Vegetable and Bacon Frittata

If raiding your fridge and bringing a meal together easily is your kind of thing, then a frittata is just what the home chef ordered.  I’ve always appreciated the easy touch and elegant finish that goes into making this Italian variation on an omelette.  

And while deciding what to make this past Sunday—that would match the ingredients I had on had (yes, I raided my fridge for this) and also yield a healthy, delectable bite—a frittata seemed to be the perfect fit.  Reminiscent of a crust-less quiche (or mini quiches), it is adaptable to whatever you want to toss into the skillet.

From a prep perspective, I cooked my turkey bacon and sautéed my vegetables before pouring in my cheese and egg mixture.  From there it was off to the oven to bake and set-up into a beautiful, golden finish.  And whether you’re indulging for breakfast, brunch, or anytime, it’s a superb dish to serve when feeding a crowd or a party of one.  Bonus? If you find yourself with leftovers, the individual slices make for the best ready-made breakfast in the days that follow.  

So now that I’ve hopefully piqued your desire to bring this dish to life (or a variation matching what you have on hand), let’s get on with what’s most important….

Happy Eating!

Vegetable and Bacon Frittata

Ingredients:

9 large eggs

3 scallions

1 sweet bell pepper

1 Chile pepper

5-6 strips of turkey bacon (cooked)

1 tbs. Olive oil

4 oz. Shredded cheese

1/4 cup milk

Cherry tomatoes, halved

A bunch (a couple of handfuls or so) of raw kale greens

Italian parsley, finely chopped

Parmigiano Reggiano

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Whisk together eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Set aside.

Add oil to an oven-safe skillet and heat over medium-high heat (cast iron recommended, if pre-seasoned or enameled). Add in scallions, bell pepper, and Chile pepper and sauté until softened, about 2-3 minutes.  Add in the cherry tomatoes, kale and bacon and continue sautéing for another 2-3 minutes.  Pour in the egg mixture and place skillet in the pre-heated oven.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the top is set and golden-ish in color.  Remove from the oven (remember to use oven mitts!) and garnish with parsley and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve and enjoy!

Easy Meal Prep x Egg Muffins

After hearing quite a few success stories about the Keto diet over the last while, I recently grabbed a magazine at the local bookstore to learn more about this lifestyle--and to cop some recipes that I could begin incorporating into my eating regimen.

I haven't done a lot just yet in the way of adopting the lifestyle since I'm still in the "exploratory phase", but there were some fabulous recipes that immediately caught my eye and took away some of the mystery around what a Keto-friendly diet is really all about.

And it was the featured egg muffins that leaped off the page and made it to my kitchen first.  What drew me in?  The ease of preparation (like whisking up some eggs and layering them with delicious add-ins in muffin tins for a bake it and forget it done deal.)  With just an hour or so out of my Sunday afternoon to assemble and bake, which meant perfect timing for catching up on a couple of podcasts, it was likely as easy as meal prep goes. 

And we can't forget about the key takeaway of cooking: the taste!  These are delicious and the piquant onion flavor, coupled with the savory goodness from the dry-aged salami and cheese, felt like I was enjoying crust-less, mini quiches.  Some days they were breakfast and others they were lunch with a side salad thrown in. 

The final bonus is that they lend themselves well to freezing or storing in the refrigerator.  What meal-prep dreams are made of, no?

So whether you're a Keto devotee or not, these egg muffins will suit any quest for easy, healthy and delicious eats.  Try them and let me know your thoughts.

Happy Eating!

Egg Muffins

Ingredients:
2 scallions, finely chopped
5 oz. air-dried chorizo, salami or cooked bacon, chopped
12 eggs
6 oz. shredded cheese (your choice)
2 Tbsp. red or green pesto (optional)
Salt and pepper 

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Divide chopped scallions and meat and add equal amounts to bottom of each cup.  Whisk eggs with seasoning and pesto, if desired.  Add cheese; stir.

Pour egg mixture evenly into each cup.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on size of muffin tin.  Let cool before wrapping in plastic and storing in fridge or freezer.  Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of DietDoctor.com 
 

{Put an Egg on It}: Recipes, Cooking Techniques & More!

