Lavish, healthy dish for mom

Bread pudding makes a special brunch for Mother’s Day Italian strata with tomatoes, bell pepper and Swiss cheese

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. Prep: 1 hour Bake: 45 minutes Makes: 8 servings pound (about half a loaf) stale country-style whole wheat or multigrain bread clove garlic, halved Nonstick cooking spray cup finely shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese large red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, sliced into thin strips (or the equivalent water-packed bottled roasted red bell pepper) large ripe tomatoes, cored, thinly sliced large eggs large egg whites cups buttermilk teaspoon red pepper flakes teaspoon dried oregano teaspoon kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Fresh basil leaves, cut into thin julienne strips Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the bread into slices thick. Rub one or both sides of each slice with the cut sides of the garlic halves, using more or less depending on how garlicky you want the strata to be. Cut the bread into cubes. Lightly coat the inside of a 12-by-10-inch baking dish or gratin dish or a heavy nonstick 10-inch skillet with the nonstick cooking spray. Spread the bread cubes in the dish in a single, even layer. Evenly sprinkle half of the cheese over the bread. Evenly layer the bell pepper strips and tomato slices on top, and then sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the peppers and tomatoes. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and egg whites lightly with a fork. Add the buttermilk, red pepper flakes, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste; beat until thoroughly combined. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the ingredients in the baking dish. Bake the strata until it’s slightly puffed up and the top is golden brown, 45 minutes to an hour. Remove the dish from the oven, and let it set at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before using a large serving spoon to scoop it onto individual serving plates. Garnish with fresh basil, if you like.

191 calories, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 82 mg cholesterol, 21 g carbohydrates, 8 g sugar, 14 g protein, 490 mg sodium, 3 g fiber

DREAMSTIME Simple, health-conscious steps can lighten up the traditional Italian strata recipe, including using egg whites, reduced-fat cheese, whole-wheat or multigrain bread, and buttermilk.