In my experience, there's no better place to start a journey than, well, the beginning.
And so, in the spirit of "taking it from the top," I am starting at breakfast. When I was younger, I would often eschew breakfast (after all, why take the time for breakfast when skipping it means more sleep). However, as I've gotten older, I have found that I have a better, more productive day if I go ahead and do breakfast some justice.
So today I offer you a recipe (and I use the term loosely, as this is more a method than anything else...the ingredients are rather flexible) for one of my favorite breakfasts of all time, a frittata.
Frittatas are one of my favorite breakfast foods for a few reasons, the main one being that although I love omelettes, I am rather hopeless when it comes to making them. Oh, I've tried...the simple fold-over, the fancy tri-fold, special omelette-specific pans...you name it, I've flubbed it. Omelettes and I, well, we just aren't meant to coexist (unless, of course, the hubs is making breakfast).
Hence, when I want something a step up from scrambled eggs, I turn to the frittata. This one is my standard...lots of veggies and a bit of lean protein, with some cheese to finish it off. I almost always have the components of this particular recipe in my kitchen, so it's a snap to prepare. As a bonus, it's one of those special recipes that is dead easy to make but seems rather impressive to most people...ideal for overnight guests. Have a slice or two with some toast and a piece of fresh fruit, and get your day started right!
Simple Turkey and Mixed Vegetable Frittata
Ingredients
two eggs + one egg white, beaten and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper.
half a medium onion, chopped medium
4 medium mushrooms, sliced thinly
5 grape tomatoes, halved
1 oz. turkey (I used pre-sliced deli-turkey as it was what I had on hand at the time), sliced thin
1 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
chopped parsley, for garnish
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Heat oven-safe 12" skillet over medium heat, add oil of choice (I used cooking spray only in a non-stick pan to cut back on fat), and saute onions until just barely translucent.
3. Add tomatoes and mushrooms, saute briefly to heat, then season with salt and pepper and add turkey. Continue stirring and sauteing mixture until nicely colored and brown along edges.
4. Spread sauteed veggies and turkey in an even layer in the skillet, then pour beaten eggs over evenly, moving pan around if necessary to form one cohesive piece.
5. Let cook over low-medium heat to set the bottom of the frittata, about 3 minutes. Edges should begin to firm up, but center should remain relatively "eggy" and liquid.
6. Place in preheated oven for 5-7 minutes until center begins to firm. At this point, add cheese, sprinkled lightly over entire frittata. Place back in oven and continue to cook until cheese is bubbly and the edges of the frittata are lightly browned.
7. Remove from oven and let cool/set for a few minutes before carefully sliding from the pan. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired, cut into wedges, and serve immediately.
**As I mentioned, this recipe is very flexible. Feel free to substitute whatever veggies and meat strike your fancy. Or forgo meat altogether and use more veggies or a soy meat alternative (scrambled tofu works brilliantly in this). If you want to beef it up a bit, put a little leftover rice in as well when you saute the vegetables. Basically, except for the eggs, frittata is a blank canvas, so have fun!**
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