If you’re looking for a quick and delicious light dinner, brunch or lunch idea, continue reading.
Frittatas are one of the easiest dishes to make, once you’ve mastered a few basic principles. You can come up with lots of ideas for fillings, and unless your tastes run to shaved Kobe beef or Beluga caviar, frittatas are very budget-friendly.
My favourite pan to use for making frittatas is a shallow non-stick skillet with an oven-safe handle; an eight to 10-inch skillet is a good size for a frittata to serve four people.
If your skillet’s handle is plastic and you’re not sure if it will stand the heat of the oven, wrap it tightly with a couple of layers of heavy-duty foil.
Remember to protect your hand when picking up the skillet after the frittata is baked (for some reason I always forget how hot the handle will be).
Some recipes say to invert the frittata onto a serving plate before cutting it into wedges, but I don’t usually bother. Serve a fresh green salad with a light vinaigrette dressing alongside your frittata and you have the perfect spring meal. Refrigerate any leftovers. Cooled frittata makes an excellent sandwich filling.
Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Frittata
6 large eggs
2 Tbsp homogenized milk or light cream
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives or green onions
2 oz cream cheese, softened
2 oz smoked salmon, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 375° F. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, dill, salt, pepper and chives.
With your fingers, separate the cream cheese into little chunks; add the cream cheese and smoked salmon to the egg mixture and stir to combine.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in an eight to 10-inch non-stick skillet with an oven-proof handle; swirl oil to coat pan. Add the egg mixture and stir lightly to ensure that the fillings are evenly distributed in the pan. Cook until the bottom is just set, about two minutes. Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the frittata is golden and set, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for a couple of minutes, then slice into four servings.
Spinach and Goat Cheese Frittata
1 lb baby spinach leaves, thoroughly washed (using a bag of pre-washed spinach is a time-saver)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
9 large eggs
2 Tbsp milk or light cream
1⁄3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, blotted dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled
Preheat oven to 400° F. Cook the spinach with a couple of tablespoons of water in a covered saucepan until just wilted. Drain and press out as much water as possible (a saucer pressed onto the spinach in a colander works well). Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and Parmesan cheese. Stir in the sundried tomatoes and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a 10-inch non-stick skillet with an oven-proof handle. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until onion is softened but not brown; add the garlic and cook for a minute longer.
Add the cooked spinach and stir to mix well with the onion and garlic.
Spread the spinach mixture out evenly in the bottom of the pan and pour the egg mixture evenly over top. With a spatula, lift up the spinach mixture along the sides of the pan to allow the eggs to flow underneath. Sprinkle bits of goat cheese evenly over top. Let mixture cook without stirring until the eggs are set on the bottom, about two minutes.
Place skillet in oven and cook until frittata is golden and set, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool for a couple of minutes then cut into four to six servings.
Leek and Asparagus Frittata
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only, wash leeks carefully to remove all traces of sand)
12 oz bunch thin asparagus, tough ends removed, cut on the diagonal into one-inch pieces
1 cup sliced mushrooms
8 large eggs
2 Tbsp homogenized milk or light cream
1 cup diced Fontina cheese, divided use
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400° F. Heat the oil and butter over medium heat in a 10-inch non-stick skillet with an oven-proof handle. Add the leeks and sauté until softened, about three minutes. Add the asparagus and mushrooms; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and sauté until tender, about six minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk; add salt and pepper to taste, then stir in three-quarters of a cup of the Fontina cheese. Add the egg mixture to the skillet, distributing the cheese evenly. Cook until bottom of frittata is set, about two minutes. Sprinkle remaining Fontina cheese and the Parmesan evenly over top. Place skillet in oven and cook until frittata is golden and set, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool for a couple of minutes then cut into four to six servings.
Angela Shellard is aself-described foodie. She has done informal catering for various functions. Contact: [email protected].
