The Wonderful World of Frittata

Frittata is a wonderful trick for vegetarians looking to increase their protein intake and also a great way to use vegetables fast.

You can literally include anything you want into a frittata. Although typically served for breakfast this go-to dish is an easy mid-week meal and satisfying enough for dinner.

I usually saute most of my vegetables, but that can sometimes strip vegetables of their nutrients and added oil can jack up calorie count. Steaming and boiling are much better alternatives.

Broccoli, Potato, Tomato Frittata

One crown or more broccoli florets

2 medium, ripe tomatoes

4 new or red potatoes

1 tbsp olive oil

6 eggs

1/2 cup low-fat sour cream

1/2 cup gruyere or other white cheese

salt/pepper

garlic powder

onion powder

crushed red pepper

shredded parm (for garnish)

Preheat oven at 350. Set a pot of water to boil. For more flavor add a few tablespoons of vegetable broth. Boil potatoes for 4 minutes. Add broccoli, boil four more minutes. Drain and let cool. Meanwhile chop tomato, discarding seeds and white ribs. Stir in seasonings and oil.

I have found a wonderful little place called Midtown Olive Press in Raleigh. They serve infused vinegars and olive oils and one of my favorite is a butter-infused olive oil. It is still an unsaturated fat but carries a distinctive taste of butter. It is great for any potato recipe and adding flavor. Stir in one tablespoon olive oil but if you can, find an infused flavor that works for you.

Fill the bottom of a greased deep-dish or pie dish with seasoned vegetables.

Beat shredded cheese and sour cream into six eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over vegetables and stir until covered. Bake 45 minutes or until eggs are set.

Serve with shredded parm, tomato sauce or hot sauce. A frittata will make eight slices. If you want to use more egg, do not use more than eight eggs so you can keep up with your cholesterol count. Do not exceed more than two eggs, or slices, a day.

Deviled Eggs

Worried about eggs going bad? A healthy snack and simple deviled egg recipe will do the trick. I make these using only what I have in my refrigerator door. I try not to eat more than two eggs a day so it's ideal for taking out the last of the eggs before the expiration date.

My husband is stubborn about eating hardboiled eggs, but they are incredibly healthy for you, despite anti-cholesterol posters, and simple to make low-fat. Eggs are great for the eyes and may reduce the risk of cataracts due to their carotenoid content. One egg contains six grams of protein and only 1.5 grams saturated fat. Eggs are also naturally rich in Vitamin D and sulpher, which promotes healthy hair and nails. Be sure to buy organic or free-range chicken eggs.

Deviled Eggs

4 eggs (2 to share)

2 tbsp low-fat, olive oil mayonnaise e.g. Smart Balance or Kraft

1/2 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp white wine vinegar (optional)

hot sauce, to taste

garlic salt and pepper

2 tsp dill relish

1 scallion or 1/2 tsp onion powder

paprika or crushed red pepper

Set eggs in a small pot and cover with water. Heat pot until water boils, turn off heat (do not remove from stove) and cover. Let stand 13 minutes. This is a fool-proof method for perfect eggs. It seems unpredictable, but it works.

Once cool enough to handle, shell eggs and slice in half long ways. Using a small spoon, scoop out egg yoke (it should come out easily if the eggs are cooked correctly) and add to a medium bowl. Add mayo, mustard, and relish. If you are using Tabasco sauce, you do not need to add anymore vinegar - the eggs will taste too bitter. If you are using a less vinegary hot sauce, such as Louisiana, add the white wine vinegar. I still prefer Nandos, but it's only available in Africa in care packages from my sister.

I think scallion tastes great in eggs, but this is supposed to be a cabinet stables kind of recipe so substitute a little bit of onion powder instead. Season with garlic salt and pepper. You may want to add more hot sauce or relish depending on how you want your eggs to taste. Be sparing when adding mayo and mustard since you won't be able to lessen those portions.

Use a small fork to reload deviled eggs with filling. They will be full. The fork makes a nice indention in the egg, although the icing bag is ideal. Unfortunately I don't have one. Top your eggs with paprika or crushed red pepper - for a bigger kick.

Perfect Potato Salad

How many of you have tried to make your own potato salad? I love potato salad, but I am so picky it's hard to order some and know how it will turn out. Some are dry and tasteless and others are drown in cheese and sour cream. I think I have finally found a recipe combination that works for me, except for one odd quality - it's served warm.

When I think of potato salad I think of BBQ side dishes and eating outside in the summer, but honestly this recipe only works so well because it is served warm. You do have a lot of flexibility in what you can include in potato salads. I don't like many raw ingredients - red onions have an after taste that take days to fade. And hard celery bites in my potato salad is such a turn off. But there are also ways to add some nutrition to this party side that can pretty much go unnoticed by those anti-vegetable family members of yours.

