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Mother's Day usually provokes some soul searching about whether to do breakfast (with young kids), brunch with extended family or a full-blown dinner. Many people take the easy way out and make reservations. This column is for families that are not sure what to do. The recipes come from restaurants that have great brunches, but they are also easy enough to make at home.

LOBSTER STRATA WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER HOLLANDAISE

A popular Halifax destination, Jane's on the Common (2394 Robie St., Halifax, 902-431-5683) is a warm, appealing restaurant with well-prepared, homey food. No reservations necessary for brunch. You can replace the lobster with gently sautéed shrimp, if you prefer.

what you need

Strata:

1 pound (500 grams) 1-inch white or egg bread cubes, crusts removed (about 14 cups)

¼ cup chopped fresh chives

¼ cup chopped fresh dill

1 pound (500 grams) cooked lobster meat, chopped

1½ cups aged white cheddar, shredded

6 eggs, beaten

2 cups milk

1 cup whipping cream

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Roasted red pepper hollandaise sauce:

2 egg yolks

1 roasted red pepper, seeded, skinned and puréed

1 cup hot unsalted butter

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

what you do

Toss bread cubes, chives, dill, lobster and cheese in a large bowl.

Whisk together beaten eggs, milk, cream, salt and pepper in a separate bowl. Add to bread mixture and toss to combine. Allow mixture to soak for at least one hour, tossing occasionally to help bread absorb liquids.

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Butter a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish or 16 large muffin tins. Fill casserole or muffin tins with bread mixture and bake for 45 to 55 minutes for the casserole, 35 minutes for muffin tins, or until set and lightly browned and puffy.

Meanwhile, place egg yolks and roasted red pepper in a blender. Add butter very slowly while processing to emulsify. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle sauce over strata and serve. Serves 8.

SEARED HALIBUT-CHEEK HASH

This is from Fraîche (2240 Chippendale Rd., West Vancouver, 604-925-7595) another winner for chef/owner Wayne Martin, whose upscale bistro Crave is already a hot spot. The view from the mountain is splendid and so is the food.

If you can't find halibut cheeks, thin pieces of fresh halibut are an excellent substitute.

what you need

2 cups peeled, diced Yukon Gold potatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced onion

¼ cup red pepper, diced in ¼-inch pieces

3 tablespoons butter

1½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

¾ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

¼ cup green onions, finely sliced

1 ounce (1 gram) prosciutto, julienned

6 pieces halibut cheeks, about 75 grams a person, or 375 grams halibut sliced

what you do

Fill a pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and return to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and cook for approximately 4 minutes or until potatoes are crisp tender. Remove and cool.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil to pan, then add potatoes and red peppers and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until the potatoes begin to brown. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and continue to sauté. The butter will assist in browning the potatoes. Continue cooking for 3 minutes or until potatoes are tender and lightly golden.

Add 1 teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon rosemary, 1 tablespoon parsley, green onions and prosciutto to the pan and toss to combine. Remove from heat and reserve.

Season halibut with remaining rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Heat another skillet over high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cook an additional 2 minutes or until the fish is golden brown and medium-rare. Cook cheeks on one side only. (Thicker pieces of fish should be cooked on all sides.)

Divide the potato hash equally among four plates and top with fish. Serves 4.

LEMON TART

Le Pain Quotidien (508 Eglinton Ave. W., Toronto, 416-485-3000) is part of a worldwide chain known for its excellent bread, croissants and the communal table down the centre. We adapted this lovely, lemony tart from their original French recipe; it is different from the version used at the Toronto location.

Fromage blanc, also known as quark, is a fresh cheese with the consistency of thick yogurt. If you can't find it, use a mixture of light cream cheese thinned with plain yogurt. The pastry recipe makes enough for 2 tart shells. Refrigerate the extra dough for up to a week, or freeze until needed.

what you need

Pastry:

14 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1¼ cups icing sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2/3cup ground almonds

Pinch salt

21/3cups all-purpose flour

1 egg white

1 ounce (30 grams) white chocolate, melted

Filling:

¾ cup whipping cream

¾ cup sugar

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup full-fat fromage blanc

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 large eggs

3 egg yolks

What you do

Place butter, icing sugar, lemon rind, ground almonds, salt and flour into a mixer with a paddle attachment and blend for 1 minute or until butter is cut in and mixture has a sand-like texture. Add egg white and mix until dough just begins to come together. Knead dough into a ball, divide in half and wrap each piece in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Remove pastry from refrigerator and roll out to ¼-inch thickness on a floured work surface. Line a 9-inch tart pan with a removable base with the pastry. Use your fingers or leftover bits to seal any cracks - the pastry is fairly forgiving.

Cover pastry with parchment or foil, fill with dried beans or pie weights and bake for 25 minutes. Remove pan from oven, remove beans and parchment and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven, leave pastry to cool then brush inside of pastry base with a thin layer of melted white chocolate.

Place cream, sugar, lemon juice, fromage blanc, lemon rind, eggs and egg yolks in a food processor and blend. Whiz for 20 seconds.

Pour cream filling into a small thick-bottomed pan and heat over medium heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until the mixture reaches 200 F (this is just below the boiling point). When the mixture starts to thicken, remove from heat and continue to stir. Pour into the pastry base.

Leave to rest for 5 minutes then chill for at least 1 hour. Serves 6 to 8.