46 THE QUEENS COURIER • MOTHER’S DAY • APRIL 25, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
mother’s day
Top tips for hosting a standout brunch
Any special occasion - whether it’s
Mother’s Day, a birthday, a wedding
shower or a baby shower - presents a
great excuse to host a delicious, memorable
brunch for family or friends. You can
create not just a delicious meal accompanied
by tasty drinks, but a special event
that your guests will be talking about
long aft er it’s over.
For an amazing brunch celebration,
follow these tips.
Do your cleanup the week before.
Spend the weekend before the brunch
date decluttering the main rooms you’ll
be using; then give the whole place a
thorough dusting and vacuuming.
If possible, enlist help from everyone
in the family. Turn cleanup into a game
with points and prizes, to get the kids
involved. If the weather’s nice, open up
all the windows and air out your home, to
give it a fresh feeling. Replace worn-out
area rugs or fi nd a colorful new tablecloth
to brighten up your home for the big day.
Set the stage for a fun celebration.
Put out fun decorations, table settings
and centerpieces a day ahead of time
(so you can focus your attention on
food preparation - and more importantly,
your guests - on the day of the brunch).
Decide on your special day’s theme, then
buy or make decorations to highlight
that motif, with visuals like baby booties
for a baby shower or rings for a wedding
shower. When setting the stage,
include plenty of gorgeous fresh fl owers
to heighten that spring feeling. Make
delicious, festive drinks.
Cocktails or punch featuring fruit fl avors
are perfect for a spring brunch.
Make a pitcher or two without alcohol,
for guests who do not imbibe, as well as
for kids. Choose drinks based on seasonal
fruits for this time of year, such as
strawberries, cherries, mangoes, pineapples
or oranges. Use festive skewers, decorative
toothpicks or cocktail umbrellas
to prepare fruit kebabs for each guest’s
glass.
Plan your menu early.
Make a list of all the necessary ingredients
for your menu. Shop early in the
week, to allow yourself time for substitutions
(in case some items are unavailable).
Select dishes featuring fresh seasonal
fruit and vegetables and off er guests
a fresh fruit salad as a side or dessert.
Make baked goods a day ahead of the
event, which will allow you time to perfect
any recipes.
Using savory ingredients, plan meals
you know your guests will love. SeaPak
off ers high-quality seafood for all kinds
of terrifi c recipes. What could be more
delicious - and popular with guests - for
brunch than Garlic Shrimp and Butter
Grits. With SeaPak Shrimp Scampi and
a package of quick grits, your results
will be hearty and delicious. If you need
another crowd-pleaser, try whipping up
some Crab Cakes Benedict. Th is benedict
is a wonderful take on a breakfast favorite
and perfect for any brunch. Th e crab
cakes, meanwhile, look and taste amazing
and the recipe is foolproof, using toasted
English muffi ns and SeaPak Maryland
Style Crab Cakes.
Crab Cakes Benedict
Ingredients:
• 2 8-ounce packages of SeaPak®
Maryland Style Crab Cakes
• 2 English muffi ns, split and toasted
• Hollandaise Sauce:
• 3 tbsp margarine
• 2 tbsp all-purpose fl our
• 1 pinch turmeric
• 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 1 big pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Prepare crab cakes according to package
directions and keep warm.
Place one warm crab cake on top of each
toasted muffi n half. Top with a poached or
fried egg and spoon hollandaise over top.
Hollandaise Sauce:
Heat a small saucepan over medium
to low heat. Add the margarine until it
is boiling.
Whisk in the fl our all at once to make a
paste and continue to whisk it constantly
for about a minute. Add in a small pinch
of turmeric for color and mix well.
Slowly whisk in soy milk. Bring sauce to
a boil, whisking frequently. Boil for 2 to 3
minutes and remove from heat.
Whisk in the cayenne and nutritional
yeast. Add the lemon juice and mix well.
Taste for seasoning.
Mix in the mayonnaise for a little bit
more creaminess. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve and enjoy!
For your special occasion brunch, make
the day amazing for your guests by planning
and preparing high-quality, delicious
food they are bound to enjoy. Relax and
have fun - hosting a successful event is all
about setting an atmosphere of enjoyment
for everyone, including yourself.
Courtesy BPT
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