Potato Salad

2 lb. red potatoes

1.5 tbsp cider vinegar

2 eggs

1/4 c. mayo e.g. Kraft's olive oil

1/4 tsp dijon mustard

1/4 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 red pepper, diced

1-2 carrots, shredded

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 tbsp dill pickle relish

paprika, for serving

fresh parsley, for serving

You should definitely use red potatoes for this recipe. Someone did a test to see which potatoes were most absorbing and would take on the most flavors for potatoes salad, and red potatoes won hands down. I know they are cheap but don't use russet potatoes - it will not taste the same. Boil the potatoes for 20-25 minutes or until able to easily pierce with a knife. Let potatoes cool. Cut the potato in half long-ways and then into thirds, or approximately bite-sized pieces. Stir in vinegar and set aside.

While potatoes are boiling, put two eggs into a shallow pot and cover with water. Set stove to high until water boils. Once boiling, cover pot and turn off stove - do not remove pot from heat. Time for 13 minutes. This is Martha's full-proof hardboil egg instructions and you will never have an overcooked egg. Once cool enough to handle, shell eggs and chop.

Mix your mayo and mustard together. Add seasonings. Add relish. Set aside.

In a frying pan add celery, onion, red pepper and carrot. Sauté until celery starts to become soft and vegetables are slightly brown. Add salt and pepper to vegetables.

First mix the warm potatoes and vegetables. Start with half your mayo mix and stir into potatoes. The heat of the vegetables will "melt" the mayo slightly and you will better be able to tell how much more you need. Add egg last. Top salad with fresh, chopped parsley and paprika. Serve immediately.

Some other tips: I like sautéed sweet onion in my salad, but you can also use sliced green onions since it is not so powerful. I am a big fan of dill relish but other recipes called for sliced cornichons if you prefer that taste to dill. Also, I never peel my potatoes, even for masked potatoes. As long as you clean the potatoes you are actually getting more nutrition from the skins. But if you dislike your potato skins remove them once they have boiled and are cool enough to handle.

CSA Dinner Frittata

Oh yum! One of the best things about being a cook is when you can take leftovers or raw ingredients and make a world-win creation. We are coming off a four-day holiday and are about to leave for our week vacation, so I was intent on making dinner with only what we had. When I came home to find that my thawed shrimp had gone bad I was already out of ideas.

However, my last CSA pick-up was a new batch of vegetables including heirloom tomatoes, fingerling potatoes and leeks. And of course kale. So after a few searches on recipe search lists I came up with a pretty delicious frittata that is hearty enough for dinner, but yummy enough to eat any meal of the day.

CSA Dinner Frittata

1-1.5 lb fingerling potatoes, cleaned and cut to one inch pieces

2 heirloom tomatoes (mr. stripey, german queens or similar size), chopped

1 pound kale (about three handfuls), chopped

1-2 bullion cubs, beef or vegetable

1 tbsp olive oil

3 baby leeks or green onions, sliced

garlic, minced

crushed red pepper

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

6 eggs

1/4 -1/3 c. grated smoked Gouda or other smoky cheese

coarse salt and pepper

1/4 c. grated Parmesan

hot sauce, such as Louisianna

Set a pot of water to boil. Cut potatoes half longways and then into thirds, eliminating rough or discolored pieces. I never peal my potatoes unless they are pretty old - the skin is very nutritious. Boil potatoes 10-15 minutes or until slightly soft - they should not be 'mashed potato' soft.

Meanwhile sauté olive oil with garlic and leek/onion over medium heat. My CSA leeks are scallion-sized and I think the taste is more conducive to this recipe, but I have never found leeks that petite in grocery stores so use what you can find. Once the garlic is brown add crushed red pepper. I use more than most but 0.5 tsp should be enough heat for anyone. I highly recommend using heirloom tomatoes because the 'meat' of the tomato is more savory and there is less need to seed the tomato. When chopping your tomato avoid white and hard parts.

When potatoes are done, fish them out with a slotted spoon and add them to the skillet with the tomatoes and lemon juice and cover. Add the bullion cubes (I added two for more flavor but it depend on how much water you still have in your pot) to boiling water. Once cubes are dissolved, add chopped kale. You should have one part potato, one part tomato and two parts kale. Boil kale about 3-4 minutes or until tender. Stir potato mix occasionally to avoid sticking.

