Not Just Another Frittata Recipe

I realize I seem to post about frittatas pretty frequently.  Maybe I'm getting lazy.  Maybe I need to expand my culinary repertoire a bit and prepare something a little more challenging.  Or maybe I need to open up my own little cafe that serves homemade cheesecakes and frittatas.

Truth is, the frittata has come up more than once because they are relatively easy, and they lend themselves to being a clearing house for leftover ingredients hanging out in your fridge.  Usually, I chop a bunch of veggies and throw them into a skillet with some eggs and hope for the best.  (Which, lets be honest, is way more fun than following a recipe.)  This time around, I spotted an interesting recipe while cruising around Foodbuzz, and decided to give it a go, if for no other reason than it would be a great way of using up the bundles of asparagus occupying shelf space in the refrigerator.

The recipe I found comes from fellow foodie Ryan at The Gourmet Foodie Blog, which was adapted from a Williams-Sonoma recipe.  Here in the Tiny Kitchen, we have modified it yet again to eliminate that pesky (and painfully expensive) frittata pan and by changing a couple of ingredients to suit our tastes.  This frittata caught my eye because of the grilled asparagus spears nestled into the top of the egg, straight in a row like a little picket fence made of asparagus.  Plus, putting the words "goat cheese" in the title is an easy way to get my attention.

Instead of using the fancy frittata pan (which is basically a large skillet that locks together with a slightly smaller skillet), I used the standard non-stick skillet, which prevented me from being able to flip the frittata over half way through cooking in a epic display of hand/eye coordination, but whatever.  I don't need to show off.  Just keep an eye on it while it's in the oven to make sure the top doesn't burn, and you're golden.  

Here's how you get it done:

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Frittata

Ingredients:

12 eggs

3 Tbs. finely chopped chives 

1/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh tarragon

3 - 5 oz. cubed bacon or turkey bacon

1/2 tsp. salt, more to taste

fresh ground pepper

6 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

2 bundles of asparagus, tough ends trimmed

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 - 3  tsp. olive oil

With one bunch of asparagus, saute the whole spears in 1 tsp. olive oil, until they are tender and a little charred.  Drain on a plate with a paper towel and set to the side.  Chop the other bunch of asparagus into 1/2 inch chunks.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, chives, tarragon, turkey bacon, salt and pepper.  Add the goat cheese and mix gently.  At this point, do not whisk because you want the cheese to remain chunky.  Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

In your large skillet, saute the onion or leek with another 1 tsp. of olive oil.  remove from heat and add to egg mixture.  Pour all of the egg mixture into your large skillet and allow it to settle.  Place skillet into the pre-heated oven.  After about 15 - 20 minutes, the top of the frittata should be set, but not cooked through.  Settle the cooked asparagus spears parallel to one another in a row across the top of the frittata.  Return to the oven for another 10 - 15 minutes.  It will be done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the sides are golden brown.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

For a tasty salad like the one I made to accompany this new frittata, you'll need lettuce, strawberries, 2 oz. of goat cheese, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Slice the strawberries into rounds.  After washing the lettuce leaves, tear in half or slice into manageable pieces, say 1 to 1 1/2 inches or so.  In a salad bowl mix 1 Tbs. of olive oil with 1 Tbs. of balsamic vinegar.  (Use more dressing, if you like.  The ratio for oil to vinegar is about 1 to 1.)  Toss the lettuce and strawberries in with the dressing, and top with crumbled goat cheese.

Enjoy!

Catching Up

I've been lagging a little bit in writing up a couple of yummy dishes to recently come out of the Tiny Kitchen. There's no particular reason for this, I haven't been waiting for the perfect opportunity to reveal some amazing culinary creation to you all. Nope, I've just been lazy, and a little forgetful. But enough chit chat. On to the food.

I have made a Frittata for you all before, (you're welcome) but one of the best parts of the Frittata is that it never has to be the same dish twice. Since it's really just a big mishmash of fresh, chunky vegetables and eggs, you can pretty much put whatever you want into it providing it all fits into one large skillet. This time through, I added a can of black beans, something I had never thought to include before, and it ended up being the best rendition of the Frittata yet. Since we had guests, and I was not just cooking for the missus and I but for my Mother-in-law and her friend, I wanted this lunch to be more than just cold cuts and potato salad. (For the record, the missus and I don't eat cold cuts and potato salad for lunch when we don't have guests, it was really just an example. Not that there is anything wrong with cold cuts. Or potato salad. Nevermind.)



Frittatas are pretty basic and easy. Chop some potatoes and fresh veggies, some sausage if you are so inclined, saute, and fold in a dozen beaten eggs and bake. If you have it, use sea salt or another rock salt when seasoning the veggies. It adds that little something extra. Here's what I threw together the other day:

1 dozen eggs, beaten
1/2 lb fingerling potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 white or yellow onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 bunch of chives, diced
2 Adele's Southwest Sausages, cut into 1/2 pieces
1 can of black beans, with 1/2 of the liquid drained
1 - 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt (preferably sea salt or rock salt) & Pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet, and add garlic and onion and stir. Add the potatoes and bell pepper, and saute for a few minutes, then add the sausage. Pour in the black beans with remaining 1/2 can of liquid. Add the chopped chives to the egg. Once this is all combined and has had a chance to cook for about 5 minutes, close the heat of the burner, and add the egg. Allow the egg to fully cover the other ingredients by gently moving them around with a spoon. Put skillet in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. You'll know it is done when the top is nice and brown. If you are still unsure, stick a toothpick into the middle of the frittata, and if it comes out dry, it's done.

