Nik's Mini Farm-Stand Frittata

This is a close-up but this frittata fits on a SALAD sized plate!

So in case you haven't heard, my third book, The Bariatric Foodie Breakfast Book, was released today in hard copy on Amazon! (My e-book loving Foodies, hold tight! I just got what I hope is the final draft of the Kindle, Nook and iPad versions so I hope to have them for sale this week also.)

To celebrate, we're doing "Breakfast Week" here on the blog where I'm going to share four BONUS recipes corresponding to the four major sections of the book.

First up, eggs!

In the book, I go over some of the challenges post-ops have with eggs. I know some folks have problems with eggs, especially after they've been reheated. For me, they've always been a safe food so I do a lot with them.

But one thing I heard from you guys in the past about my books was that the recipes seemed a little daunting for folks with smaller appetites (I'm not one of you but I do LOVE you!). So in this book I made a real effort to give folks options. For instance, all the scrambles in the book have mini-sized and SUPER mini-sized versions so that you can pick which version works best for you!

TIP: Read the intro pages to each of the recipe sections. There's valuable tips. For instance, in the intro to the section on Egg Casseroles there is guidance on how to make them into mini-quiches using a mini-muffin tin. In the intro to the Egg Scrambles, I show you how to make those individually-portioned meals into a breakfast your entire family can enjoy!

To make this recipe you'll need a 7-ish inch oven-safe skillet. You can click this link to see one but I got mine from K-Mart. :)

Nik's Mini Farm-Stand Frittata

Ingredients:

• 1/4 of a small yellow onion, cut into slivers
• 1/2 a small tomato, diced (seeded if the seeds bother you)
• A handful (or about 1/3 c.) baby spinach
• 1 clove garlic,  minced
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 c. shredded cheese of your choice (I used Kraft 2% Mexican-blend cheese)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Spray your skillet down with non-stick cooking spray, set it over medium heat and allow it to get hot.

Add onions and cook about a minute, or until softened. Add tomato, spinach and garlic. Toss and cook about another 2 minutes or until spinach just starts to wilt (NOTE: It should still be a nice, verdant green!). Drop your heat to medium-low.

In a separate bowl, whisk together egg and baking powder (this is one of the rare instances where you can actually use baking soda instead - and usually I do - but sources tell me it can sometimes produce a slightly metallic taste in the finished product. I've never noticed one but just to disclose!).

Pour egg into skillet and swirl skillet so that the egg gets into the nooks and crannies of the veggies and forms a circular shape.  Cook (stirring insides gently with a wooden spoon) until edges begin to set.

Top with cheese and pop the entire thing in the oven. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the center is done (it will puff up slightly) and cheese is browned to your liking.

Remove from oven and place skillet on a cooling rack. If this is too big a portion for you, from here you can cut it. If not, slide that sucker onto a plate and be happy!

If you have leftovers, wrap them well in plastic wrap and stash in the fridge. They do fine on the reheat IF you generally do well with reheated eggs. (If not, tread carefully!)

Here's another variation I did with peppers and onions. Frittatas are so versatile you can make them a million different ways!

The Bariatric Foodie Guide to Making a Frittata

This one goes out to all my 4-6 person families. Because weekends can be brutal. During the week you have a good measure of control on food, don’t you? Perhaps the kids get lunch from the cafeteria (try though I might I can’t seem to beat the price they charge for school lunch so since my girls lunches have gotten way healthier I allow them to get lunch from school now). Worse-case scenario, you send them to school with a lunch that is very portioned so as not to wear out your food resources.

But then comes the weekend. Everyone is home! And everyone is hungry.

I have a good Saturday morning option for you AND as a bonus it’s something you and they can eat together! Yay!

Frittatas. I love them. But I admit I was intimidated by the process of making them. However my friend Pepper over at Pepper Scraps inspired me to try. When I was in Portland I watched her do it and thought “Pfft! I got this!”

Wait…let’s back up. In case you haven’t heard of a frittata, it’s sort of like a huge omelette that’s started on the stovetop and finishes in the oven. Or maybe a better way to think about it (since the good stuff goes in the frittata instead of being folded like an omelet) a frittata is like a big, round, flat quiche. Without a crust. And most of the fat. If all those descriptions fail, look at the picture!!!

