Lex and Learn

Sunday brunch is such a wonderful concept. Essentially you get to sleep in, eat a filling and indulgent meal with friends or family around noon, hopefully enjoy a little alcohol, and for a moment forget about the upcoming responsibilities of Monday.

I. LOVE. BRUNCH.

This past Sunday Mike and I were excited for my parents to visit us in Denver for the day. They live in Los Angeles but come to Colorado as often as they can to stay at their condo in Breckenridge. Rather than meet them in the mountains this time, they agreed to spend the day at our house.

My mom’s only request? That we make waffles because she reads about all the cooking we do here on my blog. Little did she know that I was on a mission to prepare more than just waffles. Despite a few frustrating moments — I can get a little stressed in the kitchen when preparing multiple items — our homemade Sunday brunch was a success. Let’s just say that Mike was a huge help.

We served a citrus salad from our Giada at Home cookbook, creamy eggs with arugula pesto from The Newlyweds’ Cookbook and waffles using an Arrowhead Mills multigrain waffle mix. As a side note, we would have made our favorite homemade waffles recipe, but I thought that would really get my blood pressure going and I wanted to be in a good mood for everyone.

Citrus Salad

• 2 large oranges
• 2 grapefruits
• 1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Peel and trim ends from oranges and grapefruits. Place a sieve over a medium bowl. Hold an orange over the bowl and using a pairing knife cut along the membrane on both sides. Let all of the trimmings fall into the sieve. Repeat with all citrus fruits. Squeeze the membranes over the bowl to extract as much juice as possible, reserving the juices. Place the peeled citrus and fennel in a serving bowl.

In a blender or the bowl of a small food processor (we used an immersion blender), blend together the oil, basil and three tablespoons of the reserved juice until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the fruit and fennel. Add the chopped walnuts and toss until all the citrus is coated.

Arugula Pesto

• 2 oz. arugula
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons blanched almonds, chopped
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Chop the arugula coarsely then transfer to a food processor. Add basil, almonds, oil, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Puree briefly to form a vivid green paste. Transfer to a bowl, stir in cheese, and spoon over your favorite scrambled eggs. Bonus–reserve leftover pesto and enjoy later in the week with freshly cooked whole wheat pasta.

What is your favorite dish to make for brunch at home?