BRUNCH SURPRISE

Before I left to go back to school, I wanted to do something for my father because his birthday is coming up this week. I find that my dad is kind of hard to shop for because he never has anything he particularly wants, so his “gifts” from me are usually active - biking with him around his favorite loop, making him breakfast early in the morning, etc. So to finish off spring break, I surprised my dad with a birthday brunch! The menu: sautéed kale, poached eggs, and toast, with a cake (of course) to finish off for dessert. 

This was my first time poaching eggs and I was pleasantly surprised to find that they aren’t as difficult as I expected! They’re definitely do-able, and there are a ton of different resources, tips, and tricks to read before making them to ensure success. Over the eggs, I wanted to share the recipe for the sautéed kale. It’s my go-to and I’ve ended up making this for lunch a lot of times, adding sweet potatoes and an over-easy egg on top, or strawberries, chicken, and sliced almonds. Super versatile and easy to make!

Sautéed Kale

From Bobby Flay

Makes 4 small servings, or 2 large servings

1 ½ pounds young kale, stems and leaves coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

½ cup vegetable stock or water

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not colored. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add vinegar.

Saeng Cream Cake

Slightly adapted from Koreaforniancooking

Makes 1 two layer 9-inch cake

Simple Syrup

1 cup water

½ cup sugar

1 cinnamon stick

½ of a lemon

1 oz. (standard shot glass) of Madagascar vanilla

Butter Sponge Cake

1 cup sifted cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ cup butter, melted

½ teaspoon vanilla

½ cup milk, scalded

6 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

Whipped Cream Frosting

3 cups heavy whipping cream

¼ cup granulated sugar (optional)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Sliced strawberries

Fruit for decoration

To make simple syrup: Combine the water, sugar, cinnamon stick, and lemon (remove the seeds) in a saucepan. Heat to boiling. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in Madagascar vanilla extract and set aside.

To make sponge cake: Sift together flour and baking powder. Add butter and vanilla to scalded milk and keep hot. Beat egg yolks till thick and lemon colored; gradually beat in sugar. Quickly add flour mixture; stir just till mixed. Gently stir in the hot milk mixture. Bake in a greased 9-inch-square, 2-inch-high pan in a moderate-heat oven (350 degrees F) for 30 to 35 minutes or till done. Cool thoroughly. (Do not invert the pan.)

To make frosting: In a chilled metal bowl, whip the heavy cream on high speed with an electric mixer using a whisk attachment. When cream begins to thicken, add vanilla extract and the optional 1⁄4 cup granulated sugar if desired. Continue to beat on high speed until fully whipped. When working with whipped cream, be careful not to over-whip!

To assemble: Trim off any brown bits from the sponge cake. Slice the cake into two layers with a serrated knife. Remove the top layer and set aside. Brush the surface of the bottom layer with the sugar syrup. Do not make it sopping wet. Frost the layer with some whipped topping and add a layer of strawberries. Put the top layer on, and brush it with the syrup then coat it with the frosting. Frost around the edges of the cake. Top the cake with the remaining fruit.