Sunday Brunch: An at-home affair

Don’t hate me for saying this, but I think I’ve had my fill of rosé for the season.

We’ll get to that in a minute, though.

Since it’s the weekend, let’s throw caution to the wind and talk about something new and exciting today. For starters, we’re going to spend a few minutes in uncharted territory…

My kitchen. We’re heading into my kitchen

You’re probably thinking along the lines of, “Wait, corals cooks?” Yes, corals cooks. Sometimes. It’s not that I don’t like to – it’s just that I prefer not to. And I’m never home. And I also happen to be really good at ordering delivery — which tends to happen when you only have 35 square feet of kitchen.

Nonetheless, here we are. My kitchen.

The thing is, a hectic schedule, constant travel and New York City’s seemingly endless options for eating out can really have an impact on your wallet (and waistline) after a while. So with Fashion Week (Month) on the way out and wedding season as a thing of the past, I’ve been making an effort to enjoy my lazy weekend mornings and dish up a few things at home.

Now, to my domesticated readers, this is about as housebroken as it gets over here today, so bear with me. There are a few things I’m really good at making. Salads, for example. Salads count.

Also, cocktails. I make a good ass cocktail. (Coffee too, of course.)

My favorite time of the week is the morning on the weekend, when I’m not forced to wake up to the blaze of an alarm and I can do whatever I want. Like, lay in bed and read the paper Netflix for hours on end. (You know what I’m talking about… “Okay [self], just ONE more episode.”) This is when I typically indulge my inner cook. Multitasking at it’s finest!

I’ll get to these pancakes in a minute, but first things first: I love any variation of a mimosa, but sometimes you just need a change of pace. (This is what I mean by my earlier rosé comment.)

Enter the Aperol Spritz. I’ve been on a major Aperol kick lately. All summer (and into fall), actually. I first learned about Aperol at t L’Apico, a local Italian restaurant here in New York. We were out for a friend’s birthday brunch and I’d opted for just coffee that morning (rough night), but after my friends wouldn’t shut up about the damn drink, I gave in and ordered one for myself.

Holy shit. So good! It’s like a refreshing Italian aperitivo that’s bittersweet and neon in color with a subtly spicy bite. Aperol is loosely related to Campari, but with less alcohol and less sugar (so it’s good if you’re trying to salvage somewhat of a productive Sunday).

Thankfully, the Aperol Spritz is as easy as 1-2-3, so I can keep to my motivations of eating in. It’s one part soda water, two parts Aperol and three parts prosecco. Voila!

Now, the pancakes. Now that you’ve got your brunch beverage in-hand, you can move on with your next order of business: The grub.

You may not believe me, but here’s the only ingredients you’ll need: Two eggs, one banana, frozen raspberries and cinnamon to taste.

Seriously. No flour, no sugar. Nothing else. Which makes these babies nutritious, delicious and oh so easy to make (a prerequisite for any kitchen-oriented happenings in the casa de corals). Initially, I kinda gagged at the idea of “protein pancakes,” but with the end result, I was happily surprised by the healthy alternative.

The best way to describe the consistency is egg’ish and crepe-like; similar to a piece of French toast. Here’s how you make ‘em:

• Heat a handful of frozen raspberries in a small saucepan over medium heat.
• Blend two eggs, your banana and a generous dash of cinnamon in a food processor (or just mask and whisk, if you don’t have those options). Your ‘cakes will be flatter if your batter is totally smooth, so just pulse three-four times.
• Next, heat a separate skillet over medium heat on your stove. After spraying with a non-stick spray, pour a bit of of batter and cook until bubbles appear and the bottom is set (90 seconds or so). Flip and cook for another minute.

Make your stack(s on stacks on STACKS) and spoon that warm raspberry “syrup” on top.

Cheers, guys. Or shall I say, cin cin!

So, what do you think? Happy Sunday from my kitchen to yours — and if you’re looking for a more ambitious breakfast recipe, Alyssa’s got you covered with her poached eggs and ranch home fries recipe.

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Published in collaboration with Aperol. All opinions expressed are my own, of course!