Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Frittata Bolatta Mi My Mo Motta - Fritatta!

While I was stalking another blog, I noticed that I have a new follower. This has inspired me to get back to the blogging after a hiatus in which I made several batches of cookies and had a dinner party at which I attempted to regale my guests with full-fat versions of incredible food. I didn't have to scrape any leftovers into the garbage, so let's call it a success.

I know you are really here in the blogosphere because you heart the incredible, edible egg, so let's get going with the frittata. For the uninitiated, as I was very recently, a frittata is like a quiche without the pie crust. You can fill it with just about any (healthy - I hope) veggie that you want. You will need a pan that can go from the stove top to the broiler so it needs to be capable of withstanding some heat.
While you prep your veggies, turn the broiler on low and let it preheat. Meanwhile, whisk six eggs, 1/4 cup of milk, and 1/4 lb. of cooked and roughly chopped bacon together in a medium bowl. That's the tasty surprise in our frittata - bacon! The Cook Yourself Thin ladies suggest 1/4 cup of Romano cheese, but I didn't use any because of the DH. I can honestly say I didn't miss the cheese this one time. I say skip the cheese and add another piece of bacon - mmmm!
Heat a medium non-stick skillet (the one that can go in the oven in a few minutes) on the stove top and you are going to progressively add the ingredients. If you are improvising, keep in mind that the higher the water content of your vegetable, the later you will want to add it in the mix. Here's what we like in our frittata. Put them in the skillet in groups then saute for about 3-4 minutes before you add the next group.
First:
3-4 garlic cloves (no vampires come over for brunch)
1/4 c. of white onion
Second:
1/2 c. of asparagus
1 large zucchini, sliced in half moons.
1 bell pepper (I prefer green)
Oooh... wouldn't a jalapeno be fun here?
Third:
1/2 c. mushrooms sliced thinly (I just use what the grocery store has pre-sliced)
1/4 c. tomato (okay, I don't really use tomato because of the DH, but it would go here)
Fourth:
1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
If you, like me, do not have an herb garden, then feel free to substitute dried herbs - just change the amount to about a teaspoon. Watch out for that thyme, though. It can easily overpower the other flavors. Of course, you also need the requisite fresh ground black pepper.
After your saute action has yielded a nice mix of slightly firm and bright vegetables, pour the egg mixture over the veggies. You'll want to give it one quick stir and then let it set by leaving it on the stove top with the heat still on until the egg starts to firm up. It will look something like this:

Slip your pan under the broiler for about 12-15 minutes. It will be nicely browned around the edges and you'll be able to see that the texture is firm when the eggs have cooked. This recipe yields about 6 portions at 209 calories each. Fabulous, right? The protein content will help keep you satisfied, too. We have had this for brunch, lunch, and dinner - just not all on the same day.


See you next time for Green Chile Chicken Casserole! Giddy up, vaqueros!