If you haven’t already checked out my first post on my collaboration with Community Coffee, I highly suggest you read it HERE. I love collaborating with great brands and I talk in that post about who Community Coffee is and about some of the great work they’re doing in response to the flooding in Baton Rouge – I encourage you to check it out and also donate to support the rebuilding efforts (there’s a link in that post to do so.)

Another thing that I talk about in the other post is how Ben and I aren’t really sports people – which is why doing a “Tailgate Traditions” collaboration with a company is kinda funny. BUT…..if there’s one thing I DO love, it’s any reason to have a party – and when it comes to parties…..brunch is my sweet spot!

So we pitched the idea of a brunch for coffee lovers who are less than extreme sports fans and they loved it! Plans were made, recipes were devised and friends were invited over.

One of the things that I love about throwing random, small parties is that with limited space, your RSVP’s tend to fill up quickly and give you a pretty eclectic group of people. I’m a big fan of overlapping my various social circles and this party was a perfect sampling of people who didn’t really know each other that well but had lots in common; not the least of which was a love of great breakfast foods and of course…..great coffee.

Everyone arrived at 10:30am, with kids in tow, ready to mingle and eat (and drink) some brunchy (and boozy) tasty treats. In addition to the recipes listed below, we served a great charcuterie board with cured meats, some goat and nut cheeses, as well as some other crudities. We also served elderflower mimosas (my favorite), some fruity rosé sangria, and had a little coffee/rum liqueur to splash into our Community Coffee coldbrew, just in case anyone wanted a little extra kick in their coffee.

As with all good brunches, great conversation was had by all, drinks were enjoyed and the food was completely consumed – and of course, when there’s kids in tow, they tend to become the default entertainment so our party ended with an impromptu dance party. It doesn’t always take a major production to have a great party. Get good people together and serve simple food and drinks and the rest just takes care of itself. The recipes below are a very simple and accessible way to throw together a quick and tasty party for friends – I hope you enjoy them.

 

Coffee, Skirt Steak Breakfast Skewers

For the Skewers you will need the potato, skirt steak and omelette recipes below. To assemble, prepare all the recipes as instructed. For the steak pieces that are long enough, accordion them on to the skewers. I like do about two steak pieces per skewer. Then add 3 pieces of potato. Now add the egg by folding it, accordion style onto the skewer. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a side of Sriracha or other dips that you like. Makes about 10 skewers.

Tips:

I like to use metal skewers so there is no need to worry about soaking them.

The meat and the potato can be made ahead of time and reheated under a broiler. If you intend to reheat the meat, cook it on the rarer side, then make the eggs and assemble.

You can cut and skewer everything however you like. I like the presentation of the accordion steak and eggs. However making thicker eggs and cubing the steak and eggs would work nicely too. Do what works for you.

 

Sriracha Roasted Breakfast Potatoes

Ingredients:

About 2 pounds red or new potatoes or sweet potatoes
1/2 cup mayo
2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
Sea salt and cracked pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F

1. If using small new potatoes, slice them in half. If using red potatoes or sweet potatoes, slice them into quarters or 1 1/2 inch square pieces if they are larger.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayo and Sriracha till combined. Add the cut potatoes and toss till evenly coated. Spread out onto a large, rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Bake in the oven for about an hour until the outsides are very golden and crispy. Stir every now and then and rotate the pan for best cooking results. Cooking times will vary, depending on the potato type and cut size.

4.Remove from oven and let cool. These can be made ahead and served at room temp or reheated in the oven.

 

Cold Brew Skirt Steak

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
1/2 cup finely chopped onions (about 1/2 of a medium onion)
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup of my Community Coffee Cold Brew Recipe (HERE)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
3 tablespoons maple syrup (or sugar)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (plus more for grilling)

Method: (this recipe was modified from Bon Appetite)

1. Cut the skirt steak into 3-4 even size pieces and place in a medium sized glass bowl.

2. In another medium bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, stirring well to combine.

3. Pour half of the marinade over the skirt steak, cover and leave at room temp for 1 hour. Alternatively, you can add the skirt steak and marinade to a large ziplock baggie.

4. When ready, preheat your grill to a medium-high heat. Remove the steak and season with more salt and pepper. Discard the used marinade.

5. Grill the the steak, giving it a good sear then turning and basting often with the reserved marinade, until done to your liking. About 8 minutes for medium rare.

6. Rest the meat for about 10 minutes before slicing into thin strips, diagonally across the grain. While the steak is resting, prepare the eggs (recipe below).
Makes about 20 strips. See above for skewer assembly.

 

Omelette Strips (for skewering)

Ingredients:

6 large eggs
sprinkling of salt and cracked pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat a 12-inch non stick skillet over medium to medium-low heat. You want it too be just hot enough that the egg mixture sizzles when it hits the pan and solidifies pretty quickly.

2. Pour half the egg into the skillet, lifting the pan and swirling it around. You should have a nice thin layer of egg. Place back over the heat and cover, if you have a lid. If you don’t, that’s fine too, it will still work, but be slightly wetter on the top. Cook until the top starts to set, then remove from heat. If using a non-toxic, non-stick pan like this American Kitchen one that I used, the egg will slide right out of the pan and onto a cutting board.

3. Repeat the same process with the rest of the egg, then cut into long 1 1/2 inch wide strips. The end ones will be shorter than the center ones. I just double the short ones up on the skewers. (See above for skewer assembly)

Makes 10-12 strips

 

Coffee Glazed Bacon

Ingredients:

12-16 ounces of thick cut Bacon
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons Community Coffee Dark Roast

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F

1. Lay the bacon out onto a large rimmed baking sheet (depending on the size, you may need 2 baking sheets)

2. Pre cook the bacon for about 10 minutes. While the bacon is cooking, prepare the coffee glaze mixture.

3. For the coffee glaze: Pulse the coffee in a small grinder until it is a fine, almost espresso like powder, this way it blends better with the maple syrup. Then in a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and the coffee grounds until well combined.

4. Remove the bacon from the oven (after the 10 minutes) and drain off any liquid. Using a pastry brush, generously coat the bacon slices with the maple syrup/espresso mixture.

5. Bake for another 20 minutes or so or until very golden on the bottom of the bacon (It will be hard to tell if it is done from the top of the bacon.) Some might be done before others, so remove them as they are ready. Rotate the pan(s) halfway through baking to ensure even browning.

6. Once all the bacon pieces are done, let them cool on a wire cooling rack. If they do not crisp up all the way after cooling, you can always place them back in the oven for a few more minutes.