April 23, 2009
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Frittata and Salad
RECIPES
Frittata:
(serves 2)
First a note about frittatas….
Frittatas are a lot like omelets, just different proportions of the same ingredients. Traditionally these are cooked all on the stove and require “flipping.” This version, however, uses the broiler to eliminate the sometimes tricky and usually intimidating “flip.”
Frittatas can be made with almost anything you like. I often use them to “clean out the fridge” of leftovers. If it could go in an omelet or scrambled eggs, it will be great in a Frittata.
Frittatas are best cooked in a saute/fry pan. You need a pan with a metal handle that can go in the oven. Be sure that there is no plastic or rubber on the pan or it will melt in the oven.
Preheat the oven to the high broiler setting. Make sure the rack is positioned in the middle of the oven.
1 small zucchini
1 chicken sausage
¼ cup onion diced
¼ cup Feta crumbled into large pieces
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Half zucchini length wise. Scrape out seeds. Slice zucchini halves into ½” half rounds. Sautee onions over medium heat in pan with approximately 1 Tbs olive oil. (If you are using uncooked chicken sausage, sauté in pan prior to adding onions, remove, cool, slice and add back in.) When onions are translucent add zucchini and sauté until tender. Dice chicken sausage into ½” chunks. Add to zucchini and sauté until warmed through. Add oil if any ingredients begin to stick to the pan while sautéing. It is important that there is sufficient oil to prevent them from sticking, otherwise the eggs will stick and you will not be able to unmold your frittata.
Scramble the eggs in a bowl with salt and pepper. Spread ingredients over bottom of pan. Pour eggs over ingredients. Tip pan if necessary to distribute eggs. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Cook eggs over medium heat until edges are set. Transfer pan to oven and cook under broiler until top is golden brown and eggs are fully set. If the top is browning too quickly, lower broiler to low setting. Remove pan from oven. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.
To serve, loosen edges with a spatula. You can cut it into wedges in the pan or slide it out onto a plate and serve whole.
*** When sautéing ingredients for your frittatas you can cook more than one item at a time. Make sure, however, that they cook at the same rate. Depending on the items you are using, you may need to remove each item after sautéing and return them all to the pan just before adding the eggs. (i.e. onions and peppers cook well together, but zucchini would be mushy if cooked with them.)
***Fresh herbs are great in frittatas. Just add them to the scrambled eggs before pouring over the other ingredients.
NOTES FROM "CLASS"
If you are putting a non-stick skillet in an oven, make sure it is oven safe. Also, do not use metal utensils on a non-stick skillet. It will scratch the skillet and then it looses its non-stick properties. There are also claims that it releases Teflon into your food which is apparently poisonous. (Although, if you believe my favorite mad scientist, it’s going to take a life time to get Teflon poisoning, unless you’re actively eating your pans…)
A note on lettuce…like most things, it’s not good when it’s limp. No limp lettuce. If your romaine is droopy, it’s past it. Lettuce leaves should be firm and crisp. Baby greens aren’t firm and crisp, but they shouldn’t look dehydrated. If you are using bagged lettuce, be sure to patrol the bowl for those renegade rotten pieces that are slimy. Salad should not be slimy.
First a note about frittatas….
Frittatas are a lot like omelets, just different proportions of the same ingredients. Traditionally these are cooked all on the stove and require “flipping.” This version, however, uses the broiler to eliminate the sometimes tricky and usually intimidating “flip.”
Frittatas can be made with almost anything you like. I often use them to “clean out the fridge” of leftovers. If it could go in an omelet or scrambled eggs, it will be great in a Frittata.
Frittatas are best cooked in a saute/fry pan. You need a pan with a metal handle that can go in the oven. Be sure that there is no plastic or rubber on the pan or it will melt in the oven.
Preheat the oven to the high broiler setting. Make sure the rack is positioned in the middle of the oven.
1 small zucchini
1 chicken sausage
¼ cup onion diced
¼ cup Feta crumbled into large pieces
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Half zucchini length wise. Scrape out seeds. Slice zucchini halves into ½” half rounds. Sautee onions over medium heat in pan with approximately 1 Tbs olive oil. (If you are using uncooked chicken sausage, sauté in pan prior to adding onions, remove, cool, slice and add back in.) When onions are translucent add zucchini and sauté until tender. Dice chicken sausage into ½” chunks. Add to zucchini and sauté until warmed through. Add oil if any ingredients begin to stick to the pan while sautéing. It is important that there is sufficient oil to prevent them from sticking, otherwise the eggs will stick and you will not be able to unmold your frittata.
Scramble the eggs in a bowl with salt and pepper. Spread ingredients over bottom of pan. Pour eggs over ingredients. Tip pan if necessary to distribute eggs. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Cook eggs over medium heat until edges are set. Transfer pan to oven and cook under broiler until top is golden brown and eggs are fully set. If the top is browning too quickly, lower broiler to low setting. Remove pan from oven. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.
To serve, loosen edges with a spatula. You can cut it into wedges in the pan or slide it out onto a plate and serve whole.
*** When sautéing ingredients for your frittatas you can cook more than one item at a time. Make sure, however, that they cook at the same rate. Depending on the items you are using, you may need to remove each item after sautéing and return them all to the pan just before adding the eggs. (i.e. onions and peppers cook well together, but zucchini would be mushy if cooked with them.)
***Fresh herbs are great in frittatas. Just add them to the scrambled eggs before pouring over the other ingredients.
NOTES FROM "CLASS"
If you are putting a non-stick skillet in an oven, make sure it is oven safe. Also, do not use metal utensils on a non-stick skillet. It will scratch the skillet and then it looses its non-stick properties. There are also claims that it releases Teflon into your food which is apparently poisonous. (Although, if you believe my favorite mad scientist, it’s going to take a life time to get Teflon poisoning, unless you’re actively eating your pans…)
A note on lettuce…like most things, it’s not good when it’s limp. No limp lettuce. If your romaine is droopy, it’s past it. Lettuce leaves should be firm and crisp. Baby greens aren’t firm and crisp, but they shouldn’t look dehydrated. If you are using bagged lettuce, be sure to patrol the bowl for those renegade rotten pieces that are slimy. Salad should not be slimy.
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