The salad was the lettuce from the Eatwell Farm CSA, 1/2 a cucumber, sliced thin, 1 carrot sliced into rounds, 1 bunch of green onions, chopped, and about 2 handfuls of green beans cut in half. I made a quick and easy mustard vinaigrette to dress the salad. Take about 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale & Honey Spice mustard, 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of agave nectar, and a pinch of black pepper. Whisk together in a small bowl and toss with the salad. (These measurements are approximate, so add or subtract the levels of ingredients to suit your tastes.)



Keeping with our theme of healthy, uncomplicated meals, a few nights ago I made quick pasta using the fresh spinach from my Eatwell Farm CSA box. With whole wheat spaghetti, some chopped garlic, salt and pepper and a healthy dose of olive oil, this simple dish made for a great healthy week-night meal.



To get started, you'll need a hefty amount of fresh spinach, about six cups or enough to fill your salad spinner to the brim. (I'm not so good with the measurements, have you noticed?) Heat some olive oil in a large skillet and add about 4 - 5 cloves of minced garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Allow to cook until the garlic becomes aromatic. Add the spinach to the skillet, and stir continuously until it has wilted and reduced in volume considerably. Add a few pinches of salt as you stir the spinach. You'll know it's ready when it is soft and tender. Remove from heat.

Have your spaghetti cooking while you saute the spinach. Once the spaghetti is cooked, remove it from the heat, but do not drain it. Using tongs, remove the pasta from the water and drop it into the skillet with the spinach. Stir the spaghetti and spinach together and serve. Grate some fresh Parmesan cheese over the top, and dig in.



Enjoy!

Eat Local Challenge, Week 1, or "Who You Callin' A Quiche?"

For this, the first week of the Eat Local Challenge, we're not doing bad so far. But I have to admit, after the first few days of trying to dine on mostly local fare, well, it's harder than I thought. First off, there are those days that you can't help but not eat locally because you have to go to a friends birthday party or a benefit dinner. But hey, that is what those exceptions are for, right?

The hardest part for me has been lunch during the week, hanging in that gulf between breakfast and dinner. Without taking steps to bring the raw materials for lunch from home, I am faced with two choices: Bring a frozen meal or eat at one of the less than exceptional (and less than local) eateries near work to stave off hunger until dinner comes around. In addition to tasting better than the food sold nearby, the vegetarian meals we keep frozen in the Tiny Kitchen can actually be considered local. Produced by Amy's Kitchen of Santa Rosa, the company states on their website that over fifty percent of their vegetables are grown within 200 miles of their facility.

And what do you do on those nights when you don't get home until 8:00 and have no time to cook an actual dinner? Well, there are always leftovers, provided you had anything left over, or you can turn once again to those handy pre-made meals. (I know, for someone who loves to cook, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot going on in the kitchen, but don't worry, I'm getting there.) The handy ready made meals we have been foraging on recently were all made locally, however I cannot vouch for their ingredients. Two of our staples are tamales from Primavera of Agua Caliente, California and papusas from Casa Sanchez in San Francisco. These delights can be found at local gourmet markets such as Rainbow Coop and Andronico's.

Dinner, on those nights where cooking is actually an option, has been an adventure. Finding locally grown produce has yet to be difficult this fall, and so in keeping with needing options for workday lunch I wanted to make something that would provide plenty of leftovers. The frittata, or "man quiche", is a mix of potatoes, tasty veggies, sausage and egg cooked into a delicious, gigantic savory pie. Here goes nothin'.



Tiny Kitchen Frittata
Ingredients:
4 Chicken Apple Sausages, sliced into rounds (Aidell's Sausage Co.)
2 Large or 3 small bell peppers, chopped
2 Large red potatoes, chopped into large chunks
1 Red onion, chopped into chunks
1 Poblano pepper, chopped
8 - 10 large organic eggs (Rock Island Eggs, Sonoma County)
1/2 Tbs. fresh Rosemary, chopped fine
1 Tbs. Olive oil (Bariani Olive Oil)
2 - 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
Salt & pepper to taste
(Vegetables were purchased at Rainbow Coop)

Mix 1/2 Tbs. olive oil with the potatoes and rosemary and set aside. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large, high walled, flat bottomed skillet, add the potatoes and cook for a few minutes until aromatic. Add the sausage and the rest of the vegetables and stir. Cook the mixture until it begins to brown.

Whisk the eggs together in a large bowl, and add to the mixture. As the egg filters through the vegetables, move them around gently with a spatula to allow the egg to cover the mix as completely as possible. Remove from the stove and place in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the top of the frittata is browned and the egg is fully cooked.

The varieties and generous portions of vegetables can be adjusted as you see fit; it's one of the great things about this dish. I may have been a little over zealous with the amount of veggies in this preparation, but it was yummy none the less. If you do use fewer vegetables, adjust the amount of egg accordingly. It's also an easy way to get rid of those extra veggies or eggs that are about to expire sitting in your refrigerator. This frittata will keep you stocked in leftovers for several days, making a great lunch for work or a quick no hassle dinner.

Enjoy!