Brunch with Friends: Menu One

September and October have always been hectic months for me. Ever since I was a little girl, Momma R would tell me that I was busy as a bee during these months and would end up sick at some point during or towards the end of it. Well, true to form, I am sitting in a hotel room in Whitehorse and, instead of breaking bread with friends tonight, I am drinking neo citran and watching pixelated food network. At least, it gives me the opportunity to take a break, process some photos and give wannafoodie some overdue attention.

Our new plan for breaking bread and sharing time with friends is to host them for brunch. Brunch has always been one of my most favourite meals... it has the best of everything - sweet, savoury, boozy and a civilized hour! hahah. I enjoy dinner parties but Doug and I have a newfound appreciation for brunch parties - prepping in advance, hosting our friends, then still having our whole day to fuss and muss and reset for the week.

In the midst of our chaotic fall and just prior to leaving on our Mexican adventure and wedding celebration of our friends, Cary and Des, we took a welcome reprieve and invited the soon-to-be newlyweds to kick off our Brunch with Friends series.

#yyc bbq and #yeg dnr

Though the last few weeks have been filled with food and I haven't found myself in my kitchen as much as I would like, I wouldn't change a moment of it. There have been many great meals with many great people. I think this post is as much a homage to those great people as it is about some wonderful meals.
  

Crab Salad... or Sandwich

It may have even been months ago now when the discussion of sandwiches came up on the wannafoodie facebook page. Sian described her favourite as crab-salad-on-fresh-crusty-bread. While it may not be your favourite, who's going to say that that doesn't sound appealing? Especially as the days grow warmer and longer, seafood seems to be in high rotation on many dinner circuits. 

Bacon, Avocado and Sundried Tomato... Salad

Shockingly, I had actually finished an entire loaf of bread (that only happens about once every two months) and had yet to replace it before my next craving for the Bacon, Avocado and Sundried Tomato Sandwich..

So, I had to get a bit more creative than adding cheese or something to the normal sandwich and what I came up with was a salad version of the same sandwich. (Don't worry... I'm certainly not turning into a virtuous salad-eating foodie, as this salad can really not be considered a healthy option.)

I mixed together the key sandwich components (bacon (chopped), avocado (also chopped) and sundried tomatoes) with lettuce and some leftover cooked prawns. For dressing, I drizzled olive oil and lemon juice over everything.

Definitely satisfied the craving.

Tabbouleh!

The overindulgence of the holiday season has likely more than caught up with everyone… Well, even if you don’t want to admit it, I will do that for all of us. I have gone on a salad kick for January. Partially in one of those futile New Year’s resolution type pledges and partially due to the fact that I was getting tired of taking the easy road and eating out… constantly.

This is a make-shift Tabbouleh recipe to help you with your post-holiday detox. I’m not AT ALL fussy about measurements with this recipe. I find that your personal tastes will dictate the ratios of the vegetables, grains and herbs. This is an easy salad to experiment with. I’ve had a good base in the fridge for the last week. I can have it as is… or, if I am bored, I can add tomatoes, more cucumber, green peppers, feta or whatever suits the mood of the evening!