Jack and Bell Frittata

Jack and Bell Pepper Frittata

"Jack and Jill went up the hill, each with a buck and a quarter.  Jill came down with Frittata..."

Oh... the magical vanishing act of the Frittata, making all those vegetables in the refrigerator disappear.  With only four eggs, I was able to vanquish nearly a whole Bell Pepper, two handfuls of Spinach, a quarter of an Onion, a small army of chives, four ounces of Jack Cheese, and a handful of Flat-Leaf Parsley.

A Frittata gives you the opportunity to use those, let's say less-than-perfect remnants of your vegetable drawer.  You stick to a theme and bind everything together literally with eggs.  The only prerequisites are the eggs, really - although I would never consider making one without cheese.  Nearly any vegetables or cheese will do.

The process takes about 20 minutes, and with a side salad fulfills all of my breakfast needs: eggs, vegetables, cheese, and simplicity.  I suppose not all of my breakfast needs, coffee being an absolute necessity.  The left-overs can be stored and re-heated in a toaster oven the next day.

Chopped Vegetables

Frittata:

Preheat the broiler.  Chop all your vegetables and cheese into a half-inch dice.  Place them in either a 10 or 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add some butter, some olive oil, or both.

Whip 4-6 eggs with a teaspoon of salt in a bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of water, milk, or cream.  Soften the veggies in the skillet over medium heat with salt and pepper before you add the eggs (5 mins or so).  The herbs are added at the end so as not to cook out all their nuances.

Once the veggies are ready, add the eggs and the herbs, and give the mixture a few quick and thorough stirs.  Distribute the cubed cheese evenly over the top of the eggs and place in the oven under the broiler.  Broil for 6-12 minutes until the cheese is melted.  I like it when it begins to form a little brown crust...

Frittata fresh from the oven

Slice the Frittata into wedges and serve hot.  You can garnish with a dollop of sour cream, hot sauce, and a sprinkle of parsley.  Because Frittatas are so rich, I like them paired with a salad, although fried potatoes would also be delicious.

Enjoy.

Comments

[sippitysup]

Vanishing Act! That's funny, but true. I was in Palm Springs this weekend and a 5 year old wanted to help me make breakfast, but he insisted on choosing all the ingredients. I ended up with a fritatta because it seemed to handle whatever ingredient that kid through at me. The only cheat I pulled was blueberry yogurt. I pretended to add that and he was none the wiser! GREG

[wasabi prime]

So true. My friend makes a "kitchen sink" omelet, which is basically the same thing, since she uses nearly everything but the kitchen sink! We got back from vacation and the next morning, a frittata was the first thing I made, with just a few basic ingredients. It works in any case for a fridge, be it feast or famine!