Breakfast is great for dinner, and it's good for you too!

When you hear, "breakfast for dinner," you generally think of a greasy mess or sugar rush, right? Well, here is a nice little hearty, yet healthy, breakfast meal. 

Remember Liezl, my friend that started the whole "pizza for visiting friends" thing? She was here a few weeks ago and we had pizza for Sunday lunch. Dinner rolled around and I didn't know what I was going to do since all I had envisioned that day was lunch! I know, not the ideal Mom thing to do. Anyway, I assessed the sit-chee-ay-shun and discovered that I had great ingredients for frittata. 

Vegetable Frittata:  Preheat the oven (I think it was around 300º-350º). Be sure your pan is oven-safe. I like to use my trusty stainless 10" Calphalon with a fitting glass lid for frittata. First, I sautéed onion with garlic in olive oil, on medium heat. While those were getting to the sweating stage, I scrambled about 6-8 eggs in a large mixing bowl with a sploosh of water. I seasoned that with the Fab Four (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder), then tossed in a pinch of dill. Or was it thyme? Don't remember, but toss in whatever you like. Oh, and I also dolloped some plain organic yogurt in there. You can try Greek yogurt too (works just as well as sour cream).

Next, I added the asparagus to the sauté until they were tender. I grabbed a big handful of arugula & spinach mix, threw them in the pan with the asparagus and stirred them up until they wilted down. I added the eggs and stirred it a bit in the pan to evenly distribute the veggies. At this point I left it alone on a lower heat and let the eggs cook to a separation layer in the pan (this is when the eggs make a nice fried layer that allows your spatula to slip nicely underneath without disturbing the form). 

I grabbed the pre-grated (thanks, husband!) goat cheese and parm from pizza-making earlier in the day, and sprinkled it into the wet egg. When it started to look like it might be coming together, I covered it and stuck it in the oven (I think it was at around 300º or 350ºF). After about 8 minutes I checked to be sure it was cooked and then slid the whole egg disc onto a plate. Voilà! Frittata. (Slice wedges easily with a pizza cutter.)

"What are those little pancake deals next to the frittata," you ask? Quinoa Cakes! Yes, I said quinoa (pronounced keen-wa). Check out Martha's recipe from the Everyday Food magazine. It's SO yummy, and my favorite way to eat quinoa. They go swimmingly (literally, or figuratively) with Target's Archer Farms organic 100% maple syrup. Not a fancy boutique syrup that would make our east coast friends proud, but a decent, inexpensive alternative.

What have you made when you eat "breakfast for dinner?" Let me know if you try either recipe!