So here’s my three step easy guide to frittatas (just in case you need a place to start).

To make any frittata you’ll need:

Eggs (obviously). For a family-style one like the one above, use six of them. I used the whole eggs. If you are into Egg Beaters use the equivalent amount of that. If you are into egg whites, I would suggest four whites to two whole eggs but it’s entirely up to you!

“Stuff” – meat (and this is where it can get fun. For Mexican you can use chorizo, for Cajun you can use Andouille or you can just go with bacon, diced sausage, soy sausage crumbles etc.), veggies (nearly any veggie works well but if you’re dealing with cruciferous veggies like broccoli or cauliflower, or tough ones like kale or chard, you may need to increase your cook time). You’ll need about 2 – 2.5 cups of “stuff” for a family sized frittata. (NOTE: For mine I simply used onions, green peppers and tomatoes.)

Cheese – because what is life without cheese? Just be sure if you are making a themed frittata (Mexican, Greek, Italian, etc.) you use the appropriate cheese! You’ll use about 1 – 1.5 cups for the entire recipe (depending on how cheesy you are). Set aside ½ c. just for the top. (NOTE: I used shredded sharp cheddar and a little extra Mexican blend I had on hand.)

1 teaspoon of baking soda

Your favorite herbs/spices (I used garlic, salt, pepper and Herbs de Provence, which my daughter says makes the frittata taste like lavender – which she did not like – so I will omit in the future!)

An oven-safe skillet. 

Here’s how to make a frittata:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Spray down an oven-safe skillet (read: one with a metal handle) with non-stick cooking spray (be generous with the spray!), set it over a medium-flame and allow the pan to get hot.

Add your “stuff.” If you are using veggies, add them first, sauteeing until soft before adding your meat. If your meat is uncooked, cook it fully.

In a bowl, whisk your eggs until they are frothy. Add in the baking soda and whisk to mix and finally add the larger portion of cheese.

With a spatula, make sure your “stuff” is distributed evenly around the pan (this is both to make sure everyone gets a bit of everything in their slice AND because it just plain looks prettier!).

Pour the egg mixture into the pan and make sure it gets all the way around the pan, in those nooks and crannies! (Tilt the pan to distribute the egg). It should take on a circular shape.

Drop your heat a bit lower and let it do its thing. When the edges of the eggs start to set (become solid),  sprinkle remaining cheese on top, remove the pan from the stove and stick it in the oven.

Cook for about 7-10 minutes or until the whole thing puffs up (it won’t be terribly tall or puffy but still) and is done through (no liquidy parts).

Remove from oven, allow it to cool about 5 minutes then slice!

Here's mine all fixed up Mexican-style with unflavored Greek yogurt, diced avocado and salsa!

A few notes about frittatas:

They are highly customizable if you K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, sweetie!). The one above is vegetarian because my youngest has again decided she does not eat meat. But I set out a nice little “fixins” bar that included some diced onions, Greek yogurt, salsa, more shredded cheese, avocado, etc. Go crazy with the fixins if you want. Kids love customizing their food!

For those watching their food budget, this cost me approximately $6 to make ($1.25 for the portion of eggs I used, $2 for the portion of cheese about $2.75 for the portion of “stuff” I used.) For a family of four that amounts to $1.50 per person. Each of us had a slice and I made homemade biscuits for the rest of the clan (no, I’m not giving you the recipe for my homemade biscuits lest Mama Foodie haunt me for life!) I will say, however, that biscuits (for the fam, not for you!) are about the cheapest and easiest accompaniment to a meal. They really aren’t hard to make and only require 5 ingredients: flour, butter, salt, milk and baking powder. Look it up if you don’t believe me!

Some folks have asked me what's the baking soda for? It actually makes your frittata fluffy without the use of milk or cream and it also keeps it fluffy on the reheat! This tip came by way of a co-worker's wife who suggested it for a quiche I made. It worked so well I started using the tip in frittatas as well!

At any rate, I am waiting on the arrival of a smaller oven-safe skillet so I can make mini-frittatas just for me. When I do, I’ll post recipes but for now, enjoy breakfast with the family!