Easy, breezy, brunch

Like baseball, jazz and ice cream sodas, Sunday brunch is purely American. I’m not sure who invented this heavenly way to spend a weekend afternoon, but restaurants and hotels may have had something to do with it.

I love to have friends over for this traditional meal, especially if the menu is hassle-free and diverse. Preparing eggs for a crowd, however, is not easy, unless they are hard-boiled and chopped into a salad. I have a cousin who would rather eat chicken and rice than eggs Benedict.

Since brunch is a combo of breakfast and lunch, I like to mix things up. A basket of bagels, croissants and muffins should always be on hand, along with sweet butter, cream cheese and a selection of jams.

Now that there’s a breeze in the air, it’s a good idea to keep a pot of soup simmering on the stove.

We can thank the Jewish deli for coming up with prepared fish trays. All you need to do is make a phone call to get paper-thin slices of nova, white fish salad, kippered salmon, chopped or pickled herring and sable. A tray of sliced onion, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, topped with salty Greek olives, is the traditional side.

Blintzes, also known as Jewish crepes, are perfect for this mid-morning meal. I used to make them from scratch, but the frozen variety has come a long way. Prepare ahead of time and hold them in a warm oven. (Don’t forget the sour cream.)

Brunch is a good time for a bloody mary, mimosa or Champagne. I also usually offer pitchers of orange juice and grapefruit juice.

French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
4 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 (28-ounce) packages of chicken stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Grated Parmesan

Directions:

Heat the butter and oil over medium in a 4-quart pot. Add the onions and saut�, spreading evenly over the bottom of the pot. Cook for at least 30 minutes, or until caramelized and soft. Add the stock, salt and pepper. Blend well. Turn off the heat.

When guests arrive, heat the soup through.

Serve in mugs and top with the Parmesan.

Serves six.

Note from Phyllis: This is a variation of the classic French onion soup, which is baked in an oven-proof bowl, topped with a slice of French bread and covered in Gruyere. It is just as tasty.

Nova Spread

Ingredients:

8 ounces of cream cheese
1 scallion, with some green, sliced
1/2 cup of sour cream
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 pound of nova lox, sliced

Directions:

Place the ingredients in a food-processor bowl fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until the nova is chopped. Do not overprocess, or it will become mushy.

Makes about 2-and-a-half cups.

Note from Phyllis: Nova, also known as smoked salmon, is not as salty as regular lox.

Easy Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

2 whole on-the-bone chicken breasts, halved
4 on-the-bone chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sprinkling of imported sweet Hungarian paprika
2 (15-ounce) packages of long grain and wild rice
4 tablespoons of olive oil
4 scallions, with some green, sliced
1 small red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 large white mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wipe the chicken with paper towels. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and paprika. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken.

Cook the rice according to the package directions. While cooking, heat the oil in a skillet. Add the scallions, red pepper and mushrooms and saut� for about five minutes.

When the rice is done, add the vegetables and blend well. Spoon onto a serving platter.

Top with the chicken and serve.

Serves six to eight.

Note from Phyllis: Any type of rice, such as basmati, jasmine, yellow or saffron, can be used in this recipe.

Potluck Berry Cobbler

Ingredients:

8 cups of berries or diced fruit
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 cup of sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
1 stick of butter, plus 1-1/3 sticks
2 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the fruit, cinnamon, 1 cup of sugar and 1 stick of the butter in a large saucepan over medium. Cook until the butter is melted and some of the fruit’s liquid has evaporated. Stir occasionally. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

Mix the flour, salt and the remaining butter in a medium bowl. Work with fingers until crumbly. Gradually add 2 to 3 tablespoons of ice water, enough so the dough holds its shape.

Roll into a 9-by-13-inch rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick. Gently spread over the berries. Make several slits to allow the steam to escape. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serves eight.

Note from Phyllis: This recipe is from Joan Nathan’s "The New American Cooking."

Any mix of fruit works well, such as sliced or diced apples, as they are in season. Squeeze some lemon juice over them to prevent browning.