We've discussed the remarkable value of the frittata previously here at Casual Kitchen. It's a supremely flexible dish that can stand in as an emergency meal at any time. And it's one of those recipes that seems really fancy for the minimal amount of work it takes to make.
Therefore, if you don't already have a basic frittata recipe as part of your cooking arsenal, I strongly encourage you to add it to your repertoire. There are few recipes this flexible, this healthy and this easy to put on the table. Enjoy!
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The 911 Frittata
Ingredients:
6 eggs
Black pepper and salt to taste
2-3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium or large onion, sliced coarsely
1 medium unpeeled potato, sliced thinly
1 large tomato, chopped coarsely
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce, more or less to taste
Directions:
1) Beat eggs together with black pepper, parsley and one of the two minced/pressed garlic cloves. Set aside.
2) In a large, deep, broiler-proof non-stick pan, saute onions in oil on high heat for 3-4 minutes, until they begin to brown. Add potatoes and the second minced/pressed garlic clove, reduce heat to medium-high, cover and cook for approximately 7-10 minutes--stirring periodically--until the potatoes are al dente but not too crunchy.
3) Add the chopped tomatoes and Tabasco and saute for another 3-4 minutes, until everything is hot and the tomatoes begin to soften slightly.
4) Then pour the egg/parsley/garlic/black pepper mixture over everything in the pan. Reduce heat to medium. As the eggs begin to set, run a spatula around the edge of the skillet, lifting the mixture to allow uncooked portions of the egg mixture to flow underneath. Continue cooking and lifting until the entire egg mixture is almost totally cooked through (the top surface should still be slightly moist).
5) Place pan under your broiler about 3-4 inches from the heat source. Broil for 4-6 minutes until the the frittata is cooked through to your liking. Cut into wedges and serve.
Serves 4.
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Recipe Notes:
1) Obviously the amount of Tabasco you add to this dish can a variable. If you like a lot of heat, double it. If you're a total wimp, go ahead and cut it in half.
2) A quick word about the cost. I made today's recipe for about $2.25, or a per-serving cost of about 56c. That's just laughable.
3) Finally, a word about the innate flexibility of the frittata, by far its greatest strength. You can pretty much put anything into it: whatever greens or veggies you happen to have handy in your fridge are fair game and can be tossed in. For me, there's only one constraint: there's gotta be something green in every frittata. It's like a law. Otherwise the dish just looks too... yellowy.
Readers, what are your favorite ingredients to put into a frittata?
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7 comments:
Actually for us, omelets are a better option. It's just the two of us so something that serves four and IMO is better served fresh is just asking for us to overeat.
But it's a variation on a theme, right? We tend to stick with sauteed mushrooms and onions plus some shredded cheese. I don't generally put meat in my omelets--don't need the calories and don't want to increase the price of the dish. Yes it may be boring but it's oh so tasty and such a comfort food to us both.
I don't use nonstick pans anymore, and have never successfully made an omelet without one, so I'm all about the frittata now.
But I don't throw it under the broiler - I just put a lid on the pan after running the wet stuff off to the edges.
My favorite additions are still onion, ham, and Swiss, but you really can put just about anything in a frittata.
I think Daniel's instructions are spot-on re: having your additions thoroughly hot and mostly cooked before adding eggs. It's easy to forget how fast eggs cook!
Frittatas are AWESOME 911 meals! I'm so bad at omelets that all of mine turn out as frittatas. True story.
and I am TOTALLY going to take you up on going out for cupcakes. Laura can come too. Obviously.
My favorite frittata has onions, red bell pepper, potatoes, parmesan and either sausage (Italian or country) or bacon or pancetta if I have them. It's usually meatless, though.
I also like one with spinach, onion, ham, and Swiss cheese, but I'm less likely to have either ham or Swiss.
kittiesx3, I make them for one in a small skillet. Leftovers make great sandwiches!
I do put it in the oven, but not under the broiler.
Kx3: It's funny, I have never been able to flip an omelet. And after enough years, I've become too intimidated to try. I guess even food bloggers can have obvious cooking blind spots.
Sally and Chacha1: I wonder, is there anything you can't put into a frittata? Beer? Grape jelly? That's all I can come up with.
Joanne, you're on. :)
DK
And see, the idea of a frittata intimidates me!
Oh my God this looks so good and i`m sure that it is delicious too. I think it is not a very difficult recipe so i will give it a try, thanks a lot for sharing.
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