Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
When you’re craving breakfast for dinner
Egg lovers, rejoice: This week we’re talking breakfast for dinner, a beloved genre of cooking and a subject that several readers requested. (Sample reader email in my inbox: “Brunch, brinner!! All breakfast edition YES!”) All these recipes are vegetarian (and two are vegan), although no one is stopping you from adding bacon.
Green shakshuka with avocado and lime
This easy twist on classic North African shakshuka (traditionally eggs baked in tomato-pepper sauce, with cumin, paprika and cayenne) starts with an onion-garlic-chard sautéed until gently wilted: a nest of sorts for steam-poaching eggs. Once the eggs go in, be sure to keep the flame low and keep the pan covered while cooking, so the eggs stay soft and almost oozy at their yolk, and the Cotija melts a bit. The chard and the half-and-half create a sort of light broth at the bottom of the shakshuka, which holds so much flavor and is one of the dish’s charms. Lastly, be daring with smoked hot sauce at the end: It’ll push the creamy avocado, cheese and eggs to their peak.
By Sarah Copeland Yield: 4 servings Total time: 35 minutes Ingredients:
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 large bunch/1 1/2 lbs Swiss chard, stems and leaves separated and chopped (about 9 cups)
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more as needed
• 1/3 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, plus more as needed
• 3 oz Cotija cheese or queso fresco, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 avocado, sliced, for serving
• 1 small jalapeño, thinly sliced, for serving
• Chopped cilantro, for serving
• Smoked hot sauce, for serving
• Corn tortillas, toasted, for serving
• 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving Preparation:
1. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until softening, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 5 minutes more.
2. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the chard stems, and cook to release some liquid, 5 minutes. Add the chard leaves, in batches, adding more as they wilt, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until completely wilted, 3 to 5 minutes more. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, pour in the half-and-half and stir loosely together.
3. Make eight small hollows in the cooked chard with the back of a spoon. Gently crack an egg into each hollow. Cover with a lid or foil and cook on medium-low until the eggs are just set, but still soft, about 7 to 9 minutes. Remove the lid, sprinkle with salt, pepper, Cotija, avocado, jalapeño and cilantro. Serve with smoked hot sauce, toasted tortillas and lime wedges.
TIP: Some cast-iron skillets come with a matching lid, which is useful for making the skillet operate a bit like a mini stovetop oven, cooking evenly and basting the food with flavor and steam. If you don’t have one, use a lid from another pan, or two layers of thick foil, folded at the center and large enough to cover your pan.
Sweet potato hash with tofu
Hash, which comes from the French word for “chop,” can be made of any number of meats and proteins that cook and crisp on the stovetop. One of the most common might be corned beef and potato hash, but this recipe is more hands-off: It cooks on a sheet pan. This vegan hash is sweet, smoky and spicy, with cubes of sweet potato, tofu, peppers and onions. The potatoes and tofu are spunky with chili powder and crisp from cornstarch. Serve the dish for breakfast or dinner, with vinegary red onions for crunch, plus your favorite hash toppings.
By Ali Slagle Yield: 2 to 3 servings Total time: 55 minutes Ingredients:
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium red onion, a quarter thinly sliced, the rest cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 rosemary sprig (optional)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
• 1 (14- to 16-oz) block extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and patted very dry
• 8 oz sweet potato (1 small), cut into
• 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lime juice
• Fried or poached eggs, cilantro, parsley, hot sauce, cheddar, feta and/or ketchup, for serving (optional)
Preparation:
1. Arrange a rack in the bottom third of the oven, heat to 425 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment. In a medium bowl, toss the bell pepper, 1/2-inch pieces of red onion and the rosemary, if using, with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with a pinch of salt, then arrange in a single layer on about one-quarter of the prepared sheet pan.
2. In the same bowl, combine the tofu, sweet potato, cornstarch and 2 teaspoons chili powder and season generously with about 2 teaspoons salt. Toss gently until well coated, then add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer next to the peppers and onion. Roast on the bottom rack until the vegetables are tender and the tofu is crisp underneath, 30 to 35 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss the sliced onion with the vinegar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon chili powder and a pinch of salt. Serve the hash topped with the pickled onions and any additional toppings you like.
Miso-butter mushrooms with silky egg
This dish brings all-day breakfast vibes. The earthy, robust flavors of mushrooms are intensified with an unapologetically savory miso butter. (Tip: Make extra and store in the fridge to season roasted veggies or noodles.) Leaving the mushrooms whole saves preparation time and also ensures that they remain plump and juicy inside. The silky eggs are made like Australian cafe-style scrambled eggs, where they are barely cooked, for only seconds, resulting in a custardy finish. If you are looking for some greenery, stir spinach leaves through the hot mushrooms and let the residual heat wilt them.
