Breakfast

When I was a kid, two of my friends - siblings - lived next door. I'd frequently run over to their house about 30-seconds before my mom would want me to set the table for dinner. (I may have timed it that way on purpose...)

Thursday evenings at their house was usually reserved for breakfast-for-dinner night: their dad was going to get paid the next day, the parents would take the family grocery shopping, and it was time to get rid of the extra half-empty cereal boxes, toaster waffles, etc. So the kids would be sitting around the table with boxes of cereal, a carton of milk, just chowing down on breakfast-for-dinner.

"Why can't we have breakfast for dinner?" I'd ask Mom when I got home. (This was frequently asked with a slight whine, especially if Mom had cooked fried liver for dinner.)

But no such luck.

These days, it's a little more permissible to have breakfast for dinner. To that end, here are six breakfast recipes to try out for dinner - or for breakfast - including Parisian-style Sweet Crepes and a Chickpea and Cherry Frittata. Enjoy!

Mom and Dad

CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST

This yumminess is from Ina Garten on the Food Network.

Prep Time: 10 minutes, Inactive Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 12 minutes; Total Time: 27 minutes; Level: Easy; Yield: 8 large slices

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

6 extra-large eggs

1 1/2 cups half-and-half or milk

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon good honey

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 large loaf challah or brioche bread

Unsalted butter

Vegetable oil

To serve:

Pure maple syrup

Good raspberry preserves (optional)

Sifted confectioners' sugar (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, orange zest, vanilla, honey, and salt. Slice the challah in 3/4-inch thick slices. Soak as many slices in the egg mixture as possible for 5 minutes, turning once.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a very large saute pan over medium heat. Add the soaked bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Place the cooked French toast on a sheet pan and keep it warm in the oven. Fry the remaining soaked bread slices, adding butter and oil as needed, until it's all cooked. Serve hot with maple syrup, raspberry preserves, and/or confectioners' sugar.

QATAYEF ASAFIRI (STUFFED SEMOLINA PANCAKES)

This is from Reem Kassis in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Reem wrote, "Qatayef are synonymous with Ramadan. It is during this month that bakeries start making the pastry for these stuffed pancakes, and the lines spill into the street as people wait their turn to buy them. Golden underneath and speckled with bubbles on top, qatayef are cooked only on one side. They can be large or small. The large ones are normally stuffed with nuts or cheese and folded over, then fried or baked, and drenched in sugar syrup. The small ones, called qatayef asafiri (or little bird qatayef), are stuffed with a creamy filling, only half closed, then dipped in pistachio and drizzled with thick, faintly floral sugar syrup. The batter is very simple; the key is to make sure it is the right consistency, like that of heavy cream."

Yield: About 30 pieces; Time: 45 minutes

This was featured in "The Dessert That Tastes Best One Month Out of Every Year", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023041-qatayef-asafiri-stuffed-semolina-pancakes.

Ingredients

For the Syrup:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

A squeeze of fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon orange blossom water or rose water, or a combination

For the Batter:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup fine semolina flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon instant or quick-rise yeast

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground mahlab (optional, see Tip)

1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water or rose water (optional)

For the Filling:

1 cup/8 ounces mascarpone

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon orange blossom water or rose water, or a combination

1/4 cup/about 1 ounce finely ground unroasted, unsalted pistachios, preferably Turkish, for finishing

Preparation

Prepare the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, lemon juice and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool completely, then stir in 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water and 1/2 teaspoon rose water.

Make the batter: Add 1-1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons water to a blender or food processor. Add all the batter ingredients and process until smooth. The batter should be quite loose, similar to heavy cream in consistency. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Place the mascarpone, heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water and 1/2 teaspoon rose water in a small bowl. Use a handheld electric mixer to whip into stiff peaks. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cook the qatayef: Place a medium nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat until hot. Mix the batter to ensure it is smooth, then pour separate 1-tablespoon portions of batter into the pan, fitting about 4 circles. Cook qatayef until the entire surface is covered in small bubbles and the center loses its sheen, about 30 to 45 seconds. (You might be able to cook off more at a time once you’ve determined the right temperature and consistency of the batter.) If the bubbles are large and sparse, then your batter is too thick; stir 1 tablespoon of water into the batter to thin. Qatayef cook only on one side; the base should be uniformly golden and the top covered in small bubbles. If the disks brown too quickly — or unevenly — underneath before the batter loses its sheen on top, lower the heat slightly.

Transfer each cooked qatayef to a large tray lined with a dish towel and cover with another dish towel while you cook the remaining batter.

