Breakfast with Love: Treat Mom on Mother’s Day

Written By Michael Vyskocil

President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Mother’s Day as a national holiday in 1914. He thought the second Sunday in May should be observed in order to express “our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.”

But before that, in 1907, Anna M. Jarvis of Grafton, West Virginia and Philadelphia, began a campaign to set aside a special day to honor mothers. Her own mother had died and she was looking for a way to turn a sad event into a happier one.

Today, Mother’s Day is still celebrated in homes throughout America as a day on which we show gratitude, love and appreciation for our mothers. With that spirit in mind, you might consider giving Mom the morning off on May 11 and preparing a special breakfast.

French toast is a popular breakfast treat, but in our version, ordinary French toast receives a sumptuous upgrade: A rich cream cheese filling sandwiched between two pieces of French toast and topped with a banana-cream sauce.

Eggs can be prepared in many different ways, but for a Mother’s Day breakfast try flexing your culinary skills by whipping up an asparagus frittata. A frittata is an Italian omelet. Unlike an omelet, however, a frittata is firmer in texture, since it is partially cooked on top of the stove and then transferred to the oven to complete the cooking process.

Growing up, your mother may have told you to eat the fruit she packed for you in your lunchbox. But what I have in mind is hardly lunchbox fare. No child (or mother, for that matter) could resist a tasty fruit salad featuring sweet oranges, strawberries and grapefruit served in a cup made from a hollowed-out grapefruit.
Round out this Mother’s Day breakfast with a cup of freshly brewed tea. The process is not difficult if you follow the instructions provided (see “Brewing the Perfect Pot of Tea” on page 66).

Cream Cheese- Stuffed French Toast
Serves 6
Serve these flavorful breakfast “sandwiches” with maple syrup, Banana-Cream Sauce (see following recipe) or a dusting of confectioners’ sugar.
1 cup milk
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3 large eggs
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice plus grated zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice plus grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 slices best-quality Italian or white country bread
Vegetable oil, for cooking
Cream Cheese Filling (recipe follows), for serving
Maple syrup or Banana-Cream Sauce (recipe follows), for serving

In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter just until the butter melts. Do not boil the milk mixture.
In a wide, deep baking dish, combine the eggs, orange juice, orange zest, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Beat with a whisk until well blended.

Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the baking dish with the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking. Whisk until the milk mixture has been incorporated.

Dip the bread slices into the egg mixture, and moisten thoroughly on both sides, being careful not to oversoak the bread. Transfer the bread slices to a plate.

Pour enough vegetable oil into a large skillet to cover by 1/8 inch. Heat over medium heat until oil bubbles when tested with a drop of water. Add several bread slices to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on one side or until light golden brown. Flip slices over with a spatula; continue cooking on other side until light golden brown and slightly puffy throughout, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the bread slices to a baking sheet covered with paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining bread slices, adding more oil to the skillet.

Cover half of the slices of toast with 2 tablespoons of the Cream Cheese Filling. Place the remaining slices on top of the cream cheese covered ones, forming sandwiches. Serve sandwiches with maple syrup or Banana-Cream Sauce.

Note: To make the French toast in advance, place the cooked slices on a baking sheet and freeze just until the slices are firm. Place in an airtight freezer container, seal and store in the freezer for up to three months. To reheat, place the frozen slices in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until heated through. Fill and serve as directed.

Cream Cheese Filling
Makes About 1 1/2 cups
1/2 cup heavy cream
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons dairy sour cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until soft peaks form.
Remove the whisk attachment and attach the flat beater to the mixer. Combine the whipped cream, cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and vanilla extract in the mixer bowl. Beat until smooth; set aside.

Banana-Cream Sauce
Makes About 1 1/2 Cups
Spoon this syrup atop the Cream Cheese-Stuffed French Toast (see recipe above), waffles, or ice cream for a warm boost of flavor.
2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
2 medium ripe bananas, sliced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine the sugar, water and rum extract in a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 to 7 minutes, or until the mixture is light golden brown. Remove from the heat.
Add the cream and stir until smooth. Add the butter, a tablespoon at a time. Blend well.

Add the bananas and ground cinnamon and stir well.

Fruit Salad with Ginger Syrup
Serves 4
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2 pink grapefruits
2 navel oranges, segmented
1 cup pineapple, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 pint fresh strawberries, hulled, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

Prepare the ginger syrup by combining sugar, ginger and 1/2 cup water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Using a sharp paring knife, halve the grapefruits by cutting a V-shaped design around the middle of each grapefruit. Twist each half apart and using a spoon, gently remove the fruit from the inside of the grapefruit skin, being careful not to puncture the skin. Transfer the fruit to a bowl and reserve the grapefruit shells. Remove the pith and seeds from the fruit.

In a medium bowl, mix together the grapefruit pieces, orange segments, pineapple and strawberry slices. Drizzle about 1 cup of the ginger syrup over the fruit mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir the fruit to coat with the syrup.

Fill each of the four reserved grapefruit shells with the fruit mixture. Serve.

Asparagus Frittata
Serves 6
Coarse salt
8 thin asparagus spears, tough ends removed
Freshly ground pepper
8 large eggs
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves removed and finely chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Add a pinch of salt and the asparagus to the pot. Blanch the asparagus until the spears turn bright green and become tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and set aside. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Break the eggs into a medium mixing bowl and lightly beat with a whisk. Season with salt and pepper. Add half of the chopped parsley. Add 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and stir gently to combine.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in each of two 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillets over medium heat. Swirl the skillets to evenly coat the bottoms with oil. Divide the egg mixture evenly between the two pans and reduce the heat to low. Cook the eggs until they begin to set but are still slightly runny, about 2 to 3 minutes. While cooking, loosen the eggs at the sides with a rubber spatula.

Add four asparagus spears to the top of each frittata. Divide the remaining Parmesan cheese between the two pans and sprinkle over the eggs. Transfer the pans to the oven and bake the frittatas just until they are set, about 1 minute.

Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittatas from the pans and transfer them to warm serving dishes. Garnish with the remaining chopped parsley. Cut into wedges and serve.

Brewing the Perfect Pot of Tea
In a tea kettle, bring fresh, cold water to a boil.

Meanwhile, warm your teapot by rinsing it with hot water. Use 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves per person plus 1 teaspoon for the pot.

Bring your teapot near your kettle. As soon as the water boils, pour it over the loose tea leaves and let it steep for about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the desired strength. Don’t let the tea steep too long; the tea leaves can oxidize, resulting in a bitter-tasting and cloudy-looking cup of tea. Strain the tea through a tea strainer as you pour it into the tea cups.

To keep tea leaves fresh, store them tightly covered in an airtight container.