Brunch....or lunner

I like the ida of having friends over for 'something' on a Sunday. This past Sundeay we had a very late brunch. It was suppose to be a normal time brunch but we wanted to work around Quinn's nap schedule and the flight that one of our sons was going to get. In the end, we all met up about 3:30 and watched golf, played with toys and ate, slowly! Here was the menu:

 Pepper jelly over cream cheese

Ham and sausage strata

  tuna pizzas

Potato pancakes with smoked salmon

Eggs baked in roasted tomato sauce

Taco cupcakes 

marinated steak

Stuffed French Toast

Raspberry Rave

Citrus Salad

Caramelized Apple Crepes

And, here are a few recipes ~

-Tuna Pizza-

2 tablespoons soy sauce

         1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

         1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

         1 (8-ounce) tuna fillet (1 inch thick)

         1 (14-ounce) package prebaked Italian pizza crust

         1 teaspoon olive oil

         1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

         4 cups spring lettuce mix

         Ginger-Lime Dressing

Preparation

Combine first 3 ingredients in a zip-top bag. Add tuna. Seal bag; marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes, turning occasionally.

Bake pizza crust at 450º for 6 minutes or until crisp.

Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Remove tuna from marinade, discarding marinade. Sprinkle tuna with pepper; sear in hot oil 2 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness. Remove tuna from skillet, and let stand 5 minutes. Cut tuna into thin slices.

Place lettuce in a medium bowl; drizzle with 1/3 cup Ginger-Lime Dressing, tossing well. Spoon lettuce mixture over pizza crust, and top with tuna slices. Cut into wedges; serve immediately with additional Ginger-Lime Dressing, if desired.

I have always wanted to make Eggs baked in Roasted Tomatoes. I have seen so many pictures and they MAKE you want to try something. My end result didn't look any of the picures but it was very good-

                  1 1/2 pound(s) plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

                           2 clove(s) garlic, smashed

                           2 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil

                           Salt and freshly ground pepper

                           1 teaspoon(s) chopped oregano

                           8 large eggs

                           2 tablespoon(s) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a roasting pan, toss the tomatoes and garlic with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the tomatoes cut side up and roast for 15 minutes; turn and roast until soft, 20 minutes. Let cool, then scrape the mixture into a blender and puree. Add the oregano.

Set 4 shallow ovenproof bowls on a baking sheet. Strain the pureed sauce into the bowls, pressing on the solids. Crack 2 eggs into each bowl and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the cheese over the eggs and bake the eggs for about 15 minutes, until the whites are just set. Serve hot.

THE RASPBERRY RAVE! So pretty!

RASPBERRY RAVE

2 pkg frozen raspberries

20 oz. can crushed pineapple

2 small pkg raspberry gelatin

1 c sour cream

Thaw Raspberries and strain. Add 2 cups of water and enough water to strained raspberries to make 1 cup. Combine all and cool. Stir in Sour cream and pour into a mold.

AHHH- the Citrus Salad-

I can't get enough of this!

Per Salad:

2 cups fresh baby spinach or lettuce of choice

3 thin slices red onion

1 large grapefruit, segmented

2 tablespoons (or to taste) dried cranberries or cherries or blueberries

2 tablespoons toasted pecans or walnuts

Grapefruit zest

Salad dressing of choice

Preparation:

Wash and dry spinach or lettuce. Arrange on a cold salad plate. Arrange onion rings on top of spinach or lettuce in a pretty pattern. Place the citrus segments in the center. Sprinkle the entire salad with dried cranberries and pecans. Dust lightly with citrus zest, if desired. When ready to serve, dress the salad with your favorite dressing.

I don't have a photo of this one- so delicious- 

Taco Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground beef

1 (1.25 ounce) package of Old El Paso taco seasoning mix

36 wonton wrappers

1 (16 ounce) can Old El Paso refried beans

36 tortilla chips

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

sour optional toppings: cream, diced tomatoes, cilantro, onion

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray 18 muffin cups with cooking spray.

Brown beef in a skillet and drain the fat. Add the taco seasoning mix and water called for on the package and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Set aside.

Place one wonton wrapper in the bottom of each muffin cup. Layer about 1 Tbsp of refried beans on top of each wonton. Crush one tortilla chip on top of the beans. Top with 1 Tbsp of taco meat and 1 Tbsp of shredded cheese. Repeat the layers again with a wonton wrapper, refried beans, tortilla chips, taco meat, and cheese.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove cupcakes from tin and top with your favorite taco toppings (i.e. sour cream, diced tomatoes, onion, or cilantro.