IN the olden days, Mother’s Day was called Mothering Sunday and probably referred to religious services being attended at the ‘Mother Church’, on this particular Sunday, which falls during Lent.

The ‘Mother Church’ was the church in the parish of the family. So this often involved siblings having to travel home, perhaps from service or farm jobs at the bigger houses, where considerate employers would give them the day off. After this they would spend the day with their mother, often bringing simple gifts. This could be a home-baked cake from a daughter who was handy in the kitchen, or a posy of wildflowers picked along the way by a thoughtful son.

Nowadays, gifts for mum can be as ostentatious as you want them to be. But I think there is something simple and beautiful about regenerating the tradition of giving a homemade gift or doing something personal for the occasion. When it comes to being spoiled, there’s no one deserves it more than your dear darling mum! The woman who keeps the ship afloat in most households has earned the right to loll about in bed for an extra hour or so on her special day, while she gets waited on hand and foot. A lavish breakfast in bed is the order of the day.

I’ve got just the ideas to feed her full to the brim this weekend, and they won’t be terribly difficult to achieve, even for novice cooks. You can choose a savoury or sweet dish, or both, if you really want to spoil her! Both dishes are bread based and easily transported upstairs on a tray.

The savoury dish of homemade hommous, avocado, poached egg and crispy bacon is set upon a soft and yielding Middle Eastern flatbread. Dessert is based on the French classic ‘pain perdu’ — or ‘lost bread’ — as they called this French toast made from stale bread, which would be dipped in egg then fried and eaten. We’re going to make a bit more special for mum, by using slices of crusty sourdough, topped with fried bananas and caramel sauce, and a scoop of clotted cream.

FLATBREADS WITH HOMMOUS, AVO, BACON AND EGG

Ingredients (Serves 4)

For the hommous 

400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 

Juice of half a lemon (or to taste) 

2 tbsp tahini paste (sesame seed paste)

 Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling 

4 fresh free range eggs 

8 slices dry cured streaky bacon 

4 fresh flatbreads (Cork’s Al-Sham flatbreads are super) 

2 ripe avocados, halved and flesh scooped 

Smoked Paprika to decorate 

Method:

• For the hommous, place the chickpeas in a processor with garlic, lemon juice, tahini, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Whizz to form a puree. Check for tasting adding more lemon juice, or seasoning as desired.
• Place in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. This can be made in advance to this point then covered with film and refrigerated.
• Poach the eggs soft in a pan of water with a dash of white wine vinegar added.
• Fry bacon crisp in a pan.
• While eggs and bacon are cooking, warm the flatbreads briefly in between two clean damp towels/kitchen towel in a steamer or microwave.
• To serve, spread the hommous onto the centre of the warm flatbreads and top with poached eggs, crispy bacon and scoops of avocado flesh.
• Sprinkle with paprika to finish.

MOTHER’S DAY BANANA FRENCH TOAST

Ingredients (Serves 4)

For the caramel sauce:

50g soft brown sugar 

50g butter 

100mls cream 

For the toasts:

4 fresh free range eggs 

75mls milk 

Knob of butter

 2 tbsp Nutella (optional) 

4 small ripe bananas, peeled and sliced

Method: 

• For the caramel sauce, melt the butter and sugar in a pan over medium heat till sugar is dissolved.
• Add the cream and bubble for a minute. Reserve, keeping warm.
• Beat the eggs and milk together and pour into a shallow dish.
• For the French toast, dip the bread into the egg mix for about a minute, till it soaks both sides.
• both sides.
• Melt butter in a pan and fry the bread for about two minutes, or until till golden and crisp both sides.
• Transfer to warm plates. Spread each slice with Nutella, if using.
• Melt an extra knob of butter in frying pan and add bananas. Cook with a little extra butter for about two minutes, or until golden.
• Arrange the bananas on the warm French toast and drizzle with caramel sauce.
• Top with a scoop of clotted cream or ice cream to finish.

BREAKFAST IN BED RECEIPT

Canned chickpeas organic €1.19 

Avocados €1.58 

Flatbreads €1.50 (approx) 

Eggs €2.20

Bacon €2.50 

Total: €8.97

BANANA FRENCH TOAST

Bananas organic €1.59 Sourdough €2.50 Cream €1.19

Soft brown sugar €1.00 (500g special offer)

Total: €6.28

GRAND TOTAL: €15.25