Simple Frittata Cooking Recipes
I'd like you to meet fritatta, unless the
two of you are already intimate. More solidly filling than an omelet, a
frittata has the virtue of being less ephemeral as well. True, omelets
ore the ideal lazy dinner, but it's hardly practical to make them for
more than two people unless you like to feed your family assembly-line
style.
Frittatas are more like a thick egg cake.
They can be served hot, at room temperature, or even cold from the
fridge. They can be filled with absolutely anything: from chopped
cooked greens, to diced leftover potatoes, to grated cheese, to
minced-up, leftover pork roast. Following is a green frittata recipe to
get you started, but let your conscience and your vegetable drawer be
your guide.
There is one problem with frittatas: Although few cooks have the
expertise to flip them whole, it's necessary to cook the top as well as
the bottom. Many cooks settle for finishing the frittata under the
broiler, but I never remember to heat the broiler. I find the laziest
option is to slip the partially cooked frittata onto a plate and flip
it upside down back into the pan.
Serves 4
1 small onion
1 red pepper
One 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 large eggs
1/4 cup Parmesan (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Dice the onion and red pepper. Put the
spinach package in a bowl and zap it on high in the microwave for 3 to
4 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium
heat in a medium skillet, preferably nonstick. Saute the onion and
pepper for 2 to 3 minutes.
Drain off any liquid from the spinach
package, open it, and add the thawed spinach to the skillet. Cover the
skillet, increase the heat slightly, and cook until the spinach is
tender, about 5 minutes.
While the vegetables are cooking, beat
the eggs with the Parmesan if using, salt, and pepper in the same bowl
in which you nuked the spinach. Mixing as you pour, add the eggs to the
skillet. When the ingredients are well combined, let the mixture cook
without stirring for several minutes until the bottom is firmly set. Do
not break up the eggs.
When the frittata is mostly firm, slip it
out, bottom-side down, onto a serving plate. Flip it back into the pan,
topside down, and cook another 1 to 2 minutes until the frittata is
firm on both sides but not especially brown. Put it back on the plate
and serve as desired.
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