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Frittata
Matt’s Kitchen Sink Frittata
Recently a fellow blogger, posted about writer’s block. Mike (at Made by Mike) was suffering from it and I know that feeling all too well. I haven’t posted in over a week and wondered if maybe that was my issue too. But I don’t think so. I’ll chalk it up to not feeling well the last week or so. Caught a cold at my nephew’s wedding (it was worth it) and I am suffering with fall allergies. Spending time clearing the summer garden and working on the fall garden does not help my allergies but it helps keep me sane.
Combine puniness with learning new software at work and it’s no wonder I’m not cooking, blogging, and taking food photos! So, with little fodder for the blog, I turn to my husband, Matt, for this recipe – Kitchen Sink Frittata. It’s his latest creation. I’ve slowly corrupted Matt. When we first met, he was a recipe follower, but not so much these days. He got the inspiration for the frittata from one of his favorite cookbooks, The All New Good Housekeeping Cook Book. However, we had leftovers so he used them instead of following the recipe. He cleaned out the refrigerator and used leftover creamed spinach, the Cutest Potatoes Ever, and the Layered Summer Vegetable Bake. It was delicious. Have I mentioned lately that I love having a husband who enjoys cooking?!? I am allergic to eggs (and sensitive to dairy), but I ate some anyway, it was totally worth the rash and itching. Typical medical disclaimer: if you are allergic to any of the ingredients please do not risk it by trying this recipe! I have dealt with food allergies for so long, I know my limits. Disclaimer over, and now back to the recipe…
Frittata (Print recipe)
8 eggs
1½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
¼ cup half-and-half
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, Greek basil, thyme), roughly chopped
2 cups potatoes (I would do more), thinly sliced
2 cups roasted veggies, chopped and/or thinly sliced (tomatoes, onions, peppers, artichokes, eggplant, summer squash, mushrooms, zucchini, garlic, etc.)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup creamed spinach (or other greens, add cream cheese and/or more cheese if just using regular spinach)
1 cup grated cheese*
Preheat oven to 425º F. In a large bowl, combine eggs, water, half and half, salt, and pepper. Beat until combined. Add herbs and half of the cheese, beat some more.
Note: this step assumes you are using up leftovers and everything is cooked. In a large oven safe skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Make sure you have some oil on the sides of the pan to prevent sticking. Reheat ingredients according to their thickness and ability to handle heat – heat the potatoes first, then the veggies, and then the spinach. As soon as everything is warm and reasonably well combined, add egg mixture. Stir slightly so that ingredients are evenly distributed, then let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until it starts to set on the edges. Pop it in the preheated oven.
Cook for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and top with the remaining cheese. Pop it back in the oven until cheese melts (about 2 to 4 more minutes).
To serve, loosen frittata from skillet by easing it up around the edges. Use a good metal spatula to loosen the bottom, and then gently slide it onto a platter. Makes: 6-8 servings.
*You can use cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan, or another cheese of your choice. You can also use more if you prefer. You really can’t have too much cheese with the amount of eggs in this frittata.
Post 5/13 – Cheese Soufflé with Spinach
Today Matt and I are celebrating our second wedding anniversary. It’s been an adventure so far. Glad I married a man who likes to cook almost as much as I do. For New Year’s Eve, we cooked dinner together…he made individual Cheese Soufflés with Spinach and I made the Panettone French Toast from a recent post. The meal was awesome but the best part was hanging out together. Wow, that sounds kinda goofy, but it’s true.
This was Matt’s first time making a soufflé and it was great! He wasn’t sure about baking them in individual ramekins, but it worked. They could’ve been a bit poofier (Is this a word?). Maybe using three ramekins instead of four would’ve made them
taller. Either way, poofy or not so poofy, they were good!
Possible variations: Using aged yellow Cheddar instead of the extra sharp white Cheddar. A pinch of dried mustard powder might be a nice addition. Also, I wonder if it would work with chopped broccoli instead of the spinach? The broccoli might be too heavy and the result might be more like a frittata. Bet it would still be good. I might try this one day, when it’s just us and not company. After reading the draft, Matt mentioned maybe using Gruyère and caramelized onions instead of Cheddar and Spinach. Many possibilities.
Here’s the recipe…
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup hot milk
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or use ½ teaspoon Penzeys’ Black & Red instead of the cayenne and black pepper)
¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
4 extra-large egg yolks, at room-temperature*
½ cup grated extra sharp white Cheddar
1 package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
5 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature*
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
For greasing the dish(es):
Unsalted butter and freshly grated Parmesan (quantities deepened on how many ramekins you use.)
Preheat the oven to 400º degrees F. Liberally butter the inside of a 6 to 8-cup soufflé dish (or 3 to 4 10-ounce ramekins) and sprinkle the bottom and sides evenly with Parmesan. This step is important, otherwise…the cheese gives the soufflé something to cling to as it rises and it makes it easier to clean.
Make the white sauce base…melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Use a wire whisk and stir in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the hot milk, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
Off the heat, while still hot, whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the Cheddar, ¼ cup of Parmesan, and the spinach. Transfer this mixture to a large bowl (one that is not hot).
Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt. Beat on low for 1 minute, increase to medium and beat 1 minute, then beat on high until you get firm, glossy peaks (another 2-3 minutes).
Stir about a quarter of the egg whites into the cheese mixture. This will lighten the mixture and make folding in the remaining egg whites easier. Slowly and carefully, fold in the rest of the egg whites. This is where patience pays off. Use care when folding the mixture or you could deflate it. Pour into the soufflé dish(es), smooth the top, and then use a spatula or spoon to draw circle on top, this helps it rise evenly. Carefully place it on the middle rack of the oven. Close the oven door and then turn the temperature down to 375º degrees F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until poofy and golden brown. This is not a time to use the Katie Cookie Technique to open the oven, whack the sheet. Keep the oven closed, you can peek through the window. It is pretty cool to watch it get poofy. Serve it immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers. They are good the next day for breakfast (even cold or you can heat it up). The texture isn’t quite the same but it still tastes great.
*The eggs must be at room temperature. It usually takes several hours to bring them to the right temperature (sometimes overnight). If the eggs are cold and you are ready to make the dish, you can quickly bring them up to temperature by putting the whole eggs (shells included) in a bowl and pour hot water over them. They usually warm quickly, in about 10 minutes.
The Flaming Pot Holder 