Perfect Post-Holiday Brunch Ideas

Life & Beauty Weekly: Life & Love

By Jenna Helwig for Life & Beauty Weekly

A family brunch is a great opportunity to relax together after the excitement of opening gifts. Best of all, you don’t have to spend a lot of time to make delicious (and healthy!) mid-morning treats. These two recipes that will have you out of the kitchen and at the table in no time!

FESTIVE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins

2½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup canola oil
1¼ cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini (use the large holes on a box grater)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a standard-size muffin tin with a bit of canola oil, or use muffin cups.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, canola oil, sugar and vanilla.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir until almost incorporated. Add the zucchini and mix until the ingredients are just combined. Do not overmix, or the muffins will be tough.

4. Transfer the batter to the muffin cups and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for five minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Merry Berry Salad
Makes 4 cups

1 pint strawberries (fresh or frozen and thawed), halved or quartered into bite-size pieces
6 oz. raspberries (fresh or frozen and thawed)
½ pint blueberries (fresh or frozen and thawed)
1½ teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons chopped mint or basil (optional)

1. In a large bowl, gently toss together the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, sugar and mint or basil if desired. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours before serving.

Jenna Helwig is a recipe developer, food writer, personal chef and culinary instructor through her company Rosaberry. She has a culinary arts degree from the Institute of Culinary Education and lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their always-hungry 6-year-old daughter, Rosa.