Try breakfast for dinner: this week on Shelly’s Friday Favourites

Most people do breakfast for dinner once in awhile. Eggs, bacon, and pancakes are comfort food, and especially in the winter, it’s nice to tuck into easy comfort food after a long day or chilly commute.

But there are ways you can take that comfort food and make it into a dinner so gourmet, you’ll want to invite friends over to share it with you. So stock up on eggs, champagne, and orange juice and get ready to take Breakfast for Dinner to another level.

Super Eggs Benedict

Out of all of the dishes you could make when you do breakfast for dinner, you have to have eggs benedict. Maybe you’ve skipped it because you were intimidated by making your own hollandaise sauce, so here’s Jamie Oliver’s recipe for Super Eggs Benedict to get you started. To keep your hollandaise from separating as it cools, he recommends keeping it in a thermos.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Trim and finely chop the spring onions and put them into a large frying pan on a medium-low heat with a little drizzle of oil. Add the spinach with a grating of nutmeg and a good pinch of sea salt and pepper. Cook down until dark and delicious, and any excess water has cooked away, then add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste, and keep warm.

To make the hollandaise, melt the butter in a small pan. Put the egg yolks into a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and whisk with a tablespoon of lemon juice and the mustard. Whisking constantly, very slowly (otherwise it will split) pour the melted butter into the egg mixture, until well combined, adding a splash of water to loosen, if needed. Whisk in a splash of vinegar and season to perfection. Turn the heat off and keep warm over the pan of water, stirring occasionally, and loosening with an extra splash of water if needed (or see tip).

Warm the muffins in the oven. Meanwhile, simply press an oiled sheet of good-quality clingfilm into an oiled teacup, then crack 2 eggs into it to cheat a double-yolker. Bring the sides up, ease out any air, twist together and tie a tight knot to pouch the egg into a parcel – it’s very easy. Repeat with the remaining eggs (a drizzle of truffle oil, a shake of Tabasco or a few fresh soft herbs can be added to your parcels for extra flavour).

Poach the parcels in a pan of gently simmering water for 8½ minutes. To check they’re done, lift one out with a slotted spoon and gently squeeze.

Halve the warm muffins, then divide over the spinach and waves of delicate ham. Unwrap the poached double-yolker eggs and balance on top, spoon a tablespoon of hollandaise over each one, then bust the eggs open and enjoy.

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes with Blueberry Maple Syrup

These pancakes are made from coconut flour but even if you’re not into clean eating, you’ll still love these. I highly recommend toasting some shredded coconut and sprinkling on top before you serve. Photo and recipe from Ambitiouskitchen.com.

Directions

In large bowl whisk together coconut flour and baking soda; set aside. In a separate medium bowl, beat nut butter, eggs, honey, applesauce and almond milk together until smooth and well combined. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and mix together. Note: If you find that the batter is WAY too thick (almost paste like), you can add in a teaspoon or two of milk until it is smooth, but still thick.

Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with butter or coconut oil and place over medium low heat (coconut flour is sensitive to burning so medium-low heat is best). Drop about 3 tablespoons of the batter onto the skillet; you may need to use a spoon to spread out the batter just a tiny bit. It’s important not to place more than 3 tablespoons of batter at a time; the pancakes can be hard to flip if they are too large, so smaller pancakes are best. Plus mini pancakes are adorable, duh. It’s very important to cook until bubbles appear on top and the edges are well cooked. Flip cakes and cook until golden brown on underside, 2 minutes. If you find that the pancakes are browning too quickly then you need to lower your skillet heat a bit. Wipe skillet clean and repeat with more melted butter or cooking spray and remaining batter. Makes 3 servings, 2 pancakes each.

To make the syrup, place maple syrup and blueberries in saucepan over medium heat. Wait until mixture begins to simmer and boil, and stir every few minutes. Once mixture begins to breakdown and blueberries cook down about 5 minutes, remove from heat and serve warm over pancakes immediately.

Maple Bacon Cookie Dough Truffles

Every breakfast for dinner needs a dessert, and these Maple Bacon Cookie Dough Truffles give you the best breakfast-bacon flavour while still satisfying any sweet tooth. Photo and recipe from food.com.

Directions

Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment or wax paper.

Using a large standing mixer, cream the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add the condensed milk and maple syrup and beat until well-mixed, then add the flour and salt and beat on low until combined. Stir in bacon.

Using a small scoop or a teaspoon, scoop up small round balls of the dough and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for one hour. Remove from fridge and roll into balls. Place back in fridge for another hour.

Melt chocolate in double boiler, in the microwave or, as I prefer, in a Crock Pot on low. Dip balls one at a time and coat evenly. [I tried dumping a bunch in the Crock Pot at once but they get soft fast. Alternatively, you could put the balls in the freezer for a few minutes before dipping first so they get good and cold.] Remove them with a fork and tap against the side of the pot to remove any excess chocolate. Place back on baking sheet and top with a piece of candied bacon, if desired.

Put truffles back in fridge until firm. Store in fridge.

This weekend if you’re wondering what to do for dinner, look no further than breakfast for ideas. Here are a few kitchen tools you can use to make your breakfast/dinner even better.

A great skillet is a must-have for any breakfast

Make perfect pancakes with the Norpro pancake dispenser

Perfectly poached eggs are simple when you have the Cuisipro Egg Poacher