When I was growing up (more years ago than seems possible), two of my friends - a brother and sister - lived next door. They were the oldest of four kids, and I thoroughly enjoyed hanging around with them. Frequently, when my mother was fixing dinner, I'd wander over to Robbie and Audrey's place to see what they were doing.
At one point, I noticed that on Thursday evenings (the last night before pay-day for most families in our neighborhood), their mother would have the four kids at the table, wolfing down cereal, pancakes, French toast, or other breakfast foods for dinner. If it was a cereal night, all the remaining cereal boxes from the previous shopping trip would be on the table, along with a gallon of milk, happy slurping noises coming from the table.
"Eat up!" their mother would admonish. "We'll get more cereal tomorrow, so you guys can finish those boxes up."
I so envied them. "Why can't we have cereal (or pancakes or French toast) for dinner?" I'd ask my mom. This, of course, was especially true whenever she was making that dreaded of meals, liver and onions.
"Those are breakfast things," Mom would explain, as though to a slow child.
Mom, with my younger brother, circa early 1960s
No matter. Since moving out on my own, and starting my own family (who are now grown), I occasionally made breakfast for dinner. There's nothing wrong with that, opinions to the contrary.
And so, here are six breakfast recipes that you can make for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, including a Denver Omelet, Yogurt Parfait Breakfast Popsicles, and Pirate Eggs. Enjoy!
MAKE-AHEAD EGG, SPINACH AND FETA WRAPS
This is from Naz Deravian in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Naz wrote, "Packed with protein, enough baby spinach to make Popeye proud, and punchy umami from sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese, these wraps are ideal for make-ahead breakfasts. Feel free to customize by adding herbs like dill, parsley or cilantro, or a small handful of chopped roasted red peppers or pitted olives. The frittata-like egg mixture is baked in the oven in a baking pan and sliced into rectangles to fit easily on lavash wraps or burrito-size flour tortillas. If you don’t want to make wraps, you can simply serve the tender frittata by itself."
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 55 minutes; Yield: 5 wraps
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026810-make-ahead-egg-spinach-and-feta-wraps. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up forThe New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.
Ingredients
Cooking spray or neutral oil, as needed
1/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, plus 3 tablespoons oil from the jar (see Tip)
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
5 to 6 ounces baby spinach (5 to 6 cups packed)
10 large eggs
1/2 cup/3 ounces crumbled feta
5 lavash wraps (about 10-by-12 inches) or burrito-size flour tortillas, at room temperature (see Tip)
Cream cheese, fresh goat cheese or flavored soft cheese, such as Boursin, optional
Preparation
Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray, making sure to spray the sides well. (Alternately, you can lightly brush with neutral oil.) Line the baking pan with parchment paper with overhang on at least two sides and spray the parchment paper with oil. Heat the oven to 375 degrees with the rack in the center position.
In a large skillet, heat the sun-dried tomato oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with a little salt, add the sundried tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the spinach, in batches if necessary, and cook, stirring frequently, just until wilted. (You don’t want the spinach to release any liquid.) Season with salt and pepper, keeping in mind you will also season the eggs. Remove from the heat.
Add the eggs to a large bowl, season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and beat with a whisk or a fork until combined. Add the spinach mixture to the eggs and mix to combine. (Wipe out the skillet and set aside.) Transfer the egg mixture to the baking pan, spreading it out evenly. Top with the feta cheese and bake until the eggs are fully set and the cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 2 minutes.
Slide the frittata onto the cutting board. Slice the frittata widthwise into 5 equal rectangles (each about 2-1/2 inches wide). Place a lavash wrap on a work surface and spread with cream cheese, if using. Place a slice of frittata on the lavash, leaving a 2-inch border from the bottom. Bring the sides of the lavash in and then fold up the bottom, rolling up the lavash like a flat burrito. Repeat with the remaining lavash and frittata.
Heat the same skillet over medium. Spray each lavash wrap lightly with oil on both sides. Place seam side down on the pan and cook until the lavash is warmed through and slightly golden on each side, 3 to 4 minutes per side. (Take care not to cook too long so the lavash doesn’t get crispy.) Slice in half, on the diagonal if you like, and serve. (To make ahead, wrap the pan-cooked egg wraps in foil and keep in the fridge for 3 days, or the freezer for 3 months. Reheat in the microwave, in a skillet over low heat, or in the oven at 350 degrees.)
Tips
Instead of sun-dried tomato oil, you can substitute olive oil.
Cold lavash is harder to wrap and can tear, so be sure to take the lavash out of the fridge for a few minutes before wrapping.
DENVER OMELET
This is from Ali Slagle in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Ali wrote, "The Denver omelet — a diner classic of eggs, bell peppers, onions, ham and often cheese — actually began as a sandwich made with those ingredients in the American West in the late 19th century. Its exact origins are fuzzy, but some historians think it was a modification of egg foo yong made by Chinese laborers working the transcontinental railroad, or a scramble made by pioneers masking spoiled eggs with onions. (Bell peppers were likely a later addition.) When the sandwich became popular in Utah, it was named the Denver sandwich after Denver City, Utah. By the 1950s, the Denver was one of the most popular sandwiches around, and at some point in the mid-20th century, diners swapped the sandwich bun for a knife and fork."
Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 2 servings
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023378-denver-omelet. Also, while you're at it, I highly recommend signing up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter. So many yummy recipes, great guides...If you're like me, you won't regret it.
