So, it’s 95 degrees outside and you don’t want to heat up the house with the oven and it’s definitely too hot to grill. Try this hearty and easy menu.  Breakfast for Dinner is always a fun treat!

Stuffed French Toast

I adore Neufchâtel cream cheese because it is lighter than regular cream cheese due to it’s higher moisture content and less fat…thirty-three percent less fat to be exact! You won’t miss the fat when you taste it.  A great substitute over regular cream cheese, you will find it in my refrigerator all of the time.

One-Day Old Portuguese Sweet Bread made in a loaf pan or Challah bread

1/2 cup of orange marmalade

1/2 c. cherries, pitted and chopped

1 pkg. Neufchâtel cream cheese, softened

Zest of two oranges, divided in half

1 tsp. almond extract

1 c. half and half

2 tbsp. agave nectar or honey

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Make your filling by whipping the Neufchâtel for about 2 minutes. Add orange marmalade, cherries and half of your orange zest.

In another bowl, whisk together the half and half, agave nectar, eggs,  almond extract, half of your orange zest and cinnamon.

Cut Sweet or Challah Bread into slices one-inch thick. Make a sandwich with two slices of sweet bread and the cream cheese fruit filling in the middle.

Soak your sandwich in the custard.  butter in a pan and cook the French Toast until browned on both sides.

Cover in pure maple syrup and homemade whipped cream.

Variations: Try stuffing your French Toast with bananas and topping with candied pecans. Strawberry Banana is always a good combination, too. You can make a quick compote by cooking your strawberries, fresh or frozen, with a little raw honey, orange zest and a little orange juice. Serve over top with homemade whipped cream.

Portuguese Omelets

My grandmother never threw any leftovers away, no matter how small! Leftovers were used to make another meal the next day. She’d boil a roast one day to flavor soup, then the roast would be baked the next day for a Portuguese Roast with Chourico, a Portuguese smoked sausage, potatoes and carrots.  She’d then use the leftover meat and potatoes to make these delicious Portuguese Omelets. It doesn’t take much.  Sometimes when I just have a couple of small pieces of meat and a potato left, I can make a whole meal with it by using this recipe!

2 pieces of leftover meat such as beef or pork, or even a couple of pieces of ham from the deli

3 eggs

Handful of parsley

1 cooked potato, diced

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

3 scallions, chopped or a little bit of onion, minced

1 tsp. salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. dried red crushed pepper flakes or a couple of drops of hot sauce

Beat eggs in a bowl and add chopped meat, chopped potatoes, chopped scallions or diced onions, chopped fresh parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, red crushed pepper and salt.

Stir well. Coat pan with olive oil or spray. Pour about a 1/2 c.  of the mixture onto the pan. Keep the round shape and cook until golden brown on each side. You are making small omelets.