Such a fantastic brunch platter made up of simple veggies, dips and bread. It makes the perfect food for a late start on the weekend leading into a completely relaxing day. This platter of fries, sautéed and air fried food sets the pace to satisfying, delicious and simply fabulous eats.
No getting the oven on because it's really warm right now and we also just want to eat and relax. Isn't that what weekends are all about?
This brunch platter is more of your weekend fry up but without the eggs and sausages which are replaced by some chops and more veggies. We may even use the word 'healthyish'.
It's also good to not have to use the oven thanks to the air fryer which I've only recently started using because I am always late. Or just on time it would depend on our perspective and how we choose to see things. Regardless, I've been loving the one left in my kitchen by my daughter and have been tossing everything into it! Always like that when you finally arrive at the party even in the case of the air fryer. I made so many potatoes in the air fryer it's crazy! From chips to wedges and more and managed to share these Air Fryer Potatoes to my blog so do take a look if you love potatoes. They can be served with salmon, roast, chicken, veggies or used in this brunch platter.
Brunch Platter
So what is a brunch platter exactly?
Listen, I am calling this a brunch platter not because I saw it somewhere it was not that kind of inspiration. It was the kind of inspiration that you see a pile of eggplants in your kitchen that have been there for a 2 days and need to be used. Which makes this a 'from my kitchen to yours' recipe. Those are the recipes that I share with you which are made up in my kitchen as I go with the flow so to speak. So first hand recipes inspired by what you have and shared with you here.
A brunch platter in this case is any veggies you may have that need using up, or you think will match the other ingredients well. Here we have grilled food, fried food, sautéed in the pan food and air fryer food.
How To Make This Brunch Platter
Eggplants - There are 2 eggplants used here I diced one and sliced one just wanting to see the difference from the pan to air fryer. Both are great, air fryer version had more of a crunch and the pan sautéed ones softer with more flavor perhaps. It's a platter so I best try to not dissect it too much:)
Salting the eggplants is not what everyone does because eggplants are grown differently now and have less water and bitterness. That's not me, that's great chefs and cooking shows telling me that. However, I still salt eggplants because it does help to release loads of excess liquid and any bitterness that might be still there. Besides, it doesn't take long at all and can be done while you prep/sauté the onions and bell peppers.
How To Salt Eggplants
- Place on a board
- Salt them, any salt we just prefer coarse
- Place a cloth over
- Another board and leave them alone for 30 minutes.
- In this case two boards, two layers for the diced and sliced.
- Once the eggplants have drained, toss them into a colander and give them a quick 20 second rinse.
- Shake the colander and place the eggplants onto a clean cloth.
- Quick dry and into a bowl where we prep them by seasoning for the cooking process.
- Try and use a flatter wider bowl for the circle shaped eggplants to avoid them breaking.
- Give them a good seasoning with salt & pepper one of your favorite spices and coat with oil.
When adding the seasoning, spices and oil it's best to use your hands for the diced ones, it gets them better coated.
For the round shapes, mix your seasoning in a small bowl, add the oil (make a paste) and use a brush to coat them on both sides. Or you could rub it in with your fingers, both methods work.
Onions, Bell Peppers and Tomatoes
Here we used the smaller snack bell peppers which have less seeds. Cut and slice lengthwise and toss into a hot pan on high heat. See the full recipe card below.
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You want a quick char. If you are going to be using the onions I would suggest one pan, start with the onions because the bell peppers need high heat and leave the pan a little dirty. One pan, one wash, that's the plan friends. Go in with the onions first, bell peppers second and tomatoes last because the tomatoes will benefit from the oil of the peppers.
I also added a drizzle of red wine vinegar with the tomatoes but please stand back it creates quite a sizzle and fiery 10 second heat.
Pork Chops
These can be done on a grill, in the oven on the stove in a pan. Simply season and cook till done. These were done outside on the grill in the same time I finished with the tomatoes.
If you're going for a vegetarian or vegan platter then clearly leave the chops out. For meat lovers you can add different meat types into your platter.
- Bacon
- Chorizo
- Sausage
- Steak nibbles
Bread
Clearly you can add or choose to leave the bread out. Also any type of bread goes that's the beauty of bread, it goes with anything or is that just bread lovers like me?
My dark rye homemade bread was perfect for this patter. A drizzle of oil, rub of garlic onto the slices then baked till toasted (top grill and fan oven). They were simply delicious and with my spice/oil mix we were ready for a dunking brunch!
Friends I hope that you've enjoyed this brunch platter post. Please find the full recipe card below. If you have enjoyed it, do leave me a comment and rating below.
Don't forget to PIN IT for when you need it later. That's all for now and happy cooking! xxxx
More Platter Recipes
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
The beauty of platters is not only the convenience of easy eating whereby somehow the atmosphere is a lot more relaxed. There's a choice of different eats and bites as opposed to one plate or tray with less options.
You can use a tray for your platter, a board (most used) and in this case a regular ceramic large platter. The idea is to fill the platter with your families favorites so if your family don't care much for veggies, give them more meat options and vice versa. Your meat and veggie options can also be varied in terms of color and texture.
Don't forget important things like dips, fresh lime or lemon, seasoning and oil, fresh drinks, teaspoons or cutlery that will make serving easier. For the rest, simply relax, eat and enjoy!
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Brunch Platter
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants
- 1 fresh tomato cubed
- 3 snacking bell peppers seeds removed and sliced lengthwise.
- 2 to 3 pork chops you can also use bacon, sausage, chorizo or omit the meat
- 1 onion sliced into rings
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper for seasoning
- toasted bread slices and dips for serving
Instructions
- Slice or dice the eggplants.
- Salt the eggplants and place them on a board, cover with a cloth and another board. Set aside for 30 minutes to remove any excess water and bitterness. (Optional but preferred)
- Meanwhile heat a non stick pan and add a tablespoon of oil to cook the onions. Cook on medium to high heat until golden brown and set aside.
- Same pan add the bell peppers and a tablespoon of oil. Increase the heat to high and cook the peppers turning once till charred. Remove and set aside.
- Same pan add the chopped tomatoes, seasoning and a tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Stand back please when doing this. Toss and remove from the heat.
- Add the eggplants into a colander and give them a quick 10 second rinse to remove the salt. Toss onto a clean cloth and dry. Add the eggplants into a bowl, season with salt and pepper and your favorite spice flavor if using any, add a tablespoon of oil to each one and mix in with the spices. If too dry add more oil.
- You can cook the eggplant in an air fryer or in a pan on the stove top. Air Fryer: Get them into the basket and air-fry on 190 C for 20 minutes (check halfway) Stove Top: A tablespoon or two of oil in the pan first, cook on medium to high heat turning once to brown on both sides.
- Cook the meat your preferred way depending on what meat you're using. Grill, braai/barbecue, pan etc.
- Place the all the food on a platter and serve with fresh lime/lemon and an assortment of dips.
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