Mother’s Day is May 9 this year, and hopefully many more people will be celebrating, safely, together. Try the following brunch recipes to add some Greek flavor to the celebration for mom. Happy Mother’s Day!

Greek Breakfast Casserole

1/2 pound Greek sausages, casings removed

1 green pepper sliced

1 small-medium red onion, diced

1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 cup chopped fresh spinach

2 plum tomatoes, chopped

10 eggs

3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano

A pinch of Greek sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup crumbled feta, Dodonis or Arahovas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet, cook sausage, breaking it up into crumbles, 8-10 minutes. Drain any excess fat, if preferred, then add the pepper and onion, and continue cooking until fragrant. Transfer the cooked sausage, pepper and onion mixture to an 9-inch square baking dish. Top with the artichoke hearts, spinach, and tomatoes. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour into the baking dish and sprinkle with feta. Bake, uncovered in the preheated 350-degree oven for about 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving. 

Greek Asparagus Quiche with Feta

Asparagus. Photo by Christine Siracusa, via Unsplash

For the pie crust:

(Makes 2 crusts for 9-inch pies)

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2/3 cup cold, unsalted butter

6-7 tablespoons ice cold water

For the quiche:

8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup crumbled feta, Dodonis

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cups milk

1/4 teaspoon Greek sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

To make the pie crust: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, though some larger pieces of butter are fine. Add the cold water a few tablespoons at a time and stir in until dough forms. Depending on the humidity, you might not need to add all the cold water. Divide the dough in half, form into disks, and wrap each half in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to three days, just thaw at room temperature until the dough is easy to roll out. (Reserve the other half of the dough for another pie. The dough, tightly covered in plastic wrap or in a freezer bag, can be frozen for up to a month, just thaw when ready to use.)

Roll the dough out into a 12-inch diameter circle and transfer to a glass Pyrex 9-inch pie plate. Trim the edge, if needed, and flute the edge as preferred. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while making the filling.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large skillet over medium heat, add asparagus and enough water to just cover the bottom of the pan. Cover and let steam until asparagus is easily pierced with a knife, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain the asparagus and transfer to the pie crust. Top with feta. Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour over the asparagus and feta in the pie crust. Set the quiche on a baking sheet and bake until the center is set, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.