Breakfast at Tiffany’s?

PROVIDENCE – Breakfast for dinner … why not? There’s no one to tell you that you can’t enjoy breakfast for your dinnertime meal. And, even a dessert is acceptable; after all, you’re in charge. In keeping with our Seniors-themed Issue, we’ve portion-sized these recipes for a two-person household.

These recipes, both savory and sweet, look easy to make and delicious to eat.

Omelet with mixed greens and cilantro

This recipe comes from Joan Nathan’s “The New American Cooking … (Alfred A. Knopf, 2005).

Nathan, formerly of Providence, writes, “You can substitute spinach, dill, basil or parsley for the herbs, and bitter greens and tomatoes for the mushrooms.”

Ingredients

5 large eggs

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 ounces grated cheddar cheese

1 handful (about ½ cup or 1½ ounces) chopped mustard greens

1 handful (about ½ cup or or 1 ½ ounces) chopped arugula

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 scallions, minced

3 shitake mushrooms, diced

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method

Beat the eggs into a medium bowl and mix well.

Heat the butter in a 10-inch nonstick frying pan and swirl it around to coat the bottom. Carefully pour the eggs into the pan and turn the heat to medium-high.

Sprinkle the cheese on one-half of the omelet, 2 inches from the edge.

When the eggs are cooked on the bottom and around the edge but still a bit liquid in the middle, arrange the mustard greens, arugula, cilantro, scallions and shitake mushrooms on top of the cheese.

Gently fold one-half of the egg mass on top of the other half.

Remove from the heat and let steam for 3 – 5 minutes, until the greens are wilted. Then return to the heat for 1 – 2 minutes to make sure the omelet is warmed through.

Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Serves 2 to 3.

Mozzarella and onion tart

Ingredients

1 medium onion, sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ pound refrigerated or homemade piecrust

1 tablespoon red-onion chutney, or chutney of one’s choice

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 small or medium egg, beaten

2 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into small pieces

Method

Preheat oven to 375.

Sauté the onion slices in olive oil until soft and lightly browned.

Roll out the piecrust on a floured board and line a 10½-inch tart pan.

Stir the chutney into the sautéed onions and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread the mixture in the pastry shell. Sprinkle with the basil.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven, add the beaten egg and dot the mozzarella pieces over the top.

Bake for 10 minutes longer. Let cool slightly, then serve.

Serves 2.

The recipe is from “the jewish princess feasts and festivals,” by Georgie Tarn and Tracey Fine (Sterling, 2009).

Easy blintz soufflé

This recipe, submitted by Arthur C. Norman, comes from Hollibeth Halpert.

Ingredients

4 thawed frozen blintzes, flavor of your choosing

2 medium eggs

⅛ cup sour cream or substitute plain yogurt, if you prefer

1 tablespoon butter

2 teaspoons orange juice

2 dashes vanilla extract

1 teaspoon sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine all the ingredients in a blender or beat until smooth.

Coat a shallow baking dish with nonstick spray and place the thawed blintzes into the baking dish.

Cover the blintzes with the mixture.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve hot.

Serves 2.

Yogurt pear parfait

Ingredients

2 firm ripe pears, peeled, cored and quartered

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1½ tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon cinnamon

small pinch of ground allspice

⅛ cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup granola, divided

⅔ cup vanilla yogurt, divided

⅛ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger, optional

Method

Toss pears with lemon juice in a bowl to prevent browning.

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Melt butter in skillet; add pears.

Cook and stir about 3 – 4 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in cinnamon and allspice; add brown sugar.

Cook 2 – 3 minutes until pears are tender and juices have formed a syrupy consistency.

Remove from heat. Parfaits may be assembled while pears are warm or cool.

Place 2 tablespoons of granola in the bottom of each of 2 parfait glasses.

Divide the yogurt into each of the parfait glasses atop granola.

Divide caramelized pears between the 2 glasses, top each with the remainder of the granola. Sprinkle with crystallized ginger, if used.

Makes 2 servings.

The recipe is from “Simply Southern, With a Dash of Kosher Soul” (Margolin Hebrew Academy, 2010).