Strawberry-Apricot Fruit Salad with Mimosa Dressing

This recipe came about by accident. At a weekend brunch, I was eating some fresh sliced strawberries and apricots and drinking a Mimosa. I dipped the fruit into the Mimosa and this recipe idea was born. I realized that a Mimosa would make a fine dressing for a spring fruit salad.

Upon further experimentation, I discovered that marinating the fruit in the orange juice for a while before adding the champagne infuses the fruit with a bit of the orange flavor, which was nice.

This is an adult fruit salad, because of the champagne. There is also no added sweetener, allowing the natural sweetness and slight tartness of the fruit to shine through. However, you can add a bit of sugar or honey if you wish.

RECIPE:

1 pound fresh strawberries, sliced
4 or 5 fresh apricots, pitted and sliced
1 or 2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced (optional)
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup champagne or sparkling white wine

Combine the cut-up strawberries and apricots in a large bowl, along with the kiwi, if using.

Pour the orange juice over the fruit, and toss gently. Refrigerate for at least one hour, tossing occasionally.

Just before serving, pour the champagne over the fruit mixture. Toss gently and serve.

-- 4 servings

Roasted Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise is a very popular topping for cooked (usually steamed) asparagus.

Here I serve it with roasted asparagus, and the combination is lovely.

RECIPE:

1 pound asparagus
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 recipe Hollandaise Sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rinse the asparagus and break off the tough ends. (If you hold the asparagus spear at each end and bend it slightly, it will break at the right spot.) If using thicker spears, trim off the larger buds near the bottom of the stalk as desired.

Line up the asparagus spears in a single layer in a baking dish or pan.

Drizzle the asparagus lightly with the olive oil, turn to coat, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Roast for about 5-12 minutes, until the asparagus are tender when pierced with a fork, but still firm. The roasting time will depend on the thickness of the asparagus spears. For very thin asparagus, start checking them after about 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the Hollandaise Sauce.

Transfer the roasted asparagus to serving plate(s). Spoon the sauce over the asparagus, and serve.

-- 4 servings

Mother's Day Brunch Menu: Spinach and Feta Quiche with all the trimmings

Here are some ideas for a lovely Mediterranean-style brunch menu. Customize the menu to fit your tastes, and enjoy!

Note that you can bake the quiche a day in advance, and then just reheat it in the oven for 20-25 minutes while the potatoes are roasting. If you do this, cover the quiche with foil during reheating so that the crust doesn't burn. You can also reheat individual slices in the microwave.

• Spinach and Feta Quiche

• Roasted Potatoes with Kalamata Olives

• Assorted fresh fruit

• Dates Stuffed with Cream Cheese and Almonds

• Assorted breads/rolls - savory and/or sweet

• Mimosa or Bellini cocktails

• Plain orange juice and/or other fruit juice(s)

• Coffee and tea