Lavish, healthy dish for mom
Bread pudding makes a special brunch for Mother’s Day Italian strata with and Swiss cheese tomatoes, bell pepper
Every mom wants to be indulged in some way on Mother’s Day. For many of us, that means treating her to a special brunch. And it can be especially nice if you cook the meal for her. (If you’re a mother reading this, I suggest you find a way to slip it in front of your husband or your kids who are old enough to cook. Or save it for a brunch you plan to cook for your own mom.)
But there’s one big challenge when it comes to indulging that very special person: Many moms, including the fittest among them, don’t want to overindulge. Especially with summer around the corner, they’ll appreciate a Mother’s Day meal that feels lavishly delicious while also being wonderfully healthy.
How do you walk such a fine line? Consider the lessons you can learn from the following recipe for my light version of strata, a traditional Italian savory bread pudding, that’s very easy to prepare. (In fact, you can even assemble it the night before, covering and refrigerating the dish and then baking it on Mother’s Day morning.)
At the very mention of the words “bread pudding,” though, you may wonder how such a dish could possibly qualify as light. But in every stage of this recipe’s preparation, I take simple, healthconscious steps anyone can follow to lighten up their daily cooking.
In place of the usual white Italian loaf found in most stratas, I use a good, crusty whole-wheat or multigrain loaf, which delivers more fiber, nutrients and flavor — all qualities that make every bite more satisfying.
For the cheese, I use a lowfat Swiss, which you can find in most supermarkets; or you can substitute any other reducedfat cheese that melts well, like mozzarella or cheddar. I lighten up the eggs by including three egg whites along with three whole eggs, reducing the amount of fat in the dish even further; and I combine them with tangy, creamy-tasting buttermilk, a lower-fat alternative to cream. Add lively seasonings like garlic, red pepper flakes and oregano, and you have a dish that cuts the calories and fat but leaves nobody at the table feeling deprived of pleasure.
Mom will feel especially indulged when you serve this recipe to her on her special day. She may even remark that it tastes just like having pizza for breakfast and wonder humorously what you’re doing to her diet with such a lavish treat. That’s when you can share another surprise gift with her: the news that her Mother’s Day breakfast is actually healthy.
Wolfgang Puck Worldwide Distributed by Tribune Content Agency Prep: Bake: Makes: