Beginner’s Guide To Mediterranean Brunch Platter: Pull Off Sunday Brunch

If you’ve found yourself tasked with whipping up an impressive Mediterranean-inspired brunch for your family or friends, but you’ve suddenly realised you don’t actually know how to do that, then no fear. 

This blog post is for you. The Mediterranean diet is known for its health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease and improving brain health. Combining the flavours of fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, and healthy fats to create meals that are rich in flavour and high in nutrition. Today, with the help of our expert chefs at Lovelife, a Mediterranean restaurant in the heart of Digbeth, we'll guide you on how to create a great Mediterranean brunch to wow your friends. 

Planning Your Mediterranean Brunch

Planning is the key to a successful, balanced brunch. Our favourite part about Mediterranean food is that it's very easy to scale up or down depending on the number you're cooking for. 

So don’t fear being too exact with quantities, as we’re going to be aiming for a classic Mediterranean brunch platter-style meal. 

Start by deciding on the main dishes and then add sides and drinks to create a well-rounded meal. From hummus and pita bread to some delicious Turkish-spiced sausages or Greek yoghurt with honey, there are plenty of options to choose from.

Ingredients for Mediterranean Brunch

The ingredients used in Mediterranean cuisine are simple yet flavourful. Here are some common items you'll need for your brunch. You might find that you don’t even need to head to the supermarket, so take a look at what you’ve got in the fridge and cupboard before you head out shopping.

One thing we would recommend though is that when it comes to Mediterranean cooking, the quality of ingredients is so important. As the dishes can be quite simple, the base ingredients need to be super high quality. So if you can afford it, we would suggest heading down to the local fresh fruit and veg market, or specialist delis for some of these 

Olive Oil: A staple in Mediterranean cuisine, olive oil is packed with heart-healthy fats. If you can get your hands on some extra virgin olive oil directly from Spain or Italy, then you’ll be laughing.

Fresh Fruits & Vegetables: Tomatoes, cucumbers, avocados, berries, citrus fruits - all these add colour, flavour, and essential nutrients to your meal.

Whole Grains: Foods like whole grain bread, couscous, and quinoa are high in fibre and help keep you full longer.

Meats: Options like grilled chicken are rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. At Lovelife, our Mediterranean breakfasts feature mouth-watering meats like delicious lamb Merguez sausages or our famous chicken & chorizo sausages.

Cheeses & Yoghurts: We love grilled halloumi, but you could also have crumbly Greek feta or perhaps a mild Spanish cheese to throw in a tortilla. 

Dips: Think of rich dips like hummus, Baba ghanouj, Labneh, tzatziki, Tahini, or Muhammara. You don’t need to buy all the dips, just a couple should suffice, along with crusty, fresh bread and olive oil to dip it in. If you’re confident enough, then you could even make your dips, but if you’re that good at cooking, then what are you doing reading a beginner’s guide to Mediterranean brunch platters?

‍Nuts & Seeds: Not only do these add a nice crunchy texture to your meal, they also are a good source of healthy fats. But in our opinion, they look great grouped in piles on your platter.

Designing Your Mediterranean Brunch Platter

The key to designing a visually pleasing platter is all to do with this loose formula. Think of it a bit like the food pyramid, with the base being the largest quantity and then getting smaller and smaller quantities as you start to fill up the board.

1. Choose your base: This could be whole grain bread, pita, Turkish bread, or even a bed of fresh greens.
2. Add proteins: Think cheeses, some lean meats or a scoop of hummus.If you’ve got some cute smaller dishes, then decant your dips into them to keep the aesthetics on point.
3. Start complementing here and there with bright fruits and vegetables: These add pops of colour on the board, try and place opposing colours next to each other. 
4. Finish with extras: Sprinkle some nuts, seeds, or drizzle some honey for additional flavour. 

Remember, balance is key. Aim for a variety of colours and textures to keep the platter interesting and nutritionally balanced.

Easy Mediterranean Recipes for Brunch

Now you’ve got your Instagram-worthy platter, you’re going to need a stellar main dish to serve up as well. Here are some quick and easy recipe ideas you can try:

Greek Yogurt Parfait: Layer Greek yoghurt, honey, nuts, and fresh fruits in a glass for a healthy and delightful dish. 

Mediterranean Shakshuka Eggs: Add tomatoes, feta cheese, and herbs to your scrambled eggs for a Mediterranean twist. We've got a great recipe from the chefs at LoveLife if you'd like to check it out.

Lovelife's Smoked Paprika & Sea Salt Focaccia Recipe

Ingredients:

• 500g Extra Strong Bread Flour
• 7g fast-action yeast (dried)
• 3 tsp Sea salt
• 100ml olive oil, plus extra for greasing the tin and serving
• 10g Smoked sweet Paprika

Method:

1. Start by preparing your dough. In a generously sized mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, yeast, sea salt, and smoked paprika. It's best to place the yeast on one side of the flour and the salt on the other to prevent the salt from interfering with the yeast.
2. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and gradually pour in the olive oil and 350ml lukewarm water. Mix until you achieve a slightly sticky dough.
3. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is soft and less sticky.
4. Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover it with a tea towel, and allow it to prove for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
5. Grease a shallow rectangle tin (25 x 35cm) with oil. Transfer the dough onto the greased tin, stretching it to fit. Cover the tin with a tea towel and let the dough prove for another 35-45 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7. Once the dough has proved, use your fingers to create dimples in the dough. Sprinkle the top with smoked paprika and additional sea salt.
7. Bake the focaccia for 20 minutes or until golden brown. While the bread is still hot, drizzle 1-2 tbsp of olive oil over it.
8. Allow the focaccia to cool slightly before cutting it into squares. Serve warm or cold, accompanied by extra olive oil if desired. Enjoy!

Final Takeaway

Creating a great Mediterranean brunch doesn't have to be difficult or time-consuming. With a little planning and the right ingredients, you can put together a healthful, balanced meal that's as tasty as it is nutritious. So why not give it a try this weekend?

Happy brunching!