Ingredients
6 large eggs
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small green bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
Black pepper
4 ounces ham steak or Canadian bacon, coarsely chopped
1-1/2 ounces coarsely grated Monterey Jack or pepper Jack (heaping 1/3 cup)
Preparation
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1/2 teaspoon salt; set aside.
In a medium (10-inch) nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high. When foaming, add the bell pepper and onion, season lightly with salt and pepper and stir to coat in the butter. Shake into an even layer and cook, undisturbed, until browned underneath, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the ham and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to another medium bowl, add the cheese, and stir to combine.
Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-low. Add 1/2 tablespoon butter and swirl to coat the pan. Whisk the egg mixture and pour half into the skillet. Cook without touching until the eggs around the edges of the pan are set, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Using a spatula, slightly pull the edge of the omelet in toward the center and, while holding the spatula in place, tilt the pan so that the egg runs to the empty skillet. Repeat this around the edge of the whole circle until the surface is nearly set but still shiny. (No runny egg will travel when you tilt the pan.)
Spoon half the vegetable mixture onto half the egg, cover the skillet with a lid or baking sheet, and cook until the egg is set and the cheese is melted, 1 to 3 minutes. Run the spatula around the edges, then fold the naked half over the filling. Slide the omelet onto a plate, then repeat with the remaining butter, egg and filling.
EGGS IN A PEPPER
This is from Chef Lizzie at AllRecipes, and begins, "This recipe is paleo and a super easy way to eat your eggs! Can also top with cheese or even a slice of bread."
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 10 minutes; Yield: 1 serving
To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/244281/egg-in-a-pepper/.
Ingredients
1 large egg
1 (1/4 inch thick) ring bell pepper
salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place bell pepper ring in the hot skillet. Crack egg into bell pepper ring; cook until bottom holds together and corners are browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until desired doneness is reached, 2 to 3 minutes more; season with salt and ground black pepper.
YOGURT PARFAIT BREAKFAST POPSICLES
This one comes from one of my favorite emailing sites, thekitchn. If you haven't already signed up for the great emails from thekitchn or its sibling site, Apartment Therapy, you're missing some really cool stuff.
You can view this recipe online here, along with photos of these incredible breakfast popsicles and everything that Faith Durand has to say about these. Serves 6.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pints strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped (around 3 cups chopped)
1/4 cup sugar (or honey)
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
2 to 3 tablespoons honey
3/4 cups granola
Directions
Combine the strawberries and sugar (or honey) in a small saucepan and stir gently to combine. Let the berries macerate on the counter for at least 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and syrupy.
Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a r. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the strawberries are thick and jammy. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. You should have about 1 cup of jammy fruit. (At this point, the strawberries can be refrigerated for up to a week.)
When ready to assemble the popsicles, whisk together the yogurt, 1/4 cup of the milk, and 2 tablespoons of honey. The yogurt should be thick, but pourable (roughly the consistency of regular yogurt). If needed, whisk in a little more milk. Taste and add more honey if desired.
Scoop out 1/4 cup of the yogurt mixture and stir it into the granola. This will help the granola freeze into the popsicles.
Arrange 6 popsicle molds (1/2 cup capacity) on your work surface. Pour a generous spoonful of yogurt into the bottom of each mold. Add a scoop of granola and then a spoonful or two of strawberries. Continue layering yogurt, granola, and strawberries until the molds are filled. Tap the molds lightly agains the counter or use a popsicle stick to work out any air bubbles between the layers.
Insert popsicle sticks into each mold and place the popsicles in the freezer. Freeze until solid, at least 6 hours.
To unmold, run the popsicle molds under hot running water for a few seconds and gently easy the popsicles out of the molds. Popsicles will keep in the freezer for several weeks.
Recipe Notes
You can substitute 1-1/4 cups of regular yogurt for the Greek yogurt. As long as it's pourable, there's no need to thin the yogurt any further.
The strawberries can be replaced with an equal amount of any other fruit.
You can also substitute 1 cup any flavor of jam or fruit preserves for the berries. Skip the jam-making step and proceed with assembling the popsicles.
HAM AND PEPPER FRITTATA
Recipe Yield: Yield: 4 servings, Serving size: 1/4 of recipe
Source: The Complete Diabetes Prevention Plan
Book Title: The Complete Diabetes Prevention Plan
View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/ham-and-pepper-frittata.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup diced, lean, reduced-sodium ham
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 cups fat-free egg substitute
1 cup shredded, reduced-fat, white Cheddar or Swiss cheese
Directions
Coat a large ovenproof skillet with the olive oil and preheat over medium-high heat. Add the peppers, ham, parsley, and black pepper and saute for several minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the ham is beginning to brown. Spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the skillet.
Pour the egg substitute over the skillet mixture and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook without stirring for about 6 minutes, until the eggs are almost set (the edges will be cooked but the top will still be runny).
Remove the lid from the skillet and wrap the handle in aluminum foil (to prevent it from becoming damaged under the broiler). Place the skillet under a preheated broiler and broil for a couple of minutes, until the eggs are set but not dry. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and broil for another minute to melt the cheese. Cut the frittata into 4 wedges and serve hot.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 222; Fat: 8.3 g; Sodium: 690 mg; Cholesterol: 32 mg; Protein: 28 g; Carbohydrates: 7 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 4 Lean Meat, 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat
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!
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