Mothers' Day Homemade Brunch: Fun Recipes and Drinks

Mother's Day, when I was a runny-nosed kid, meant waking up early in the morning, excited about the no-school rule that my family had agreed upon just for these special occasions. It meant creeping out of bed and running barefoot to the kitchen with Dad in tow to make Mum a breakfast-in-bed. This special breakfast always included a burnt omelet, two pieces of extremely dry toast and strips of forlorn looking soggy bacon along with a tall glass of orange juice, which was probably the tastiest item on the tray, considering the fact that it was store-bought.

Our dad was never a culinary expert and always a busy man, so making special brownies or mud pies was out of question. It was always the same breakfast tray, the same ritual of cuddling up with mom in bed, a visit to the same water park and a visit to the same restaurant for dinner.

Looking back today, I realize how patient and loving and giving my mother is given that she never once complained about all those burnt eggs for seventeen years.

Over the years, learning to handle the grill and the oven's paid off! My Mum's finally proud of me of having my own recipe box and we don't have to sit down to sad toasts anymore. The recipes below form a scrumptious and delicious brunch, ideal for Mother's day. Instead of the usual all-gourmet, complicated stuff, they're all fun and kid-friendly and a sure shot way to see Mum smile!

Pigs in a Blanket (with a twist)

What you need:

4 hot-dogs (pork or beef)

12 bacon strips

4 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter (salted)

1 tablespoon of honey

Juice of 1 lemon

A pinch of cayenne pepper

How to:

Pre-heat the grill to 375 degrees F.

Cut up each hot-dog into three parts.

Wrap each part with a bacon strip and use toothpicks to hold the wrap together.

Grill the pieces for about 15-20 minutes.

Take them out and sprinkle with lemon juice and cayenne pepper.

Mix the peanut butter with the honey and serve it as a sauce with the pigs in the blankets.

Citrus Couscous

The fun thing about couscous is that once you're done cooking it, its mix n match all over!

What you need:

1 packet of couscous

2 cups of fresh orange juice

1 mango, pitted and diced

2 tablespoon of lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 tablespoon basil

2 tablespoon olive oil

¼ of walnuts (roasted pine nuts are also a good option)

How to:

Bring the orange juice to a boil and add the couscous and cook it covered.
Cool after it's done.
Mix olive oil, lemon juice and stir it into the couscous mixture.
Add mango, cilantro, ginger, basil and the nuts and toss well.

Chicken Lasagna

This is a meal by itself. So you might want to skip the others if you're going for lasagna.

What you need:

Lasagna noodles

3 cups of chicken, cooked and diced (or shredded)

2 cups of shredded cheddar

½ cup of chopped onions (I use white, but red will do)

½ cup each of chopped green, red and yellow bell peppers

1 cup of chopped (or sliced) mushrooms

¼ cup of butter

1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup

1 cup of milk

How to:

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water (slightly salted) to boil and cook the lasagna in it for about ten minutes or till Al Dante.

Drain it.

Melt the butter in a shallow pan.

Saute the onions, peppers, mushrooms till the onions turn golden brown at the edges.

Add the soup and milk and cook till it comes to a boil.

In a baking dish, layer the noodles, then the chicken, the veggies in soup and top it with the cheese.

Bake for about 30-45 minutes or till the edges turn crispy.

No-Bake Cheesecake

This one's extra special, because the kids have a lot of fun getting messy. And the outcome would make Mum proud.

What you need:

15-20 Graham crackers or digestive biscuits (for more richness try 20 chocolate chip cookies)

250gms of cream cheese

250gms of Mascarpone cheese

100gms of butter (salted would do fine)

100gms of brown sugar

1/4 cup of milk

150 ml of double cream

How to:

Crush the crackers/biscuits/cookies by hand or with a rolling pin.

Melt all the butter in a deep bottomed pan.

Mix the butter with the crushes crackers and press the mixture down on a pie tin with your fingers or the back of a big spoon. Put the tin in the fridge for the base to set.

Soften the cream cheese. Mix it well with the Mascarpone, milk and sugar.

Whip the double cream in a separate bowl till it thickens and become custard-like. Add it to the cream cheese mixture and mix well. Use wooden spoons for better results.

Pour this mixture on top of the set cracker base and spread evenly. Put it back in the fridge for three to four hours for the filling to set.

Gulab Jamun

And here's my favorite! This classical Indian sweet dish is an extremely versatile dessert and till date I haven't found anybody who doesn't like it.

What you need:

3 cups of sugar

7 cups of water

1 tablespoon of cardamom powder (you can also use 10 cardamom pieces slit through the middle)

¼ teaspoon saffron

2 cups of powdered milk (khoya)

½ cup of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ cups of double cream

Oil to fry (you'll need about 4 cups of it)

How to:

Mix the water and sugar and bring it to boil till all of the sugar dissolves. Take it off the heat and add the cardamom and saffron.

Mix the powdered milk, flour and baking soda. Gradually add the cream and knead the mixture to form soft dough.

Make 1 inch diameter balls out of the dough and keep them covered with a damp cloth.

Heat the oil in a deep bottomed pan.

Add the milk balls (without crowding the pan) and cook till they turn deep red or reddish brown.

Take them out of the pan and dip into the sugar solution.

Serve hot or cold, topped with whipped cream, or chopped nuts and raisins!

A brunch is never complete with fruity cocktails and smoothies.

The Happy Drink

What you need:

1 can of raspberry juice

1 can of orange juice

1 cup of crushed ice

1 cup of club soda

Mint to garnish

How to:

Combine everything in a blender and blend till the ice smoothens out. Serve in tall smoothie glasses. Garnish with sprigs of mint.

A Raspberry Bellini for Mom

What you need:

¼ cup of chopped fresh raspberries

50ml champagne (or sparkling wine) chilled

How to:

Combine both in champagne flutes and serve.

Happy Mother's Day!!

And don't forget the tray if she's still in bed during mid-day!!