Herbed Baked Eggs

Welcome to the wonderful world of eggs!  Boiled. Baked. Scrambled. Poached. Frittatas. Omelets. (Okay, by now you get the picture.)  The incredible, edible egg is indeed one versatile and mouth-watering star ingredient fueling some of our most delicious dreams. 

I, for one, have taken to incorporating them into my diet more since the new year debuted (the boiled variety is a favorite for protein-fueled breakfasts and snacking).  But did you ever consider that when it comes to preparing them, technique is involved?  Well, there is.  And today's post is dedicated to all the egg-noshing, technique, and etiquette savvy, that I can muster.  If you're like me, you'll soon be saying, 'put an egg on it!'. 

Recipes ~

Herbed Baked Eggs are one of my absolute favorite ways to indulge.  Easy, yet elegant, they're even great for entertaining (think brunch).  For more ways to indulge, here are 44 (yes, 44) additional recipes to keep your egg recipe rotation in high gear.

Technique ~ 

What every good cook needs, but admittedly sometimes lacks, is the skill to pull off the runny, poached egg, light and fluffy omelet, and immaculate golden yolk that boiled eggs are made of.  If that's someone you know ;), then help is here.  These tips and tricks will have your egg game strong before you can say, 'what's for breakfast?'.

Etiquette ~ 

And once all the "work" is done, all that's left is the eating, right?  Well, before you do, make sure you know exactly how to eat them.  My quick and fun dining tutorial will equip you in no time.

Now... on to Happy Eating!

Vegetable & Herb Frittata

What can I say about a frittata?  For starters, this Italian-style omelet, as it's been referred to, is one of the most versatile dishes (think breakfast, lunch, brunch and breakfast for dinner), the perfect canvas for vegetables, herbs, meats and cheeses, and translates beautifully for entertaining a crowd or your own private indulgence.  Oh, and, I'm a fan.

As easy to pull together as grabbing whatever you have on hand in the fridge (exactly what I did for this recipe), a frittata  cooks up with very little fuss, while yielding what I find to be one of the best egg preparations around.  Eggs + filling + technique = another great recipe for your mornings, afternoons, evenings, or whenever you're simply in the mood.

Happy Eating!

Vegetable and Herb Frittata
Servings: 2*

Ingredients:
4 large eggs, plus one large egg white
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 shallot, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Splash of milk
3 dashes of hot sauce (optional) 

Preheat oven broiler.

Combine eggs, Parmesan, a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper, milk and hot sauce in a bowl and beat eggs with a fork until well blended.  Set aside.

Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat, add pepper and shallot and cook to soften (about 2-3 minutes).  Pour eggs over the vegetable mixture and tilt pan to distribute eggs evenly over the mixture and around the surface of the pan.  Continue cooking until edges become browned and the center is slightly set.  Sprinkle on some parsley and put under the broiler for one and a half minutes (watching carefully to avoid burning!).

Remove from broiler when top is lightly browned and set.  Finish with another sprinkling of parsley.  Cut into wedges, serve and enjoy! 

(*Cook's Note: You can easily increase the servings by increasing the number of eggs in the recipe.)  
    

HOW TO EAT: Eggs

The incredible, edible egg!  This small wonder is the base for some of our most beloved dishes and equally delectable all on its own.  Whether we're talking souffles, omelets, frittatas, poached, hard-boiled or deviled varieties, and more, it's true that eggs are all around superstars in the world of good eats.  

While vacationing recently, I enjoyed eggs almost every morning for breakfast, so you could say I've had "eggs on the brain" for the last little while, and I'm excited to feature them in our latest "how to eat" series.  In addition to our dining tutorial, you can up your egg game by diving into Bon Appetit's Egg Primer for great recipes, tips, videos and more on the fabulous egg!

Happy Eating!

Eating Eggs:

Eat hard-cooked eggs with a fork.  To eat soft-cooked eggs served in an egg cup, slice off the cap with a knife and eat directly from the shell with a spoon.  Soft-cooked eggs may also be scooped out of the shell into a small dish and eaten with a spoon. 
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