Valentine’s Day wasn’t last night’s memory before the Easter candy was on the shelves and the reminders posted, Easter is April 1st. Yes, Easter is early this year and before you know it you’re making brunch for the in-laws, or there’s a baby shower or you’re just tired of beef stew and cold weather. Allow me to introduce you to my little friend, the egg.
Eggs are a wonderful source of protein. Egg whites are almost the perfect food and they’re one of the cheapest, most filling ways to stretch your grocery budget. While breakfast for dinner might not work for the in-laws, there is plenty to do with eggs.
As a disclaimer, I am rather excited about eggs because after a long dark winter, my hens have started leaving me little surprises on the front porch, in the wagon, in a flower pot and other odd places. We enjoy having hens because of the delicious, nutritious, free range, free eggs we get from our beloved pets. I also have an abundance of eggs right now and I always look for new ways to get as much out of our free food as possible. Enter the frittata.
Frit-ta-ta = an Italian dish made with fried beaten eggs, resembling a Spanish omelet.
Frittata’s are elegant. Frittata’s are flexible. Frittata’s are forgiving and most importantly, frittata’s are easy!
Ingredients
a) cast iron skillet, Dutch oven or other stove top pan that will go in the oven.
b) an oil or fat – your choice, olive oil, coconut oil or if you are using a protein, bacon grease.
c) 8 eggs
d) ½ cup of milk
e) salt & pepper and anything else you want to include.
That’s it. If you’re adding veggies, then whisk eggs, milk and spices. Add veggies to egg mixture and pour in greased skillet. Cook for 5 minutes or a little longer, when the sides start pulling away from the pan, put it in a 350 degree oven until set, 15-17 minutes. Presto! You have an elegant, satisfying main course. Slice it like a pie and serve this with bread and a salad and you have lunch or dinner. Add fruit and pastries and you have breakfast or brunch.
Now this recipe isn’t hard and fast, in fact, it’s really flexible. You can use sour cream in place of milk, or half and half for a richer product. You can add bacon, sausage, ham, cheese, spinach, asparagus, onions, peppers- the list goes on. Suit it to your tastes, or if you’re like me, what’s on hand that needs to be used up. No cast iron skillet, no problem… just pour your mixture in well sprayed muffin tins and cook for about 20 minutes. Personal, pop-able, egg pizzas, as my kids call them.
Where else can you spend less than two dollars on your protein and add an inexpensive vegetable such as frozen chopped spinach (thawed), some onions you probably already have and maybe a left over tomato? The end result will make you look like you slaved away for hours on this simple, satisfying dish.
The weeks before and after Easter are a great time to buy eggs at a low price. If you’re dying eggs, grab an extra carton or two for meals. If that’s not your tradition, then cash in on a bargain.
Want to get a little more fancy? Fry some sliced potatoes, place them on the skillet and pour the egg mixture over it. Pronto! You have a Spanish omelet, just like its Italian cousin, but with potatoes on the bottom.
My favorite version of the frittata is the Greek one with spinach, ½ cup of feta cheese, a few shakes of oregano and maybe some sliced tomatoes on the top. This is great with a cucumber, tomato salad in Greek dressing on the side. And you can check your low-carb, high protein, three servings of vegetables meal off your eat healthy list.
My Easter menu includes a prosciutto and asparagus frittata. Why? I have left over prosciutto and ham and asparagus is a traditional Easter meal in my home. Instead of a pricey ham, we’ll have the frittata, a green salad, delicious bread and fresh fruit for an easy and elegant meal.
*Hint, I’ll do my prep the night before and have the egg mixture ready to pour right after church.
With the salad ready and the fruit prepared, guests won’t have to wait long for lunch.
The next time you’re looking for new ideas for your table, trying to stretch the grocery budget, or just sick and tired of chicken, try eggs. They’re egg-cellent!
