Not really my favorite holiday or anything- please- I’ve obviously spent way more years single than dating/married- but I do love the pink and red décor, and the excuse to have pretty flowers. And brunch with friends. With champagne.
It occurred to me that I have all this pretty china and stemware, and it’s hardly been used. It was time to fix that.
The tablecloth? Wal Mart. $9.44. I swear by Wal-Mart’s tablecloths. They are good basics and they’re cheap enough that if they gets stained (which, ha, polyester is tough to stain), you can toss or repurpose without guilt).
The glass vase? Dollar Tree. I have intentions of painting it or glitterizing it, but haven’t gotten around. Dollar stores are great places to find glassware and other items for craft projects.
Pink scalloped plate chargers are from Michael’s. I love chargers. I’m slowly accumulating them- teal, red, silver, and now, pink.
China is Mikasa, and was generously gifted by friends and family for our wedding gift. Pretty pretty pretty.
The champagne glasses are vintage Waterford from my uncle.
The main item on the menu was an asparagus and prosciutto strata from CookingLight.com. It was good, but I was compelled to make a second the next day, with a few tweaks, that transformed it even more to my liking.
Asparagus & Prosciutto Egg Bake
1 slice whole grain bread, torn into 1” pieces
12 large eggs
1 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups halved and very thinly sliced sweet (yellow) onions
1 cup thinly sliced leek(s), white part only
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch thin asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 very thin slices prosciutto (about 1 1/2 ounces), torn into strips
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray (I like olive oil).
Heat oil in large pan over medium heat. Add onion and leek. Stir and cook until golden brown and somewhat translucent, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in garlic and remove from heat. Spread evenly in bottom of 9x13 dish. Add 1” of hot water back to your pan and heat that up. Once it starts to bubble, add asparagus, cover, and cook for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Pat dry and layer on top of on onions/leeks. Spread prosciutto strips over the onion.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs with milk, dry mustard, nutmeg, pepper, parsley. Stir in bread bits and half of the cheese. Pour into the baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Add the rest of the cheese and continue baking for 10-15 minutes, or until the middle is firm to the touch and the temperature registers at least 160 degrees. Cover and let cool for ~20 minutes before serving.
I like egg bake that’s not overly eggy or squishy, and the vegetables keep it from becoming just that. One piece of this (6 pieces per pan) gives you two servings of vegetables and 300 calories. I wouldn’t recommend subbing in all egg whites, since it’d change the texture to be rubbery.
A non-dietitian-y finish to the meal included brownie pudding. “That is a THING?”
Oh yes. Not sure if it’s good or bad that Barefoot Contessa seems to always be on TV when I’m at the gym. This recipe comes right from her with no alterations. I baked these individual ramekins and served with a scoop of good quality vanilla bean ice cream and a bite of heart-shaped strawberry. And champagne.
Too bad now I want to have flowers and brunch every weekend. And champagne.
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