A Simple Meal Made With Love For Mom

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, rather than taking Mom out to a crowded restaurant for brunch or sending her a bouquet of flowers, why not have her over for a nice home-cooked meal instead? There are few better ways to show you care than sitting down together for a thoughtfully prepared meal.  

Even if Mom is an accomplished cook and the last time you made something for her was breakfast in bed as a kid, there’s no reason to worry. There are plenty of ways to make the meal feel special without having to go overboard.

When planning the menu, consider the following:

• Incorporate a family recipe: this could be something that Mom used to make for you, or a signature dish that you make for your own family.
• Prepare one (or many) of Mom’s favorite foods, especially if it is something she rarely gets a chance to eat or make herself. How about recreating one of her favorite restaurant dishes?
• Whip up nostalgic foods from a particularly memorable family trip, event, or vacation.
• Don’t be afraid to round out the meal with a selection of pre-made foods—in particular, appetizers and desserts—to save time, especially if a large number of family members will be present.
• Keep in mind seasonal produce, and include it whenever you can. With the abundance of spring fruits and vegetables available right now, deciding what not to use is the hard part!
• Start the meal off on a festive note with a sparkling beverage. Try a fresh fruit spritzer instead.
• Don’t forget about dessert, even if it’s premade pound cake topped with fresh fruit and whipped cream.

Still need a little extra help? Make the simple endive and strawberry salad below, which combines crunchy greens, salty feta, juicy strawberries, toasty almonds, and a white wine vinaigrette to tie everything together. It’s pretty, texturally interesting, and delivers a mouthwatering combination of sweet-salty flavors. Try it as a starter to your lunch or dinner menu, or if you’re keeping things light, turn it into a main dish by adding sliced grilled chicken on top.

While the food can and should be relatively fuss-free on Mother’s Day (the whole point is to spend time with Mom, not be huddled over the stove), be sure to get some colorful flowers on the table and put out the nice place settings, even if the only people eating are the two of you. After all, this is Mom we’re talking about, right?

The almonds can be toasted and kept in an airtight container at room temperature up to a day in advance. Slice the endive as close to serving time as possible to prevent the edges from browning.

2 Tbs. white wine vinegar

1 Tbs. honey

1 Tbs. minced shallot

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

3 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

3 heads endive, trimmed, sliced 1/4 inch thick crosswise

1 head romaine lettuce, sliced 1/4 inch thick crosswise

2 cups sliced strawberries

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, shallot, mustard, oil and salt.

2. Add the endive, romaine, strawberries, feta and almonds and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

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