The Perfect Pantry®

Recipe for egg casserole with Italian cheeses, sun-dried tomato and fresh herbs

A bag of beautiful sun-dried tomatoes, a gift from my friend Mary, inspired several dishes in my kitchen recently, including this baked egg casserole with Italian cheeses and fresh herbs from my garden. Egg casseroles make ideal breakfast, brunch or light supper entrées. You can whip them up in minutes, they serve a lot of people, and they adapt to almost any flavor profile, so you can raid the pantry or use up leftover chicken, pasta or cooked vegetables. Add green chiles and cumin, for a Mexican flair, or soy sauce and scallions, to put an egg foo yung spin on this recipe. I love the classic combination of tomato with basil and thyme, both of which are still prolific in my herb garden.

Five favorite weekend breakfast recipes

On weekdays, breakfast in our house tends toward granola, cereal, an egg or two, or the occasional whole-grain frozen waffle, but come the weekends, I've been known to break out the pots and pans and cook more substantial morning meals. When we have a house full of guests, or kids and grandkids, I love to make a big breakfast, but I don't want to spend all morning in the kitchen. I make myself a big cup of coffee, and whip up one of my five favorite weekend breakfast dishes.

Lobster, corn and basil quiche recipe

Last Saturday -- an average day, no special occasion -- I awoke with the urge to make a luxurious breakfast for my husband Ted and me. No explanation of why I felt drawn to cook on a Saturday morning (believe me, this never happens), but I recognized it right away as a splendid idea. My pantry offered the basic components for quiche: pie crust, eggs, cheese. Basil in the garden, and cooked lobster tail and roasted corn in the freezer from a recent Trader Joe's shopping trip, came together in this lobster, corn and basil quiche. Fresh lobster and corn cut off the cob would make it that much better, but it was so good that I want you to make this recipe even if you rely on frozen and pantry ingredients. You can substitute shrimp, langoustines or chunks of salmon for the lobster. Serve this quiche with a green salad and glass of white wine for lunch or supper, or make it for breakfast on an ordinary Saturday morning, and turn the day into a special occasion.

Recipe for vegan avocado and edamame (soy bean) spread on toast

Indexing recipes so you can find them easily on The Perfect Pantry is one of the toughest parts of my job. After all, who am I to dictate that this avocado and edamame spread should be a lunch dish? I enjoyed it for breakfast, and again for mid-afternoon snack, and then I gave the rest away to someone who ate it for a light summer supper. And then I went out and bought another avocado so I could make it again the same day. Please try this, even if you think you don't love soybeans. The creamy, sesame goodness will win you over.