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Baked Eggs: Herb Ricotta Frittata

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I’m not sure why eggs tend to get the reputation as a breakfast food.  Come to think of it, I rarely eat eggs for breakfast unless it’s a lazy Saturday or perhaps someone else makes them for me.  Eggs are one of the most versatile (and cheap!) ingredients in your cooking arsenal so why not elevate them beyond something that you would find on a breakfast platter?

If you have never had baked eggs before, you are missing out.  When you bake eggs in a frittata, the result is basically an egg cake.  The eggs puff up and become golden on the outside while staying soft and almost fluffy on the inside.  Aside from being delicious and quite simple to make, frittatas are infinitely customizable.  In this one, I used up some leftover herbs and ricotta cheese, but feel free to add anything you like.  Serve this frittata for dinner alongside a nice green salad or perhaps some asparagus.  It will serve 4 as a dinner portion.

Herb Ricotta Frittata

1 tbsp grapeseed oil (or other high-heat tolerant oil)
8 eggs
a splash of almond milk (or other milk of your choice)
1/3 cup chopped chives
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Heat the oil in a large oven-proof non-stick skillet over medium to medium-high heat.  While the oil is heating, in a large bowl, gently beat the eggs and almond milk.  Once the eggs are lightly beaten, stir in the herbs and salt and pepper to taste.  Add the egg mixture to your hot skillet and then gently place dollops of the ricotta on top.  Continue to cook the frittata, without stirring, until the edges are firm, about 2 minutes.  Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the top of the frittata is set, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
You can either serve slices of the frittata out of the skillet, or, you can slide it out of the skillet and onto a cutting board or plate before serving.  Enjoy!




   

A little break from sweets: Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Caps with Dandelion Greens

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A while back I went to the farmer’s market and ended up with a bunch of dandelion greens.  I said I would share what I did with them in a later post, so here it is: stuffed portobello mushrooms caps with dandelion greens.  This is one of my go-to recipes for dinner.  It doesn’t tale long to prepare and can be made with any greens or veggies I have in my fridge at the moment.  Sometimes, if I feel really ambitious, I top these with some homemade pesto. 

If you have never had dandelion greens, they are certainly not for the faint of heart.  The greens are quite bitter but this seems to lessen a bit once sauteed.  Bitterness aside, they are quite unique and delicious.  If you can’t find dandelion greens, or they are out of season where you live, spinach and kale work beautifully in this dish.

Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Caps with Dandelion Greens
This recipe makes enough for 2 portions, but it can easily be multiplied.  If you own a grill, you could grill the mushroom caps instead of roasting them for a nice smokey flavor. 

2 extra large portobello mushroom caps, gills removed
1 bunch of fresh dandelion greens
1 1/2 cups of cooked brown rice
zest of 1 lemon
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
olive oil
sea salt
pepper
freshly grated parmesan (opt.)
pesto (opt.)
fresh herbs (opt.)

Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 375 degrees.  Remove the gills and stems from the mushrooms and then brush some olive on both sides.  Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and then roast on a lined baking sheet with the undersides facing up for about 7 to 9 minutes.  They will be done when they are softened and you see natural juices beginning to come out. 

While your mushrooms are in the oven, saute the dandelion greens in a bit of olive oil with the lemon zest and crushed red pepper flakes until just softenend.  Add in the cooked rice and then taste the mixture to adjust the seasoning.  Pile half of the rice mixture on top of each mushroom and top with grated parmesan, pesto, fresh herbs, or perhaps just some coarse sea salt.  Enjoy!