SUNDAY BRUNCH bella style….

Most of my creativity for cooking comes on Sunday mornings. It originates from the crazy restaurant days. Saturday evening’s after clean up, I would do what I call grocery shop at Bella. Anything I could use to keep from going to the grocery store I would grab. It would be a zip lock of this, a nine pan of that. Little odds & ends left over that I would use to create my Sunday brunch.

After a busy week of cooking classes, I did the same thing this morning. I am not embarrassed to tell you it was damn deliciousness on a plate.

Let me describe this Brunch Risotto: Butternut Squash with arborio rice and pearled barley (because I did not have enough arborio rice and the rule is…..you do not go to the store!) Crispy brussels sprouts, crispy prosciutto cup, sunny side egg, grated salt cured egg & pumpkin seeds. I will definitely repeat this brunch again. The flavors were amazing….

Crispy Prosciutto Cup – I took a large muffin tin and turned it upside down, strayed with oil and arranged prosciutto slices over to create a bowl. Baked in a 350* oven approximately 10 minutes. You want the prosciutto to keep its shape and be crispy.

Risotto – I think you all have made risotto, what was different this time is I did not have enough arborio rice, but I did have pearled barley. The ratio was probably 50/50. What a delicious flavor. I had leftover roasted butternut squash that I had used in classes this week. I used chicken stock, seasoned with salt & pepper and Oil & Vinegar’s Bruschetta Pomodoro (I use this seasoning probably every which way except for how it was intended …..love it ! )

My little egg pan from King Sooper’s, and the Bruschetta seasoning https://www.oilvinegar.com/en-us/shops/denver-broomfield/

I never have enough kitchen gadgets or tools, and am the biggest sucker for buying them all. I love this little egg pan, because it cooks the egg perfectly in a circle (for photos of course).

Egg – was cooked in this little egg pan, never turning the egg, just basting with the olive oil to cook.

Brussels Sprouts – left over from an event, slice very thin in my food processor with the slicing blade. Sautéed in a pan with olive oil salt & pepper until crispy.

Assemble: Place prosciutto cup on a plate or a bowl, add risotto and let cascade out , top with brussels sprouts, sprinkle with pumpkin seeds (pepita) place your egg on top, garnish with grating of salt cured egg yolk (more information to come so that you can make these).

To be quite honest this dish was so good and satisfying I would eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.