Mother's Day Brunch

Herbed Pita Crisps

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 pitas (each 3 1/2 inches), split
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Butter pitas and sprinkle with chives, salt, and pepper. Cut each into quarters. Divide between two baking sheets.
• Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Store in an airtight container up to 1 day.

Corn Tomato Avocado Salad

Ingredients

4 ears fresh corn, shucked
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry-wine vinegar
1 pinch sugar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large yellow tomato, cored and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large red tomato, cored and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 avocado, cut into 1/4-inch dice
8 cups (3 bunches) arugula, stems removed
2 ounces ricotta salata cheese

Directions

• Prepare an ice bath; set aside.
• Cover, and bring a large pot of cold water to a boil over high heat.
• Add corn, and let simmer, uncovered, until just tender, about 2 minutes.
• Drain the corn, and transfer to the ice-water bath. When cool, remove from the ice bath. Using a large knife, remove kernels; set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine corn, tomatoes, and basil. Drizzle with half of the dressing, and toss to coat.
• Gently fold in the diced avocado.
• Place arugula in a medium bowl.
• Drizzle with remaining dressing, and toss to coat. Transfer to a large platter.
• Arrange vegetable mixture over arugula.
• Shave ricotta salata over salad. Serve immediately.

Sautéed Shrimp

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, tails on, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Lemon wedges, for serving

Gourmet the Easy Way Seasoning:
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
Pinch of crushed red-pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook until soft but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add shrimp, parsley, oregano, and red-pepper flakes; cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp are bright pink and opaque, about 2 minutes.
• Raise heat to medium-high, and add wine. Continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated.
• Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper. Serve hot, with lemon wedges on the side. Serves 4.

Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

This super recipe comes from Ina Garten's "The Barefoot Contessa" cookbook and will make you feel like a true pastry chef all for Mom!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 7-ounce package flaked sweetened coconut, divided

Cream Cheese Icing Recipe Below: Gourmet the Easy Way

Directions

• Line 16 muffin cups with paper baking cups, and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and set oven racks at top and lower middle levels.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and butter on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
• Turn the mixer speed to low, and add the eggs one at a time, beating 1 minute after each.
• Beat in the vanilla and almond extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat again briefly.
• Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately to the butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
• Fold in only 1 1/3 cups of the coconut.
• Fill each muffin cup almost full with batter.
• Bake in a 325-degree oven for 11 to 14 minutes on the top and lower-middle racks of oven, then reverse the positions of the two cupcake pans (putting the one from the top on the lower middle rack and vice versa), and bake another 11 to 14 minutes or until the cupcake tops are golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
• Allow the cupcakes to cool completely, and then top them with cream cheese icing.

Cream Cheese Icing

Gourmet the Easy Way tip: Do not consider skipping the sifting of the powdered sugar or you will have unattractive white lumps in your icing.

Ingredients

2 3-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Remaining coconut

Directions

• In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and almond extract until light and fluffy.
• Gradually beat in 1 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in as much of the remaining sugar as needed to reach a comfortable spreading consistency.
• Spread each cooled cupcake with the cream cheese icing and then top with the remaining coconut.
• An easy way to do this is to turn each iced cupcake upside-down and press gently into the coconut to make it adhere. Voila!