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Breakfast food is some of the best food out there but we don’t always have the time to eat in the morning, let alone eat a meal that is as decadent as we may want. The weekend can give more time to prepare the breakfasts that we desire however that long sleep is very tempting and you just want to relax or you’ve already made 100 plans to fill just two days.
I am not a morning person at the best of times and do not have the time to make a big breakfast so when I found the book Breakfast for Dinner I knew I needed it in my life.
The book is very bright with beautiful images of food and a personal feel with the font styles and dish summary’s. When flicking through the book all the dishes look tempting and give the impression that these meals are made to be part of a chilled out meal.
I started working my way through the book and chose a selection of dishes to give the book a fair first review. I have put below what I have tried so far. This of things I wanted to try in this book was much longer.
Granola Pancakes
These are some of the best pancakes I have had in a long time. They are nice and fluffy and as the book states would be great any time, for a meal or a snack. The book recommends putting a salty honey sauce with them but I left them without on this occasion. I used a caramelised nut granola which added a good amount of sweetness already. These are best eaten as soon as they are made as after a while the granola can go soft and takes away from the flavour of the pancake.
Tip – When making the pancakes thin the mixture out a little with the back of a spoon when cooking. When the batter is staked too high it’s more likely to burn.
Beignets
Do people actually have these for breakfast? If so, please tell me where, as I think I need to move. I didn’t think this was a typical breakfast but I have always wanted to try them, so why not now. I guess this is no different than having a doughnut for breakfast. The book says they can be dipped in butter or put with cheese but I wanted these to be sweet so they needed to be covered in icing sugar, a more traditional way for these to be served.
The process for these pillows of dough was much more simple than I thought they would be and the only annoying part was waiting for them to chill for the 24 hours.
When deep-frying the mix they puffed well and the smell all around the kitchen was glorious. Sadly the book didn’t give a clear indication as to how long to fry the beignets for. Some of my dough began to burn and the others I removed from the oil just before they got to that stage. From the outside they all looked delicious but every one of them was raw in the middle. A very disappointing end but on the plus side the smell that filled the kitchen for the rest of the day was worth the effort.
Egg in the hole
Such a simple meal but so tasty. Also quick to make, so good to have at any time of day. I like to serve mine with some salad and balsamic drizzle and have it as a light brunch dish. All you need to do is cut a hole in your slice of bread. I like to use a cookie cutter to get a clean edge and then toast it in a pan a little before adding your egg to the hole. It’s as easy as that. The book suggests making it the same way as I do but with rocket and sourdough. Any bread will work for this, it all depends on your preference.
Huevos Rancheros
The Mexican breakfast of eggs and spicy tomatoes is usually served with tortilla chips however this book does it two ways. One dish is served extra spicy with a flour tortilla and the other is served a bit more mild and served atop a waffle. I went the tortillas route. It says the spicy option is good for when your feeling a little rough after a good night, even though I wasn’t in that state of mind I was still very happy with my breakfast meal. This was a surprisingly filling dish and the heat had a good pick me up feeling.
Welsh Rarebit Waffles
Since I didn’t try the waffles with the Huevos Rancheros I decided to try the Welsh Rarebit Waffles. Cheese on toast is a classic comfort dish and Welsh Rarebit comes under that. This 18th century dish has stayed popular to this day so maybe it was time to adapt it a little. This version was a success. The batter created a wonderful waffle which was a great base for this dish. My first attempt at the waffle did burn but I did test them again and again and once perfected this batter works really well. I have a old-fashioned waffle maker which you place over a gas flame but if you have an electric maker it makes everything much easier. I’m afraid the waffles that cam out looking the best were eaten before any pictures could be taken.
Overall I did really like this version of rarebit as the topping is delicious but it is still a cheese on toast and even though it was a tasty I think toast works better.
*Breakfast for Dinner was a book I had such high hopes for as I love having breakfast food but I am never in a state to have it early in the morning. I am an awful morning person so seeing a book all about have breakfast for dinner, well it spoke to me and I was excited to try it. Some of the recipes create beautiful tasting food and if your not hungry when you start looking at the book you will be when you finish.
Even though the book is called breakfast for dinner, a lot of these meals are quick to prepare so there is not reason to have to wait for dinner to make them. I think many of these are perfect for brunch and lunch times but I do love the book and you may see a part two at some point when I continue on with that list of mine.