Isn’t brunch the epitome of relaxation?

You don’t have to get up early. You don’t have to plan a menu beyond a mini buffet, really.

It’s perfect for holiday weekends or mornings-after when you want to sleep in and are still recuperating from the previous day’s feasting. Taking a break from your hectic day-to-day pace is good for you, and brunch helps you do just that.

Brunch is meant to be simple. Filling, but not too much. It’s lazy, unscheduled. Brunch can happen anytime between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

People have been brunching since 1885, when British author Guy Beringer wrote an essay urging people to consider brunch over a heavy Sunday afternoon meal.

The trend hit America in the 1920s and ‘30s, where brunch became a thing in Chicago.

Brunch menus often include breakfast food with a few lunch extras added in. But no matter what you plan to eat, make sure you reserve enough time to enjoy it. You don’t rush brunch.

Feel even better about your brunch indulgence: serve healthy food! The American Heart Association’s Veggie Cheese Frittata is a good place to start.

Add some apple muffins, fresh fruit, maybe some Mediterranean Cheese Spread and veggies — even a dish of Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash — and you’ve got a memorable, easy (and healthy!) brunch spread.

Veggie Cheese Frittata

Servings: 6

Ingredients
6 large eggs
2 Tbsp whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 medium onion (about 1 cup), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup fresh or frozen spinach, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup red and/or green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup fresh mushrooms OR 1 cup canned mushrooms
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
2 Tbsp fresh basil leaves (finely chopped)
1/3 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese (shredded)
Cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven (regular or toaster oven) to broil setting.
2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs together until foamy, stir in the whole wheat flour, black pepper, and baking powder.
3. Using a heavy skillet with an ovenproof handle, coat the skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium.
4. Add the onion and cook until it starts to get soft, then add the spinach, bell pepper and mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes more.
5. Add the garlic and basil and cook for 1 minute. Stir to avoid burning these.
6. Add the egg mixture into the pan and stir to mix the vegetables with the eggs.
7. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until the egg mixture has set on the bottom and begins to set on top.
8. Add the shredded cheese and using the back of the spoon, push lightly under the eggs, so it won’t burn in the oven.
9. Place pan into the oven and broil for 3-4 minutes until golden and fluffy.
10. Remove from pan, cut into 6 servings and serve.