breakfast for dinner

I’m going to make a confession, but you have to keep it between us, okay?

About a year ago, I went to brunch with a couple of friends, and Olga ordered a dutch baby with blueberry compote. I had no idea what it was, but feigned excitement when she and Maggie talked about it before we arrived. A bit later, a small cast-iron skillet arrived at the table. Underneath the blanket of warm blueberry sauce was a fluffy, light as air puff of egg and flour.

Little did I know the chance to make this at home was right under my nose. My eyes had always glanced over the recipe for oven puffed pancakes in my Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book. You know, the one with the red check gingham cover.

For years I dismissed it, thinking why crank up the oven for something I’ve always made on the stovetop? Yes, stupid me. My punishment for lack of culinary curiosity all those years was missing out on one of my family’s favorite meals now—dutch baby.

A dutch baby is more than simply a baked pancake. In fact, its base is primarily eggs, and for that reason it’s become my go-to dinner on busy weeknights, of which I seem to be in a pattern of never-ending ones.

And it all started with an email from my friend Michelle. She sent a few recipes to try out from her new book The Whole Family Cookbook. In it was one for a baked apple puff. Having spent some time in a heated affair with making dutch babies after that brunch at Little Giant, I knew exactly where this recipe would lead me.

Or so I thought.

It turns out Michelle’s recipe re-ignited my lust for making this pretty easy dish, and the eggs lend a protein punch, making it a perfect breakfast-for-dinner meal. After getting all hot and heavy with Michelle’s apple version, I expanded my horizons into the savory realm.

The first time I branched out, it was with fingerling potatoes sliced into coins, thinly sliced shallots and shredded cheddar cheese. The next time I subbed crispy homefries for the fingerlings, earning bonus points for using up leftovers from the past weekend’s breakfast.

Since that fateful day I opened Michelle’s email, I’ve also swapped in almond extract for the vanilla and added lemon zest. I even made a lemon ricotta variation, but that one needs a bit of tweaking before I can wax poetic about it.

The moral of this story?

Eat your breakfast—every chance you get.

As for Michelle’s recipe for the baked apple puff, go order a copy of The Whole Family Cookbook today. You won’t be disappointed, and the color-coded age specific instructions make it easy to assign tasks so the kids can help out. I’ll be posting a recipe for my savory fingerling, shallot & rosemary dutch baby soon, either here or at In Jennie’s Kitchen.

And if you’re looking for some ideas for a quick No Fast Food Friday meal, why not make it a breakfast for dinner night. Here’s few recipes to get you started.

Savory Waffles — Eat, Play, Love

Oat Ricotta Pancakes — In Jennie’s Kitchen

Toad in the Hole — Three Many Cooks

Gluten-Free Whole Grain Crepes —Gluten-Free Girl & The Chef

Breakfast Casserole — Savory Sweet Life

Tomato Jam & Mozzarella Eggy — In Jennie’s Kitchen

Breakfast Polenta — 101 Cookbooks

Manchego Cheese Grits — The Merry Gourmet

Steel Cut Oats with Caramelized Onions & Ricotta — In Jennie’s Kitchen

For more ideas, go take a peek at what Gina, Melissa, Kristen and Michelle are up to for No Fast Food Friday. And Rob always offers food for thought, so follow him on twitter.

15-minute homemade granola bars

Finding a way to navigate life in these ever-changing times can be paralyzing. The advent of technology and explosion of 24/7 media means we have more information at our disposal than we can ever really hope to digest.

A simple trip to the supermarket requires the stealth research of a journalist, armed with credible sources.

But what is credible in this day and age, since news—be it in print, online or television is not objective? You know where someone stands immediately whether they watch Fox News or CNN, reads the New York Post or New York Times.

The best advice I can offer is to take a moment and consider the effect our collective purchasing power has on what makes it to supermarket shelves. Perhaps if we truly pondered the big picture—the world beyond our borders, the planet we are leaving to our children, then there would be only one real convenient way of eating.

I find my curiosity piqued as my eyes wander over the ingredients strewn across the conveyor belt just ahead of my own items. Is it fair to cast judgement based solely on one’s grocery purchases? I know deep down the answer is no. Food is a complicated ingredient in all of our lives. The decision of what to buy is often compromised by budget and time available.

I sometimes question if I’m over-thinking my own approach to feeding my family. Then as I peruse labels, I realize cooking from scratch is the only way I can peacefully co-exist with the planet.

This article from NPR’s Public Radio Kitchen is a glimpse of what is inherently wrong with today’s food system. Then I read this piece in the New York Time’s and it reminded me I’m not alone in my struggles with decisions when it comes to politics of the plate. I find myself raising many of the same questions as Yoon does in her article.

As those moments creep into my daily life, I stop myself and take a long, deep breath. Rather than feel overcome with helplessness, I retreat to the kitchen and go on with life the only way I know how.

oat ricotta pancakes

There’s an ongoing joke during mealtimes in my house. Once a plate hits the table my daughter asks “is there ricotta in here mom?”. Eight year olds, or at least the one that shares my gene pool, don’t dream of warm, creamy curds by the spoonful.

steel cut oats—two ways

Oatmeal seems simple enough, but it’s a divisive breakfast in our house. I love the nutty, toothsome texture of steel cut oats, as does my youngest daughter. The Mr. and my 7-year-old prefer old fashioned oats. Luckily, steel cut oats are forgiving, provided you don’t overcook them, so I can make a pot on Mondays and heat portions as the week goes on.

homemade vanilla bean yogurt

Homemade yogurt is a pretty hot trend right now—and for good reason. I’d never met a plain yogurt I liked until making my own a few months ago. The tangy, creaminess is a rewarding treat after a patient waiting period.

homemade muesli

I must confess, until two weeks ago, I really never knew the difference between muesli and oatmeal. Crazy, yes, but I’m also new to the oatmeal game. When I was a little girl, I’d beg my nana for oatmeal each morning because my older sister loved it. Then I’d find myself staring at a bowl of mush, and suddenly realized I preferred food that required teeth. Something with texture that I could actually enjoy.

foolproof cinnamon buns

The original recipe for these was featured in Cook’s Illustrated back in 2002. It was a very genius approach to cinnamon rolls, using baking powder instead of yeast. They had me at no proofing necessary.

buttermilk pancakes

Very early on in my baking follies, I remember being told to spoon and sweep. As I’ve evolved as a baker, I now rely on weights. Not all cups are created equal, so that alone can mean the difference of an ounce or two.Scooping vs. sweeping is a whole other ballpark. Using one set of my measuring cups, the difference is just under an ounce.

Ounces matter in baking. To be even more precise, grams matter in baking, and there are 28 of them in an ounce, so a recipe with a variance of 2 ounces either way, will certainly affect your end result.