By Hetty Lui Mckinnon Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes Ingredients for the mushrooms:
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 24 oz small cremini or button mush rooms, brushed clean and trimmed
• 2 tbsp white miso paste
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened at room temperature for 10 minutes
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds (optional)
Ingredients for the eggs:
• 6 large eggs
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 to 8 slices of bread, toasted, for serving (optional)
Preparation:
1. Prepare the mushrooms: Heat a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium high. Add the olive oil, then throw in all the mushrooms and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan every few minutes, until the mushrooms are golden.
2. While the mushrooms are cooking, place the miso paste, butter and garlic into a small bowl and, using the back of a fork, mash everything together.
3. When the mushrooms are ready, add the miso butter and toss for about 2 minutes, allowing the butter to melt and the miso to coat all of the mushrooms and become slightly sticky. Add the sesame seeds and toss to distribute evenly. Remove from heat and transfer the mushrooms to a plate.
4. Rinse out the skillet with water and dry it. Place it over medium-high heat.
5. Prepare the eggs: Break the eggs into a medium bowl and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and a few turns of black pepper. Whisk well until the whites and yolk are completely combined.
6. Cook the eggs in two batches: To the hot pan, add half of the butter and allow it to melt, swirling it around the pan. Pour in roughly half the eggs and cook undisturbed for 10 to 15 seconds to allow the bottom to set then, using a flexible spatula, push the eggs around the perimeter of the pan in a circular motion, allowing the runnier parts of the egg to cook. Continue to push the eggs in a circular motion for 5 to 10 seconds, just until the center is slightly wet looking and the egg looks rippled. The whole process only takes about 20 to 30 seconds. Remove from the pan and continue with the remaining egg.
7. Serve the eggs with a mound of miso butter mushrooms, with toast on the side, if you like.
Fuul (Somali fava bean stew)
Fuul is a beloved fava bean stew that has long been woven into the culinary fabric of East Africa, North Africa and the Middle East. It’s also known as ful medames or foul mudammas. This comforting stew is served in a variety of ways: slow-simmered whole beans topped with juicy tomatoes and olive oil, or simply crushed and spritzed with lemon juice. This recipe is for Somali-style fuul, which consists of smashed fava beans and receives its intoxicating smell from the xawaash mix. Fuul is eaten for breakfast alongside eggs and fresh anjero, and is perfect for suhoor or iftar.
By Ifrah F. Ahmed Yield: 4 servings Total time: 30 minutes Ingredients:
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
• 4 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp fine sea salt or to taste
• 4 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 (14-oz) can small fava beans, rinsed
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1 handful cilantro leaves, washed and roughly chopped
• Anjero or other flatbread, for serving (optional)
Preparation:
1. In a medium pot or deep skillet over medium heat, warm up the olive oil. Once the olive oil is hot, add the onion and stir. Let the onions cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and almost translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Once the onions have cooked, add in the garlic and let it cook until it softens, about 2 minutes. Add the roughly chopped tomatoes and let them cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes or until they start to break down. Add the salt.
3. While the tomato mixture cooks, prepare the xawaash mix: Add the cumin, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon and cardamom to a small nonstick pan. Toast over low heat, stirring continuously, for 1 minute or until the spice mix becomes fragrant.
4. Add the xawaash mix to the simmering tomato and onions. While the tomatoes finish cooking, add the rinsed fava beans to a medium bowl and use a pestle to mash them until there are almost no whole beans left. Stir the mashed beans into the tomatoes.
5. Stir in the tomato sauce, 1 cup of water and the chopped cilantro leaves into the bean and tomato mixture. Cover the pan and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in up to an additional 1/3 cup of water if the stew gets too thick.
6. Serve the fuul with anjero, if desired. Leftovers keep for about a week in the refrigerator.
Dutch Baby
This large, fluffy pancake is excellent for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dessert any time of year. And it comes together in about 5 blessed minutes. Just dump all of the ingredients into a blender, give it a good whirl, pour it into a heated skillet sizzling with butter, and pop it into the oven. Twenty-five minutes later? Bliss. It’s wonderful simply with sugar, syrup or preserves, but you also can serve it with fresh berries and whipped cream, apple slices cooked in butter and sugar or banana slices lightly cooked then dusted with brown sugar.
By Florence Fabricant Yield: 3 to 4 servings Total time: 40 minutes Ingredients:
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• Syrup, preserves, powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar
Preparation:
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine eggs, flour, milk, sugar and nutmeg in a blender jar and blend until very smooth. Batter may also be mixed by hand.
3. Place butter in a heavy 10-inch skillet and place in the oven. As soon as the butter has melted (watch it so it does not burn) add the batter to the pan, return pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake 5 minutes longer.
4. Remove pancake from oven, cut into wedges and serve topped with syrup, preserves, powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar.