Frozen Finds and Italian Frittata

Frozen vegetables to the rescue

A lot of people say cooking takes too much time, and it does if you are chopping/mincing/dicing every single ingredient in the recipe.  Lesson #1 for saving time in the kitchen: Learn to love the frozen vegetable section of the grocery store.  Frozen vegetables are the next best thing to fresh ones, and the frozen kind come prepared for you.  I almost always use frozen diced onions rather than cry painful tears dicing the fresh juicy version.  Even better, you can find basic mixes of vegetables for common recipes: mirepoix (celery, carrots, onions), stir fry, Mexican, etc.  So before you decide not to cook that one recipe because you have to chop five things, check the frozen aisle.  You also don't have to worry about the vegetables going bad on you, which is definitely a plus.

Another item that is incredibly useful is Dorot frozen herbs (shown below).  I usually find these at Whole Foods, but I've been told you can also find them at international grocery stores.  These little packets of awesome are available for a number of common herbs, like garlic, basil, parsley, and ginger.  Another great way to save time (and money, ultimately) because you don't have to chuck out all that parsley that you had to buy when you only needed a 1/4 cup.

And now, using your new frozen finds, you can easily make this beauty.

Italian frittata

Frittatas are one of my favorite dishes for several reasons:

1) You can throw anything from your fridge inside of one, and it will taste good.

2) They are appropriate for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and, of course, brunch (the best meal of all).

3) They cook quickly, save well, and can be eaten hot or cold.

Once you do it once, you'll realize that it looks much fancier than it is.  Always a plus.

Frittata

Time: 20 minutes

Serves 2-4, depending on how you cut it.

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

3 TBS milk 

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 small onion, diced

2 handfuls of baby spinach, stems removed

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp basil, minced

3 sundried tomatoes (packed in oil or dry), sliced lengthwise and chopped

2 TBS pancetta (Italian bacon, what's not to love?)

Directions:

1) If you have a broiler and an oven safe skillet, turn on the broiler.  If not, totally fine, just use a skillet with a lid.  Nonstick pans will work best here.  Whisk together the eggs, cheese, milk, salt, and pepper.

2) Over medium low heat, sauté the onions in 2 tsp olive oil until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and basil, cooking until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the sundried tomatoes, pancetta, and spinach.  Cook until the spinach wilts, about 2 minutes.

3) Evenly distribute the contents of the skillet, then pour the egg mixture on top.  Allow the first few layers of egg to set, about 3 minutes.  You will see the edges beginning to cook.  At several points around the skillet, gently push the cooked edge inward with a spatula while tilting the skillet, allowing the egg to run into the free space.  Once the bottom begins to brown, place the skillet in the oven or put on the lid.  Allow to cook for 5 minutes, or until the frittata is puffed and spotty brown.

4) Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and let stand for 2 minutes.  Be sure to remember that the handle will be extremely hot!  Slide a spatula around the edge of the skillet to loosen the frittata, then gently slide it onto a serving plate.  

As noted above, frittatas may be served warm or at room temperature.  They keep in the fridge for 3 days.