Bring a Bit of Morning to Dinnertime ― with Brinner

BACK TO BASICS | by KAVITA VARMA-WHITE

EVERY MOM ― WHETHER WORKING OUTSIDE THE HOME OR AT HOME ― HAS DAYS where dinner time comes around and you’re either a) too tired to cook, b) haven’t planned a menu, or c) don’t feel inspired. Sometimes it’s d) all of the above!

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That’s when it’s time to turn to a meal everyone loves: Brinner (a.k.a.  Breakfast for Dinner.) Since preparation is relatively easy, it’s also a great opportunity to get the kids involved. Try one of these Brinner menus:

Made To Order: This is a traditional egg-meat-toast-fruit combo. To prep, cut up whatever fruit you have in the house for a quick fruit salad. Then act as a short- order cook. One child takes egg/meat orders on a notebook, while the other one is in charge of the “Toast station.”  Once the orders are in, fry up the eggs/bacon/sausage to their specifications.

The Breaky Bar: This meal balances nutrition and, well, decadence. For the main course, do omelets with whatever veggies you have on hand (spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes).  For the second course, make hot steamy pancakes or waffles served with a “toppings” bar (fruit, chocolate chips, walnuts, syrup).

Bowl of Breakfast: This hearty pasta has spaghetti, bacon, eggs and spinach and will remind you of a sort of deconstructed Carbonara.

1. Sauté spinach (use fresh or frozen) till cooked.
2. Prepare bacon in skillet until crispy.
3. Boil spaghetti.
4. Assemble servings in individual bowls, layering spinach, spaghetti and crumbled bacon on top. (Hide the spinach on bottom – kids are less bothered by it that way.)
5. Prepare sunny-side up eggs, one for each bowl.  Place the egg on top of the layers and season with salt and pepper.  The egg yolk acts as pasta sauce.