inch thick. Fold the dough in half and place it in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, placing the fold in the center and then unfolding the dough. Press the dough down into the pie plate, trim the edges, and then pinch to form a pretty edge.
To prepare the quiche filling: Squeeze out all the excess liquid from the crab and dry with a paper towel. Then, layer into the bottom of the pie crust. Next, layer the boursin cheese over the crab and sprinkle with the chopped chives.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, salt and pepper and then pour it over the crab and cheese. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet and place it in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the center is set. If needed, place a piece of parchment over the quiche to keep the crust from getting too brown.
Once the quiche is done, remove from the oven, garnish with additional chives and let sit for about 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Herb Frittata
Serves 8.
The basic difference between an omelet and a frittata is the latter is cooked slowly over low heat — sometimes even baked in the oven — while an omelet is cooked quickly over medium or medium-high heat. Omelets are usually served immediately so they retain their heat, while frittatas are often served at room temperature. This is a great dish to make ahead for brunch. From “Italy on a Plate,” by Susan Gravely (Vietri Publishing, 2023).
4 small red potatoes
10 eggs
1 1/4 cups mixed finely chopped herbs, such as dandelion greens, thyme, basil, oregano or Italian parsley, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil, or more as needed to cover the bottom of the pan
Seasonal edible flowers, for optional garnish
Directions
Place the potatoes in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes until fork-tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a fork. Add the chopped herbs, cheese, onion, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
Cut the cooled potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Add to eggs and stir gently to combine.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, making sure there is enough oil to just cover the entire bottom of the pan. Add the egg mixture and cook 4 to 5 minutes until the frittata thickens. Use a spatula to loosen around the edge. If you are good at flipping frittatas, turn the frittata over onto the other side and let cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until set. If not, you can finish using the oven broiler, cooking 3 to 4 minutes until the eggs are set.
Place the frittata on a serving plate or wooden cutting board and cut into wedges. Garnish the center with a bunch of herbs and seasonal flowers.
Masala Egg Bites
Serves 6.
These fluffy mini frittatas or egg muffins are spiced with a simple combination of ginger, green chile and turmeric to take the ubiquitous coffee-chain egg bites up a notch and are a fun addition to any brunch spread (or breakfast on the go). Mix up the toppings as you like — use spinach, roasted red pepper, goat cheese, or any other veggies or cheeses you like. If you don’t have a mini-muffin pan, use a regular muffin pan and increase the baking time by 5 minutes. From “The Vegetarian Reset,” by Vasudha Viswanath (Collective, 2023).
4 eggs
1/2 cup full-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons diced onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper or Thai chile, chopped
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with nonstick spray.
Combine the eggs, cottage cheese and Cheddar cheese in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. The mixture will be the consistency of heavy cream. Add the red pepper, onion, cilantro, chiles, ginger, turmeric and salt to the blender and pulse a couple of times until evenly distributed (don’t blend the toppings smooth, just distribute them evenly throughout the mixture).
Pour the mixture into the prepared mini-muffin pan, filling each muffin cup no more than two-thirds full. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Let cool in the pan (they will deflate a bit). Remove from the pan and serve.
To make ahead: Bake as directed and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat for 20 seconds in the microwave. To freeze, wrap them individually in plastic wrap to prevent them from sticking together, and freeze for up to 1 month.
Whipped Ricotta with Peas and Asparagus
Serves 4.
This pretty salad works beautifully as a starter, arranged on individual plates, but is equally stunning on a platter served family-style. Whipping the ricotta gives it a smoother, lighter and creamier texture. You can also use half feta or rindless goat cheese if you prefer a bolder, saltier flavor. From “LEON Big Salads,” by Rebecca Seal (Conran, 2023).
1 1/4 cups ricotta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon milk
Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for serving
2 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
Olive oil, for cooking
20 asparagus spears, trimmed
1/2 cup frozen peas
Handful of pea shoots or arugula
Parmesan cheese, grated, for garnish
Leaves from a sprig of fresh mint, torn if large
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to serve
Directions
Place the ricotta, extra-virgin olive oil and milk into the bowl of a blender or small food processor and blitz until smooth and creamy. (You can also whisk by hand.) Stir in the salt, pepper, parsley and chives.
Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and add the asparagus and the peas. Sauté for a couple of minutes until the asparagus just begins to brown, shuffling it all around in the pan. Remove from the heat.
Divide the whipped ricotta mixture between four starter plates and use the back of a spoon to spread it out over the plate. Arrange the asparagus on top and scatter over the peas, then finish with the pea shoots or arugula, plus the Parmesan, mint, a generous squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and final twist of salt and pepper. Serve.