Fill the qatayef: Fold each into a half-moon, bubble side on the inside, and pinch to seal the edges together halfway. Using a teaspoon or a piping bag, fill the opening with the cream, then dip the exposed cream filling into the ground pistachios.

Arrange the filled qatayef on a serving platter. These can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated for several hours until ready to serve. To serve, drizzle the cooled syrup over the qatayef and offer guests more syrup to add to their individual plates, if they choose.

Tip

Mahlab, the kernel found inside the pit of a cherry, adds a floral and nutty aroma to sweets and gives Arabic cheese its distinct flavor. It is available whole or ground from Middle Eastern grocery stores, but goes rancid quickly, so buy it whole and grind it as needed, storing the rest in the freezer until needed.

PIRATE EGGS

When my sister and I were kids, my mother used to fix this for us on a regular basis, except that she called them Gypsy Eggs. Once my brother came along, though, they became Pirate Eggs. The name stuck. Most people from the Northeastern U.S. tend to call them Eggs-in-a-Hole or some variation of that. But whatever you call them, they're good.

The instructions are for one person. Adjust for the number of people you're feeding.

Ingredients

1-2 eggs

1-2 pieces of bread

margarine for the pan

Directions

Melt the margarine in the pan over medium heat. Take the bread and cut a round hole in the middle. Place bread in pan, then crack the egg and dump onto the bread so that the yolk is in the hold. If you prefer non-runny yolks (my preference), crack the yolk with the corner of a spatula. Cook on the first side for several minutes, then flip over and cook the other side. You can flip it several times until the egg looks cooked. Enjoy!

SPANISH OMELET

POINTS® value | 5

Servings | 1

Preparation Time | 8 min

Cooking Time | 10 min

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup spinach, coarsely chopped (do not dry)

2 large egg(s)

2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp olive oil

Directions

In a medium saucepan, cook spinach with just the water that clings to it until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain well, squeezing out all liquid. Cool, then chop finely.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon water.

In a small nonstick skillet, heat oil. Pour egg mixture into pan; reduce heat and cook until base is set and top is still a little creamy, about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle spinach over one half of eggs; fold omelet in half and cook until eggs are completely set, about 1 minute longer. Serve at once.

PARISIAN-STYLE SWEET CREPES

This is from the September, 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Cafés and brasseries in the French capital sell passersby sweet crêpes slathered in butter, jam, chestnut purée, and (VT favorite) Nutella. The experience is easy to re-create at home for breakfast, Sunday supper, or a snack.”

This recipe makes 8 servings, and can be found online at https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/parisian-style-sweet-crepes.

Ingredients

Crêpes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup low-fat milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Fillings (optional)Nutella

peanut butter

butter

jam

chestnut purée

Preparation

Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in bowl. Whisk in egg; mixture will be shaggy. Whisk in milk 1/4 cup at a time. Whisk in vanilla. Cover, and chill 30 minutes, or overnight.

Whisk 1/4 to 1/2 cup water into batter to thin. Lightly grease 9-inch nonstick skillet with canola oil. Heat skillet over medium-high heat.

Pour 1/4 cup batter into hot skillet, tilting pan to swirl batter so it coats bottom of pan. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until edges begin to brown and center is dry. Flip; cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more.

Transfer crêpe to plate, and repeat with remaining batter. To serve crêpes: Reheat 1 minute in lightly greased skillet. Spread with desired fillings, fold into quarters, and serve.

CHICKPEA AND CHERRY FRITTATA

This is from the February 2014 issue of Runner’s World. It begins, “All runners (not just diabetics) benefit from the abundant carbs, protein, and antioxidants in this tasty dish. ‘It's big and bold-flavored,’ says (Sam) Talbot,” a runner, surfer, and type 1 diabetic who “makes this dish for a hearty pick-me-up breakfast after a morning workout.” Serves 4 to 6.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

8 eggs, lightly whisked

1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 cup chopped fresh cherries or 1/2 cup chopped dried cherries

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup loosely packed, torn fresh mint leaves for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl, mix the eggs, chickpeas, cherries, goat cheese, almond milk, thyme, agave nectar, and cream of tartar. In a medium ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and cook for 2 minutes without stirring. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake till the eggs are puffed and set in the middle, about 20 minutes. Let the frittata cool for 5 to 10 minutes. With a rubber spatula, gently work the frittata out of the pan and transfer it to a cutting board. Cut the frittata into wedges and serve garnished with the mint. Serves four to six.

Nutrition Information: Calories Per Serving: 395; Carbs: 25 g; Fiber: 4 g; Protein: 22 g; Fat: 22 g