Frittata

Frittata is one of the easiest recipes to make. All you need is some fresh eggs, some leafy greens, sautéed veggies and fun add ins of your choice for extra flavor. If you want to up the flavor quotient even further add paprika, some hot chili flakes, turmeric, nutritional yeast along with add-ins like bacon, sausage, smoked salmon, grated cheese will certainly add some girth to your weekend Frittata.

Frittata for brunch is brilliant because it can be made ahead of time, assembled and left to slow bake in the oven while you take care of other morning routines. It can be served warm or at room temperature, so you don’t have to worry about timing if you’re serving it for guests. It’s gluten free in itself, and can be served with roast potatoes, a salad or gf bread.

If you’re serving your frittata as part of an elegant brunch party, you’ll want some extras sweet component for balance, I recommend my PumpkinAlmond Bread or Tahini Banana Bread. In the warmer months we love it with Fruit Tartines or Strawberry Almond Pancakes. And to wash it all down try any of these lattes or mimosas.

Frittata makes an excellent weeknight dinner, I like to serve my frittata with a salad and some hearty wholegrain bread.

Tips For Perfecting Frittata

• Always prepare your veggies ahead: sauté onions, prep and cook veggies like peppers, zucchini, wilt spinach, cook bacon or sausages and boil potatoes if using. Once the vegetables are cooked spread them evenly in the pan or skillet space evenly, then pour the prepared egg mixture into the pan. Once you pour the egg mixture in, you shouldn’t move the vegetables. Place the pan in the oven to bake evenly, low and slow.
• Frittata is a fun recipe to experiment with flavors. Just keep in mind of the ratio. If you try swapping in different vegetables, keep in mind that you have a good balance of veggie to egg ratio. I like 3 cups cooked veggies + one cup cooked greens to about 8 eggs.
• I like making frittatas in my cast iron skillet. Sauté the veggies, separately, transfer them into a well oiled/buttered skillet, pour the eggs and finally bake in the oven. Or do everything in one skillet from sautéing on a stovetop to oven, cast iron skillets are excellent for conducting even heat.
• Seasoning a cast-iron pan gives it a non-stick quality, so a well-seasoned skillet will result in the easiest slicing & serving. Just use caution when it comes out of the oven.
• Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. While that happens, heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet on the stovetop. Sauté the chopped shallots in olive oil until it softens and slightly caramelized(big flavor here). Add the chopped veggies of your choice, cook until almost done. Add a handful of greens—baby spinach green parts of chard leaves are great—and cook just until they wilt and there’s no liquid in the pan. If using bacon, sausages they need to be cooked before adding the eggs.
• Crack the eggs into a seperate bowl (two per person). Whisk them together. Season with salt and pepper. If you like extra flavor paprika, chopped chives and/ or parsley. If you like cheese, add couple of tablespoons of grated cheese like sharp cheddar, gruyère, goat or feta or I like a tablespoon of nutritional yeast for some B vitamin goodness. 1 tbsp for 8 eggs should work.
• Spread out the veggies in the bottom of the skillet. Add a little olive oil to help spoon out easily. Make sure the oil coats the sides of the pan as well. Pour in the egg mixture. Shake the pan gently if needed to even out.
• Bake until it’s mostly set but still jiggles in the middle if you shake the pan. It will take anywhere from 25 to 30 minutes, depending how many eggs and kind of pan used. Err on the side of undercooking, there’s enough residual heat to cook through. Place it under the broiler for a minute or two if it doesn’t set when it cools.
• Serve the frittata warm or at room temperature. Leftovers make excellent sandwich fillers. Toss together some salad greens with a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil, and fresh cracked pepper. Enjoy!!

How To Make Frittata Even Better

Experiment with these suggestions to take your frittata over the top. Choose some cheese, herbs, a few different veggies and meats to make your frittata even better.

• Cheese: Goat cheese, gruyere, feta, sharp cheddar, havarti, low-moisture mozzarella add huge flavor and texture to the frittata and I highly recommend you add little.
• Herbs and Spices: chives, parsley, cilantro, thyme are the best choices for herbs. Paprika, turmeric, chili flakes add extra flavor to the frittata.
• Vegetables: Bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, asparagus, frozen artichokes, sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, or scallions are excellent veggie choices. Veggies to avoid would be one high moisture content like tomatoes. .
• Greens: Spinach, Kale, Swiss chard leaves are the best and add so much flavor and nutrients.
• Bacon and alternatives: Pancetta, sautéed breakfast sausage, smoked salmon or smoked trout make an excellent alternative to bacon. This group is optional.