LET’S DO BRUNCH

A Bountiful Brunch is in Season

By Kimberly Lord Stewart

TURN OFF THE ALARM clock this weekend. You deserve a leisurely start to your Saturday and Sunday with a luxurious brunch. Stay in your jammies and eat in or … put on something other than yoga pants to go out. We have suggestions for both.

LET’S GO OUT Feeling cooped up? As restaurants loosen capacity numbers, brunch is back. We’ve collected a few restaurant options to brighten your weekend. Note: all restaurants listed here are following COVID guidelines with limited seating, sanitation and employee monitoring. Reservations are a must, as is a mask.

Danielle’s Scratch Kitchen

Castle Pines Village For a few months, brunch was put on the back burner at this popular Castle Pines restaurant. The wait is over. Danielle’s Scratch Kitchen is back on for Sunday brunch and we couldn’t be happier. As always, the fare is Italian- inspired – pancetta, Polidori sausage and cremini mushrooms are tucked between a fluffy three-egg omelet; fried calamari and cherry peppers with house made marinara and lemon aioli. And, there are always nods to American morning favorites, including fried chicken and buttermilk biscuits doused in country sausage gravy. daniellesscratchkitchen.com

La Merise

Cherry Creek North Linger on the patio with a glass of champagne or take a table inside at this classically French bistro with weekend brunch. Transport yourself to Paris with garlic-butter escargots, oysters on the half shell and steamed mussels in a wine cream sauce. Ooh, la, la, try the crepes filled with spinach, gruyere and topped with Hollandaise, or the beef tenderloin eggs and a peppercorn sauce. For the sweet tooth at your table, there is a classic French toast with crème Anglaise. lamerisedenver.com

Perfect Landing

Centennial

Even though getting on a plane isn’t commonplace these days, you can at least dream of travel as you watch the planes fly in and out of Centennial Airport (you might even see an F-18 parked outside, as military pilots go out of their way for a meal at Perfect Landing). Father-and-son team, Jim and Sean Carter, are keeping the 30-year tradition of breakfast (lunch and dinner) alive at Perfect Landing. The portions are generous and the menu is diverse with eggs and breakfast meats, lobster and classic bennies. Don’t miss the sizable number of Mexican breakfast items, which are favorites among the regulars, such as pork green chili breakfast burritos, chile relleno and eggs and carne-asada breakfast tacos. theperfectlanding.com

STAY IN We’ve also put together some recipes to help you up your brunch game at home.

Smoked Salmon Pizza with Everything

Light and flaky puff pastry meets the salty umami flavors of smoked salmon, pickled capers and onions plus “Everything but the Bagel” seasoning mix in this easy to craft morning pizza.

Make 6 servings.

Ingredients

1 all-butter frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed (rectangle or round shape)

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Everything but the Bagel seasoning blend

4 ounces spinach artichoke spreadable cheese or other soft herbed cheese (like Boursin)

Pickled red onions (see below)

Pickled capers

2-3 ounces Pastrami-style smoked salmon, sliced into thin slivers

¼ cup grated pecorino Romano cheese

Lemon for garnish

Method

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unroll puff pastry. Crimp the edges to form a onehalf inch rim that resembles a tart pie or pizza.

Poke holes with a fork every 4 inches in the dough. Brush with olive oil and dust with bagel spice. Dot the top with the soft herbed cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until pastry is golden. Top immediately with pickled onions, capers, salmon and grated cheese. Serve with lemon wedges.

Pickled Onions: Thinly slice ½ red onion, place in a lidded jar. Fill halfway with red wine vinegar. Let sit for a few hours or overnight. Frequently turn upside down to release the liquid from the onion. Note: If you are in a hurry, place sliced onion and cover with vinegar in a glass dish. Microwave for 3 minutes. Cool and serve.

For More DELICIOUS RECIPES

go to avidlifestyle.com

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RASPBERRY RICOTTA MUFFINS

QUICK PROSCIUTTO EGG BITES WITH DIJON SAUCE

Gluten-free Almond Flour Pancakes

Are you looking for a high-protein morning treat that is filling and just sweet enough to be satisfying but not cloying? This recipe is the answer.

Ingredients

3 eggs 1 cup cottage cheese 2 Tablespoons Greek yogurt ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup almond flour 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 3 Tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla

Method

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix until very well blended. The texture should be like thick cake batter.

Preheat an oiled skillet to medium-low heat (the almond flour will burn if the heat is too high).

Pour scant quarter cup in the pan for each pancake. Be patient, wait for the batter to bubble and the sides to cook before turning over.

The pancakes will deflate as you take them out of the pan, it’s OK.

Serve with fresh berries and syrup of your choice.