August 19, 2011

"You Gotta Frittata"

Back in the day, when our nightly outings would last till 4am, we would all trek down to this little cafe in the heart of Syracuse and order up mammoth frittatas to share. These delicious platters really hit the spot, especially after a long night of disco dancing (What?! Did I say "disco?") I love making a few batches of these for brunch, but they're also a quick fix for an evening dinner. The best ones I've sampled are made with pepperoni, cheese, potatoes, and spicy vegetables, but since I'm trying to be health conscious, I've made mine with organic veggies. Be free with your choice of ingredients ~ anything goes!  So excuse me for now...I'm going to grab a skillet, dig out my platform shoes and boogie down....

Potato Frittata
serves 6-8

4 large red skinned potatoes (or Yukon gold)
1 head fresh broccoli, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cups sliced peppers
1 clove garlic, minced
6 large eggs
3 tablespoons light cream
3 tablespoons ricotta cheese
2 slices provolone cheese
salt/pepper
olive oil

Drizzle a small amount (about a tablespoon) of olive oil in the bottom of a large, shallow non-stick skillet. Put heat on low. Wash and slice up the potatoes and veggies.
I love using these little sweet peppers...
And a fresh, green head of organic broccoli.
Place the potatoes down into the hot oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
When potatoes have browned, gently turn. Add the rest of the veggies to the pan, and saute everything together. The garlic and onion give this dish such a great aroma.
You want the vegetables to be tender, and the potatoes to have a nice, brown color. Don't you want a bite?
Whisk the eggs together with the cream, set aside, then move the sauteed veggies to one side of the skillet.
...slowly pour the eggs into the empty side of the pan.  Dollop the ricotta cheese on top of the eggs.
With a wooden spoon or spatula, slowly pull the eggs towards the center, moving the pan around to allow mixture to cook. When the eggs have firmed up a bit, begin to incorporate them with the veggie mix. You don't really want to stir this, it's all about folding the ingredients together.
Gently turn everything until blended. Now turn the heat on low, place the slices of provolone cheese on top, then cover and allow the cheese to melt.
When the cheese is melted and gooey, and the frittata is piping hot, slice into pieces and serve. Enjoy each and every bite of this healthy, comfort food!

No comments: