I can never have a savory breakfast; it just doesn’t appeal to me at all. I need something sweet and as close to a dessert as I can get away with eating when I wake up.

Dinner is another story. I love a big plate of hot, savory food at night. I also love eating all the “traditional” breakfast foods like hash browns then since I’d never eat them otherwise. Sure, you could make this for breakfast. But I think it’s much better for dinner. Just imagine all your cares from that day flowing away like the runny yolk when it breaks and suddenly nothing seems so bad any more. Just remember to leave room for breakfast dessert.

Brussel Sprout and Potato Hash With Fried Eggs

Ingredients(for 2 servings):

• 1 1/2 brussel sprouts, steamed*
• 2 medium potatoes, cooked and diced*
• 1 onion, julienned
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup of butter, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

*You can do this easily by microwaving them together for 4 minutes before starting.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium heat. Once the pan is heated, add in the brussel sprouts, potatoes, and onion.

Cook for 10 minutes tossing the contents of the pan periodically until all the sides have had a chance to brown. Divide the contents of the pan between two plates or bowls and return the pan over the burner.

Using the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, fry each egg individually in the pan. When each is done, plate it over the hash two to a plate. When all are done, season with salt and pepper.

My favorite part really is the runny yolks. If the yolks aren’t runny, well, I’d still eat it but it wouldn’t be the same. Apparently pregnant women shouldn’t eat runny yolks; I’m glad that’s never in my future.

I’m a sucker for a sale. So when I saw sole on sale for 50% off at Whole Foods, my gut reaction was to buy it. Never mind that I hadn’t cooked/ate fish for probably half a year. It was on sale.

When I actually thought about how I wanted to eat it, fried and spicy seemed right. This dish has everything you could want: the fish is a soft; the avocado is creamy; the kale is a little tough and gives it all a bit of a bite. It felt like something you’d order at a restaurant.

Chili-Rubbed Sole With Sautéed Kale And Avocado

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

• 1/2lb sole(or other white fish)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 bunch of kale, chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 avocado
• Lemon for serving

Cover one side of the fish with half of the chili powder and rub it in. Shake off the excess and do the same for the next side.

In the meantime, heat a large pan over medium-high heat with the oil.

Lay the fish in to cook. After about 90 seconds flip the first side over. Use a wide tool and be careful not to break the fillet.

Cook for another 90 seconds or so until the center is cooked through. Gently remove the fish from the pan to rest but not the oil.

When the fish is removed, add in the kale to sauté in the oil. This is a great time to use frozen kale for a cheap but nutritious option.

Sauté the kale until it’s soaked up the oil and reduced to about half the size. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

To plate, first make a bed of kale. Next add a piece of the fish fillet and season that with a sprinkle of the remaining salt. Cut the avocado in half and then into wedges and lay them down among the fish, serving with a wedge of lemon.

I really really hope this sale goes on for a while.

Comfort food rarely looks appealing, and yet there’s nothing we want more. It’s warm, thick, and often rich with flavor; who cares what it looks like? This has been my favorite comfort food lately. It’s not really a stew because there’s no liquid. Instead, it’s a thick, creamy bowl of flavorful carbs. And that is the most comforting thing in my eyes.

Lentils With Potatoes And Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry lentils
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3-4 starchy potatoes, diced and cooked
• 1 onion, julienned
• 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for finishing

Start by cooking your lentils to completion with the bay leaf, salt, and pepper. When the lentils are done cooking, remove the bay leaf and discard.

Meanwhile, caramelize onions in a large frying pan with the olive oil. Once the onions are loose and translucent, add in the potatoes as if you were making a hash and cook for 10-15 minutes until they start forming a crust.

Add the onions and potatoes in with the lentils and mix the contents together well. Don’t worry if the lentils start mashing and the potatoes break apart; that just means the flavor will blend together more. Serve hot and drizzle with good extra virgin olive oil(the kind Ina’s always pushing).

I didn’t promise a pretty bowl, but I will promise that you can’t eat this without smiling. It’s thick and hearty and can please the cravings of a meat and potato lover. I like to eat this with ketchup, which is weird because I don’t normally put ketchup on anything. I’d also suggest eating this on the couch watching trashy TV wearing old sweat pants, because it’s that kind of comfort food.

I love leftovers. Even though they’re already cooked and flavored, they’re so easy to make into something new and flavorful. Some foods even get better on age. I made The Best Quinoa Stuffing to bring to a party on Sunday. First of all, you wouldn’t be able to imagine how much Italian grandmothers loved quinoa, even if they couldn’t spell it for their life. Soft, flavorful and easy to chew? It was bound to be a winner with my family. With the leftovers I wanted to do something a little different; I decided to cook it like I would leftover rice, except add bacon because bacon makes it better. Chinese restaurants should take a hint from me.

Bacon-Fried Quinoa

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of bacon, diced
• 1/2 cup leftover, prepared quinoa(I used The Best Quinoa Stuffing)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Heat a pan over low-medium heat. Add in the diced bacon and cook it until it’s pink and starting to crisp at the edges.

Add in the leftover quinoa, egg, and soy sauce. Constantly move the ingredients around in the pan over the heat until the egg has cooked and the fat has been absorbed. Be careful as the quinoa tends to pop when the pan is dry. Serve hot.

Just like fried rice, this isn’t the prettiest dish but boy does it taste good. Adding the soy sauce and bacon elevates the flavor of the quinoa a lot; I could hardly tell this was the same dish as the leftovers.

I served it with steamed brussel sprouts with a little soy sauce, because I just love brussel sprouts and bacon. You could add more vegetables to cook with the bacon and make this into a stir-fry. Or you could forget vegetables together and add more bacon. I’m not one to judge when it comes to loving bacon.

This is one of my favorite things to make for lunch or brunch on the weekend. It’s a flavorful dish that’s extremely easy to cook, and it’s very warm and comforting, just like real eggs should be. It goes great with hash browns or any other sort of carbs you could imagine. All you need is a block of tofu and a few pantry-staples to make this, too.

Scrambled Tofu

Ingredients(For 2 servings):

• 1 block firm or extra-firm tofu
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add in the diced onion and cook until translucent.

Next, crumble in the tofu using your hands. Sprinkle in the paprika, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder and fold them in with a fork. Cook 5-10 minutes while the tofu absorbs the oil and moisture cooks off. It will be done when the tofu starts sticking to the bottom of the pan and turning brown in parts.

Season with salt and pepper.

These really can be made and used in any way regular eggs are. Stuff them in a tortilla for a new twist on a breakfast burrito, or eat them with ketchup or siracha—whatever floats your boats. And you could certainly fool even the staunchest meat eaters in looks and flavor with these.