Who doesn’t love a delicious brunch dish? With spring just around the corner and hopefully some brighter weather on the way StovesAreUs have shared some brunch recipes that could be enjoyed outside – weather permitting of course!
Spring Brunch Recipes – Sweet pizza
A tasty and unique brunch idea perfect for al fresco dining is a sweet pizza. A delightful twist on the classic Italian dish, sweet pizzas are incredibly versatile and can be topped with an array of delicious ingredients. For a brunch-time treat, try topping your pizza base with chocolate spread, sliced strawberries, and a sprinkling of icing sugar. If you’re looking for an alternative to chocolate, you could try different types of spread, such as peanut butter or caramelised biscuit spread, topped with sliced banana.
You could buy a ready-made pizza base to make your sweet pizza, but if you’re looking to start from scratch the good news is that pizza dough is relatively easy to make. You’ll need the following ingredients to make your own dough for one large or two smaller pizzas:
• 350g strong white bread flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons fast-action dried yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar
• 200ml warm water
Follow the steps below to whip up this recipe for an al fresco brunch:
1. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour and salt together. Add the caster sugar and dried yeast, then mix well.
2. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the olive oil and warm water. Mix well until a dough begins to form.
3. Once the dough starts to come together, use your hands to knead it in the bowl until it forms a smooth, elastic dough. This should take about 5 minutes.
4. Lightly flour a clean surface and transfer the dough onto it. Continue to knead the dough for another 5 minutes until it becomes soft and springy.
5. Shape the dough into a ball and place it back into the mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave it in a warm, draught-free place to rise for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
6. After the dough has risen, preheat your pizza oven and stone.
7. Punch the risen dough down to release any air bubbles that may have formed. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it briefly to form a smooth ball again.
8. Divide the dough into two equal portions if you want to make two pizzas. Alternatively, you can make one large pizza with the entire dough. Roll out each portion of dough into a circle of your desired thickness on a floured surface. Transfer the rolled-out dough onto your preheated pizza stone.
9. Add your sweet brunch pizza toppings to the pizza base and bake in the preheated pizza oven for up to four minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
10. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Spring Brunch Recipes – Shakshuka
Originating from North Africa, Shakshuka has become a brunch staple across the UK in recent years, and for good reason. Made with a base of spiced tomato sauce, poached eggs, and a medley of vegetables, shakshuka isn’t just comforting and satisfying but is a healthy brunch addition too. Smoky notes will complement this dish perfectly, making it the ideal brunch option for whipping up on the barbecue.
To cook this recipe for four, you’ll need the following ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon chilli powder
• 800g chopped tomatoes
• 4 to 8 eggs (depending on preference)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Fresh coriander, chopped, for garnish
• Crusty bread or pitta bread, to serve
Simply follow the steps below to whip up four portions of shakshuka on the barbecue:
1. Preheat your barbecue to medium heat, around 180-200°C.
2. Place a large cast iron frying pan directly on the barbecue grill. Add the olive oil and allow it to heat up.
3. Add the chopped onion to the frying pan and sauté for about five minutes until softened and translucent.
4. Add the minced garlic to the frying pan and cook for another minute until fragrant.
5. Stir in the diced red and yellow bell peppers, and cook for another five minutes until they start to soften.
6. Sprinkle the ground cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and chilli powder over the vegetables, and stir well to coat everything evenly.
7. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir.
8. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes on the barbecue until the sauce has thickened slightly.
9. Using a spoon, create small wells in the tomato mixture and crack the four or eight eggs directly into these wells, depending on whether you want one or two eggs per person.
10. Cover the cast iron pan with a lid or foil and let the eggs cook in the tomato sauce for about seven minutes, when the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny.
11. Once the eggs are cooked to your liking, remove the frying pan from the barbecue and garnish with chopped coriander.
12. Serve the shakshuka with crusty bread or pitta bread on the side for dipping.
Spring Brunch Recipes – S’mores baked oats
If you have a big sweet tooth, this could be the perfect recipe for your al fresco brunch. Combining the comforting flavours of oats, chocolate, and marshmallows, this indulgent dish is a brunch-time twist on the classic campfire treat. If you’re enjoying the recipe over the long Easter weekend, you could even top the dish with pieces of Easter egg to make it even more chocolatey.
Gather the following ingredients to make this recipe for four:
• 200g rolled oats
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 300ml milk
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 50g chocolate chips
• 50g mini marshmallows
• 4 digestive biscuits, crushed
• Additional chocolate for topping (optional)
To treat your al fresco brunch guests to this sweet dish, follow the simple steps below:
1. Preheat your pizza oven to around 180°C.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, mashed bananas, milk, cocoa powder, honey or maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Mix well until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
3. Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
4. Divide the mixture evenly among four oven-safe ramekins or small baking dishes.
5. Top each portion with a layer of mini marshmallows, then sprinkle crushed digestive biscuits on top.
6. Place the ramekins or baking dishes in the pizza oven and bake for about 15 – 20 minutes, or until the oats are set and the marshmallows are golden brown and toasted.
7. Once baked, remove the baked oats from the pizza oven and allow them to cool slightly.
8. If desired, top each serving with additional chocolate pieces for extra indulgence.
9. Serve the S’mores baked oats warm directly from the ramekins.
Want to offer a vegan option at your al fresco brunch? This recipe can easily be made dairy-free by opting for plant-based milk and vegan chocolate and marshmallows.
Spring Brunch Recipes – Breakfast quesadillas
If you’re craving something savoury and filling for your mid-morning meal, why not cook up a batch of breakfast quesadillas? This recipe puts a delicious twist on a Mexican classic. Packed with scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, melted cheese, and fresh herbs, these cheesy parcels are sure to satisfy even the heartiest of appetites.
Use the ingredients below to make four servings of these brunch quesadillas:
• 4 large tortillas
• 8 large eggs
• 100g grated cheddar cheese
• 4 slices of cooked bacon, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon chilli powder (optional for added spice)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
• Sour cream, guacamole, and chopped coriander for topping (optional)
To cook these quesadillas outdoors on the barbecue, follow the steps below:
1. Preheat your barbecue to medium heat, around 180-200°C.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until well beaten, and add the seasonings.
3. Heat a cast iron frying pan on the barbecue grill and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil or melted butter to the pan.
4. Add the diced red bell pepper and red onion to the pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes until they start to soften.
5. Pour the beaten eggs into the pan with the peppers and onions. Use a spatula to scramble the eggs until they are cooked through but still moist. Remove the pan from the heat.
6. Lay out the tortillas on a clean surface and divide the scrambled eggs evenly among the tortillas, spreading them out in a layer.
7. Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese and chopped cooked bacon evenly over the scrambled eggs.
8. Fold each tortilla in half to enclose the filling, creating a half-moon shape.
9. Brush the outside of each quesadilla with the remaining olive oil or melted butter.
10. Carefully transfer the quesadillas onto the barbecue grill and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and crispy, and the cheese is melted.
11. Once cooked, remove the quesadillas from the barbecue and let them cool for a minute or two before slicing them into wedges.
12. Serve the breakfast quesadillas hot, either on their own or with your favourite toppings and garnishes, such as coriander, guacamole, or sour cream.