brunch – Chef About Food

What to Do with Left Over Veggies – The Frittata

It’s late Sunday morning, you’re leisurely sipping on a warm cup of coffee or tea and thinking about what to have for brunch. Maybe you’re still feeling the aftermath of the last glass of wine you had after supper, or perhaps you just aren’t in the mood to invest much time into this. You head over to the refrigerator to see what the options are, all the while wishing leftover pizza will suddenly appear out of nowhere and be sitting on the shelf. Sadly, a magical pizza fairy has not blessed you this day and the only left-over food you see are some cooked vegetables from supper. How will you turn these vegetables into a meal that’s not too involved or time-consuming? The answer comes from Italy, make a Frittata.

The Frittata is a bit like scrambled eggs, crustless Quiche, Spanish Tortilla (which usually includes cooked potatoes), or an unfolded Omelet. In Italy, mothers and grandmothers will whip up a Frittata as a quick and easy snack using whatever meat or vegetables they have around the house. You might also see a Frittata at a bar being offered as a bite to eat between meals with an espresso or glass of wine. In my experiences, they were always served at room temperature in Italy, but at home I like to eat it hot with melted cheese on the top.

It’s perfectly acceptable to add whatever cooked vegetables and meat you have handy. Fresh herbs or fresh spinach added at the end of cooking are nice too. In this recipe, I used zucchini and mushrooms that have been cooked with onion and garlic. I typically add a few dashes of Tabasco, but that’s not traditional. Don’t be afraid to make it your own, this is a forgiving recipe.

Frittata

Serves 2 -3

3 large eggs

1 Tablespoon milk (nut milk or animal milk)

2 dashes of Tabasco (optional)

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

2 Tablespoons Parmesan or Pecorino cheese grated (optional)

½-1 cup cooked vegetables

Shredded cheese of your choice (optional)

¼ cup fresh baby or chopped spinach (optional)

1 Tablespoon of olive oil

Heat olive oil in a non-stick oven safe sauté or fry pan until shimmering slightly. Add the cooked vegetables evenly across the bottom of the pan.

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, Tabasco, Parmesan, pepper flake, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture evenly over vegetables in the pan and reduce heat to low.

Method 1: Cook until edges start to brown slightly then turn out onto a plate and slide back into the pan. Continue to cook until edges start to brown slightly. Optionally, sprinkle with shredded cheese, fresh spinach, fresh herbs, and cook until cheese is melted.

** This method can be difficult and messy, so it’s not my favorite.

Method 2: Place pan into a preheated oven at 350 degrees and cook until eggs set up and begin to brown slightly. Gently shake the pan to test for doneness. Optionally, sprinkle top with shredded cheese, fresh spinach, fresh herbs if using and cook until just melted.

Method 3 (my favorite): Cook until edges start to brown slightly. Cover with a tight fitting lid and continue to cook until set. Gently shake the pan to test for doneness. Optionally, sprinkle top with shredded cheese, fresh spinach, fresh herbs if using and cook until just melted.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Spinach Pie

When the words spinach pie are spoken, many people think of Spanakopita. Spanakopita is the Greek version of spinach pie and probably the most well-known version. Spinach pie can also be found in other forms though, Lebanese spinach pies are small and made with a soft dough, Italian spinach pies are made in pie crust and often contain Ricotta cheese.

I developed my own spinach pie recipe on a rainy day when I wanted something similar to a quiche but with less egg and more spinach and cheese. A couple of pies later, I settled on this recipe. It is one of my husbands’ favorites. I have included information on substitutions, all of which work just fine. I hope you enjoy it and please post photos of your results on the Chef About Food Facebook page.

Chef Kerry’s Spinach Pie (Makes two 9” pies)

1 bag of chopped frozen spinach

1 medium or large yellow onion diced

1 tsp of minced garlic

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)

2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup of crumbled feta, grated Parmesan, grated pecorino, aged Asiago, or any other sharp flavored cheese that’s dry enough to crumble. (If you use something like cheddar or Swiss here, it will be too greasy)

8 slices of Swiss, American, Gouda, or Fontina cheese (Enough to completely cover the bottom of the pie crusts without a lot of overlapping)

4 large eggs

2 Tablespoons milk or half and half (you can use unsweetened unflavored nut milk instead)

2 raw pie crusts (thawed if frozen)

1/2 cup shredded or grated cheese of your choice (I prefer a blend Parmesan and Provolone)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add onion and lightly sprinkle all over with salt and pepper, stir and cook for about 2 minutes. If it starts to get too dark, turn the heat down. Add garlic, red pepper flake, and mushrooms if using, stir and cook until mushrooms and onions are soft and slightly browned, about 5-7 minutes.

Meanwhile, prick pie crusts all over with a fork and place on a sheet pan in the oven for about 7 minutes or until they are very lightly browned but not cooked all the way. Remove from oven and set aside until cool. (You May use pie weights if you have them).

Add spinach to the pan with onions and stir thoroughly, then turn to low and cover the pan for 5 minutes. Check after the 5 minutes to make sure it’s not too dry or sticking. If it’s dry, scrape away all food from the very center of the pan and add another teaspoon or two of oil to the center of the pan. Let the oil heat for about 30 seconds then stir through the spinach mixture.
Continue to cook, uncovered, for another 2-3 minutes and then taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from heat and let cool, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes, until you can touch with your pinky for 5 seconds and not get burned.

Line the bottom of the pie crusts with one layer of the sliced cheese. Try to cover the whole bottom but not overlap too much. This will help to seal the bottom crust and keep it from becoming soggy.

In a bowl large enough to hold the spinach mixture and the eggs, use a fork to lightly beat the eggs and milk with a pinch of salt and pepper until blended together.

Add the spinach mix and the crumbled feta into the bowl with the eggs and stir well to combine. Divide spinach mixture between the two pie shells and smooth out.

Cook the pies on the sheet pan in a 375-degree oven for about 30 minutes or until it is set. Check by lightly shaking the pan, if the pies jiggle, they are not done.

When pies are set, remove from oven and set the oven to low broil.
Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly on top of both pies and place back in the oven until cheese is melted and browned if desired, 1-3 minutes. DO NOT WALK AWAY DURING THIS PART.
You must watch the pies while under the broiler so they do not burn, this can happen really fast!

Remove pies from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before slicing.