Leek Frittata

I had forgotten how much I love frittatas, but they are quick, easy, and versatile.  Leeks are an especially lovely choice for an easy lunch or dinner.

Leek Frittata

Serves 3
Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 large leeks, or about 1 1/2 pounds, white and light green parts only
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
1 small plum tomato, cored and seeds removed, cut into thin strips
1 garlic clove, minced
4 eggs
1/4 cup Parmesan or similar hard cheese
3 tablespoons milk
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1.  Cut away the roots and dark leaves of the leeks.  Slice lengthwise, then rinse thoroughly.  Pat dry.  If leeks are very fat, slice lengthwise again, and then cut into thin slices.

2.  In a lidded skillet or saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the leeks with a touch of salt.  Cook until leeks begin to soften.  Add in the tomato.  Turn the heat to medium-low and cover, stirring often, cooking until the leeks are very soft and not brown, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Remove from heat.

3. Preheat the oven broiler.  Heat a nonstick, ovenproof skillet over medium heat.  Whisk together the eggs, cheese, milk, and pepper in a small bowl.  Stir in the leeks.  Pour the egg mixture into the hot skillet.  It should sizzle as the first drop of egg hits the pan.  Allow eggs to set for 2-3 minutes.  Using a spatula, gently lift the edges and tilt the pan, allowing the egg to run into the space.  Once the top of the frittata is set, place in the oven.  Allow to cook for 6-8 minutes, or until puffed and golden on top.  Serve hot, warm, or cold.

Storage:

Frittata will keep in an airtight container or aluminum foil for 3 days.


Adapted from NYT's Martha Rose Schulman, Leek Quiche

Mushroom Omelet with Chives

Omelets are great because they are versatile and come together quickly.  The key is using a smaller pan so that the flipping part is more manageable.  This recipe is from the New York Times, and she actually explains the flip really well.  I did it, and I've never done it before!

For this omelet, you can prepare the mushrooms the night before, so the morning part is really easy!  Just reheat the mushrooms briefly before adding to the eggs.

Mushroom Omelet with Chives

Makes 2 omelets
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1/4 pound white or cremini mushrooms, rinsed briefly and wiped dry
Salt and pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced flat-leaf parsley
4 eggs
1 tablespoon minced chives
2 teaspoons milk
3 tablespoons grated Gruyere cheese

Directions:

For the mushrooms,

1. Trim off the ends of the mushrooms and cut into thick slices.  Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the mushrooms and cook, tossing in the pan, 2-3 minutes, until they begin to soften and sweat.  Add salt to taste and the garlic.  Continue to stir often until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the parsley, season with salt and pepper as you like, and remove from the heat.  If you are preparing ahead, allow to cool to room temperature and refrigerate 1-2 days.

For the omelet,

3. Heat an 8-inch nonstick omelet pan over medium-high heat.  Break 2 eggs in a bowl and beat with a fork until frothy.  Add salt and pepper to taste and the milk.  Whisk in half of the chives.

4. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan.  When the pan feels hot as you hold your hand over it, pour in the eggs.  Tilt the pan to evenly distribute the eggs over the pan.  During the first few minutes of cooking, gently tilt the pan and lift up the edge of the omelet, allowing the egg to run underneath.  Spread half of the mushrooms down the middle and top with half of the cheese.  When the bottom is set (the top will still be runny), jerk the pan quickly away from you then back toward you so that the omelet folds over on itself.  Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes longer, depending on how soft you like your omelet.  Keep warm in the oven while you prepare the other omelet, or go ahead and eat!


Recipe from NYT author Martha Rose Shulman

Baked Cheesy Egg Tortillas

The mornings can be rushed trying to get to class on time, so I try to make breakfast ahead of time.  This bake is brand new for me, but it takes all of 10 minutes to throw together and 20 minutes to bake.  You can bake breakfast for the whole week on Sunday night and save yourself those precious few minutes!

Baked Cheesy Egg Tortillas

Time: 30 minutes
Makes 12 tortilla cups

Ingredients:

6 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 cup cheese (gouda, cheddar, Monterey Jack would all work well)
6 corn tortillas, cut in half

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Prep a muffin tin with cooking spray or butter.

2. Whisk together the eggs, milk, and cheese. Place one tortilla half in each muffin cup.  Pour in the egg mixture to about 2/3 full.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until the eggs are golden.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

3. To reheat, microwave for 30 seconds and top with salsa or avocado for a healthy breakfast!

You can refrigerate them for the week.  The extras can be frozen for up to 3 months.

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.