I say the best way to enjoy the company of friends is with the company of great food.
Food is the universal way of connecting, celebrating, and bonding with others.
However, when you eat a certain way (say Paleo, raw, or vegan, perhaps) it can be difficult to include others into your eating circle.
There is one way around this, of course.
MAKE. GOOD. FOOD.
[and mimosas]
[excuse the iPhone photo]
And that’s exactly what I did last weekend with a Paleo Brunch fit for all. And by all, I mean my friends LOVED it.
And the best part of it all, is that it was easy!
From me to you, here is a no-fail Paleo Brunch Guide (with extra ideas for dishes!).
Paleo Brunch Guide: The Menu:
Paleo Egg & Veggie Bake
Pan Roasted Paprika Potatoes
Green Tomato Salsa Verde
“Man’s” Bacon and Sausage
Mimosas (!)
Simple Cinnamon Paleo Apple Crisp
Green Smoothie of choice
First up on the menu is the Paleo Egg & Veggie Bake. I love this dish because it’s quick to make, easy to clean (one pan from start to finish!), can be made well ahead of time, and always pleases. You just cannot go wrong with this one. (want another version? try this one!)
Paleo Egg & Veggie Bake
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup/2 handfuls leftover meat of choice (shredded Thanksgiving turkey, bison burger, chicken sausage, tofu, anything- even more eggs)
- 4 oz package of mushrooms, sliced (about 8 mushrooms)
- 1 – 1 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 head broccoli, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp red or white onions, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp each, salt and pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp fresh herb- cilantro, parsley, fresh thyme, sage, rosemary, finely chopped (optional)
- goat cheese (optional)
Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large glass pyrex baking dish, combine all the ingredients (except cheese), making sure to whisk eggs and incorporate all spices evenly. Sprinkle and fold in goat cheese, if using.
Bake for 45-60 minutes.
Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh herbs and serve.
Pan Roasted Paprika Potatoes
This second dish is also an easy one. Another semi-make ahead medley that can never go wrong alongside a dollop of ketchup and a splash of Dijon mustard (because I’m slightly obsessed with mustard…).
Pan Roasted Paprika Potatoes
- 6 small red potatoes, washed, and quartered
- 1/4 red onion, diced
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Directions:
Place quartered potatoes in a large pot. Fill pot with water until covering potatoes. Par-boil potatoes until semi-soft, about 15 min. Remove from heat, drain, and place in a large bowl.
Sprinkle red onion, paprika, coriander, salt and pepper onto the potatoes and toss gentle to coat.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Place the spiced potatoes into the skillet, sautéing until soft, about 20 minutes, tossing frequently.
Serve with chopped, fresh cilantro on top.
Green Tomato Salsa Verde
Easiest. Recipe. Ever. Do not let the ingredients list fool you! Heat all, blend, eat!
Not the most beautiful picture in the world but trust me, it is darn tasty. Made with all green, unripe tomatoes left over from my parents’ garden, or tomatillas.
Green Tomato Salsa Verde
Have a ton of unripened tomatoes from the garden (like I did)? Make salsa verde! Trust me, it’s tasty enough to eat alone with a spoon.
I doubled and adapted the recipe from ModernComfortFood.com.
- 4 pounds firm, green tomatoes, quartered
- 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 fresh green Anaheim (or other large, mildly-flavored) chili pepper, stem and seeds removed, quartered
- 3-4 green jalapeño chilies (for a medium-hot salsa) stems removed, quartered
- 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest, optional
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp honey, or dash of Stevia
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- dash paprika, optional
- 1/3 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
Directions:
Combine the green tomatoes, onion, chili peppers, garlic, salt, cumin, olive oil, and water in a stock pot. Bring to a boil and cook covered on a medium-low heat burner for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water only if needed to maintain the most minimal broth.
Stir in and simmer for an additional five minutes the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey (or Stevia), and cilantro. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning, if needed, by adding more lemon juice, honey, and/or salt, to taste.
Spoon the mixture (in batches if necessary) into the container of a food processor or blender and pulse until the salsa reaches the consistency you prefer, either chunky or a smooth puree (I personally like chunky). Store in the refrigerator until serving.
“Man’s” Bacon and Sausage
So this one, the “Man’s” Bacon and Sausage, is included because I know a LOT of people out there love bacon. And sausage. Honestly, I’m just not a fan… BUT for those of you who swoon at the site of crisp pork fat (sorry, that’s what it is! No offense… the stuff is pretty tasty), try out this oven-roasted method:
“Man’s” Bacon and Sausage
- 1 package of bacon
- 1 package of sausage
- 2 baking sheets
Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
On one baking sheet, lay strips of bacon out flat, trying not to overlap any pieces.
On the other baking sheet, lay out each sausage, trying to leave a little space in between each.
Place both baking sheets into the oven, either on the same rack or one on top and one on bottom. Bake for 30 min or until bacon is crisped and sausage is warmed (or cooked through).
Remove from oven and place all on a plate lined with (a lot of) paper towels to soak up some of the grease.
Serve.
[again, excuse the iPhone photo]
Mimosas(!)
Come on people, what brunch is complete without orange juice (heavily) spiked with champagne? A little half and half glass-filling action never hurt anyone…
Simple Cinnamon Paleo Apple Crisp
Simple Cinnamon Paleo Apple Crisp
Sorry! You’ll have to wait for later for this one.
Green Smoothie of choice
Because what breakfast is complete without a green smoothie? Not mine…
Recipe soon!
So, you’ve been spoiled with a ton of recipes in this post…
What?! You want more??
Greedy.
Check out my take on some Paleo Breakfast Ideas that are sure to get your metabolism fired up and get you ready to face the day!
Happy weekend to you! Wishing you a friend-filled celebrating day.