Warm up your weekends with these winter brunch recipes

By Meredith Deeds and Connor Deeds, The Minnesota Star Tribune

By the time winter reaches its midpoint, it is easy to feel like the only sensible plan is to hunker down and wait for brighter days. Hosting a winter brunch, though — something colorful, comforting and celebratory— can be the perfect way to bring a little sunshine to a cold, gray season.

A fennel salad makes a bright, refreshing start, especially as winter citrus hits its peak. Thinly sliced fennel provides the crisp backbone, its mild sweetness pairing beautifully with apples, pomegranate seeds and juicy orange slices. A miso-apple cider vinaigrette keeps the dish from leaning too sweet. The miso brings an umami punch that balances the fennel and is the perfect foil to the fruit, giving the salad a savory depth that wakes the palate and sets a lively tone for the rest of the meal.

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