Agreed, the COVID-19 pandemic has redefined our lives in unimaginable ways only over the past year and a half. But it seems like it has been ages since many of us headed out to restaurants or cafes to enjoy a meal, right? While breakfast and lunch are two distinct fares on weekdays, weekends usually involve hitting the snooze button on the alarm before finally waking up, getting dressed and going out for brunch.
Also Read: Try These Protein-Packed Desi Breakfast Ideas
Brunch And Its Many Health Benefits:
Brunch is a portmanteau of the words breakfast and lunch, typically had at midday or around noon, comprising staple foods, drinks and desserts. Just like how breakfast is the most important meal of the day on a brisk morning of school, college or work, brunch takes its place on a lazy weekend. It is hence vital for kickstarting metabolism, stimulating digestion, replenishing the body’s energy levels, controlling untimely cravings, regulating appetite, maintaining healthy body weight and lowering the risk of disease.
Having its origins in England towards the far end of the 1800s, brunch has become a widely recognised concept at homes and restaurants worldwide, especially in the past few decades. Although traditionally composed of English recipes of omelettes, toast, juices, scones and certain alcoholic beverages or cocktails, brunch served in nations globally consists of customary breakfast dishes pertaining to the local region. Healthy ingredients such as cereal grains, eggs, legumes, pulses, vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices and nuts are incorporated into the dishes, thereby supplying valuable essential nutrients of proteins, fibers, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, for augmenting overall wellbeing.
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Yummy Recipes To Whip Up For A Hearty Weekend Brunch:
So, no matter if staying home and staying safe is the mantra right now to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection, take it in your stride to do your bit to end COVID-19. And while doing so, if you get bored of the usual Indian fare of paratha, idli, poha, puttu, khichdi, upma, dosa, poori for a late start to the morning, we have just the thing for you. Make the most of remaining indoors this weekend by rustling up these delightful, nourishing recipes of Cheesy Vegetable Frittata and Crispy Eggless Waffle for a lip-smacking brunch spread.
Cheesy Vegetable Frittata
Ingredients:
6 - 8 eggs
¼ cup milk
3 tbsp olive oil
4 small cubes of feta cheese
1 small onion, finely sliced
2 potatoes, boiled, peeled and chopped
2 cups spinach, thinly cut
Salt, to taste
Pepper, as needed
Method:
Beat the eggs thoroughly with milk, salt, pepper in a big wide bowl.
Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium flame and saute the onions until they become translucent and the strong raw flavour subsides.
Add the potatoes and spinach to the skillet and cook for 5 – 7 minutes.
Pour the beaten egg blend into the skillet, break the feta cheese cubes into tiny bits and add it on top.
Cook on low flame for another 2 – 3 minutes without stirring so the mixture comes together in a solid shape.
Preheat oven to 360 degrees Fahrenheit or 180 degrees Celcius.
Bake the egg mix for 15 minutes so the top becomes golden brown, then carefully remove the skillet and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Cut it into even triangular portions and serve the hot and tasty cheesy vegetable frittata along with any sauce or ketchup of your choice.
Nutrition:
Eggs and cheese are excellent sources of protein for building robust muscles and ensuring normal growth, development of all tissues and organs in the system. Imbued with calcium, milk is a wholesome dairy product that strengthens bones and joints. Olive oil provides healthy unsaturated fats for heart wellness while onions supply quercetin – a remarkable antioxidant that prevents cancer. Potatoes supply carbs, starch for instant energy, dietary fibers for facilitating smooth digestion and spinach is a storehouse of iron to avert anaemia and fatigue.
Also Read: Cheese: Why You Should Eat These 5 Varieties For Nutrition And Weight Loss
Crispy Eggless Waffle
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
4 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 tbsp sugar
2 cups milk
2 tsp vinegar
4 tbsp unsalted butter
A bunch of strawberries and blueberries
Honey, for toppings and sweet taste
Method:
Combine the whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Whisk together the sugar, butter, milk, vinegar and vanilla extract in another vessel.
Add the whisked liquid concoction to the flour mixture and blend well until a smooth consistency is obtained with no lumps.
Preheat the waffle maker and once the iron is hot, pour in the thin liquid batter uniformly to occupy the gaps.
Cook completely until it rises with a fluffy texture on the interior and a crunchy outer layer.
Garnish with fresh strawberries and blueberries and relish the delightful crispy eggless waffles, by drizzling some honey on top.
Nutrition:
Whole wheat flour comprises profuse amounts of carbs and fibers for energy supply, satiating appetite, healthy bowel movements and gut wellness. Packed with vitamin D and vitamin B2, milk delivers superb merits for uplifted immunity, bone mineral density and metabolism. Butter offers ample healthy fats for preserving cardiac functions, while strawberries and blueberries are chock-full of anthocyanin antioxidants that avert chronic ailments such as diabetes, hypertension and neurodegenerative disorders of Alzheimer’s, dementia. Honey possesses a treasure trove of phytonutrients that soothe cough, cold, sore throat and promote respiratory health.
