Quick, simple and sensational: the Frittata
I’ve rediscovered the frittata! You know those periods when life overwhelms? When you just need somebody to tell you what to eat? Something in your back pocket to reach for? For me, the frittata is IT. My Soup Sister, Julie Burford, reminded me of this by recently bringing me two gorgeous, tasty ones! What an amazing gift. Granted, I’ve made frittatas MANY times… but it hasn’t always been my go-to dish. I’d kind of forgotten. Now it’s back!
Sometimes, I get in a cooking groove, a rhythm, and I sort of forget some old chestnuts. Like a favorite shirt that ends up in the back of the closet until one day you spy it and think, Where have you been??? And wear it 2 weeks straight.
All of a sudden, I once again fell in love with the frittata. It just hit the right cord. When I write cookbooks and develop recipes, I have to make them over and over and over and over again and they may lose a little bit of their allure. It took a friend to remind me that I LOVE this recipe! I became a frittata addict almost. All I wanted to DO was make frittatas! So simple and forgiving. I could put anything in them. Adapt anything, based on what I had on hand. A big one in the oven with lots of leftovers, or a 4 egg one, or a one egg, just for me on the stove top.
It’s like a pair of good bluejeans. Anything on top and you’re set.
Julie brought me one frittata with artichoke, potato, mint and feta; and one with zucchini, peppers, Sungold cherry tomatoes, and fresh oregano; very mediterranean.
Beyond recipes
Want to make a little Frittata just for you? Whisk one or two eggs with salt pepper. Saute whatever vegetables and herbs you have on hand. Pour the egg on top. Turn down the heat a little and let it set, like you’re making a pancake. Swirl the pan a bit so the liquid egg reaches the edges of the pan. Flip it over! Or throw in the oven for 5 minutes (I’m a flipper). Boom! You’ll have this beautiful pancake, like a thin frittata. Not a major production! It can be really that simple. Period.
A funny frittata story: I was so into flipping frittatas, I called out to my husband, Honey, watch me flip! I was looking at him, not at my pan. So, let’s just put it this way; ¾ flipped into the pan and ¼ on the stove. (Ooops!) It was still delicious.
Sure-Fire Frittata Recipes
A frittata is an Italian omelet but, unlike the French version, you don’t have to figure out how to do that funky half-flip with the eggs in the pan. Frittatas bake, and in Italy they’re often eaten at room temperature: they really are a good on-the-go food. The eggs are also a great binder for the greens, which include kale, chard, and spinach. Add some red bell pepper, marjoram, thyme, and feta, and you’ve got a super protein hit for lunch on the go—just the thing to keep your brain working optimally throughout the day.
Don’t avoid eggs because you believe they raise cholesterol. That just ain’t so. A huge study of 100,000 people proved that to be a myth, and the American Heart Association now says that eggs can be part of a healthful diet, as long as other sources of dietary cholesterol aren’t excessive. Aside from being an excellent source of protein, eggs also support brain health. In this delicious frittata, the eggs frame a whirlwind of flavorful ingredients with all the colors of the Italian flag: Swiss chard, cherry tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese.
People sensitive to temperature like frittatas because they can be served lukewarm or at room temperature. Eggs are a great source of protein. Mix in a little Simon and Garfunkel—parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme—and a filling frittata becomes an anytime classic.