Preheat oven 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix potato mixture and kale. Add coarse salt and pepper. Let mixture cool. In a smaller bowl beat smoky cheese, eggs and coarse salt and pepper. In a greased deep dish pie pan spoon vegetables until evenly distributed. I actually had a lot of leftover vegies but there is an incentive to make another frittata. Pour egg mixture over the vegetables and slightly blend together. Top frittata with parm cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until egg is set. I broiled the frittata for about 4 minutes to get a good brown on top. Let cool slightly before serving. Serve with hot sauce. My sister sent me an African care package with a hot sauce that is so flavorful and spicy. It is a new favorite in my house, but a decent domestic alternative is Louisiana. I am not a Tabasco fan but it will suffice.

It took a lot of will power not to eat the whole thing last night - it was so good. I also used the leftovers for breakfast so this is an all around meal. I was also able to use so many leftovers. I tagged this recipe cheap because I literally didn't have to buy anything. The used leftover cheese, took out the rest of my eggs and my vegetables from my CSA. This meal is also a high score on the vegetable list as well.

Super-Satisfying Vegetarian Breakfast Sandwich

Subway's new low-fat breakfast sandwiches had me inspired to try to use them toward my weight-loss goals. I wanted to take a picture of the sandwich I made, but by the time I thought to post this on the blog, our meal was gone.

I was again blown away by how much I liked this meal. I was most skeptical because this is not a revised recipe but something I put together off the cuff. This breakfast sandwich is very filling, all vegetarian but probably not the healthiest of my breakfast recipes. To reduce fat even more, cut back on cheese and mayo portions.

Vegetarian Breakfast Sandwich

2 whole wheat english muffins

3 eggs (cage free or organic)

1 handful of spinach

4 green onions, whites only

1/3 cup shredded white cheese

1 tomato, thinly sliced

2 tbsp mayonnaise

When choosing eggs, I had to consult my husband on this one. I have no idea if free range, cage free, vegetarian fed, etc are any better than the rest. I know I should always buy organic but you can get a dozen white eggs for $1.50 v. organic eggs, which are typically smaller, for $4.99. So I normally buy in the middle range. My husband used to work on a chicken farm and he said vegetarian chickens are a myth. Even if they are only fed vegetarian, chickens like animal product. Free range means they are able to get around but cage-free means they have access to outside. Short of organic, but the most humane-raised chickens are free range.

Sauté sliced green onions with spinach in small frying pan. Add a tbsp water to help wilt the spinach. Remove from heat and coarsely chop. Whisk eggs, add spinach and cheese and salt and pepper. I used a mixed bag of swiss and Gouda, which made the sandwich very smoky and savory. But any white cheese is efficient. Try to stick to reduced-fat cheeses but not fat free.

Using a small frying pan, add egg mixture. My smallest frying pan is between 6 and 8 inches and perfect for omelets. When the edges start to set, pull the egg away from the pan and tilt the pan toward the opening to let the raw egg seep underneath. Fold the egg over to make a half moon and squeeze any excess. Continue to fold over until all egg is cooked and you have an omelet. Remove from heat.

Toast English muffins. Beware when buying English muffins and look at the ingredients. Since the new craze is "whole wheat" products are now being colored with molasses to look like wheat. Make sure that the ingredients include WHOLE grain or that it is advertised as 100% whole wheat. It is more crusty but lightly toasted really brings out the flavor.

Spread one side of the muffin with mayonnaise. We have had this conversation before about what mayo is best. I hate Miracle Whip but Dukes real mayonnaise is not worth the calories. I am most dedicated to Kraft Mayo with olive oil. It is reduced-fat but has all the flavor of real mayo. Smart Start also has a good brand of mayo.

Top muffin with tomato and cut omelet to fit muffin. I had a little more than two muffin-sized omelets, but we were happy to finish the rest of it 'naked'. For a complete breakfast, serve with a side of fresh fruit (we had pineapple) or chicken sausage.

To reserect this sandwich for during the work week, freeze as soon as the sandwich is at room temperature. Only freeze omelet with the English muffin, and leave off tomato and mayo. Once at work, wrap sandwich in a paper towel and defrost for 60 seconds. The heat on high for 60 seconds. Add mayo and tomato after heated. Only reserect within a between 1-3 days or the sandwich will taste bland.

Mother's Day Brunch

It's the North Carolina primary. Don't forget to vote today!

I actually made this on Easter Sunday, but it was so amazing I had to share for those wonderful adult children who want to make their mothers a fabulous, meatless breakfast.

Martha Stewart's Spinach and Gruyere Quiche

I have not yet picked up my deep dish pie plate, so I normally have to reduce the contents of my quiche. I used only 1/2 red onion - you can probably still use three shallots, but I already had a red onion. I used one bag of spinach - I am not sure what a bunch is unless I'm at the Farmer's market. I only bought 4 oz of cheese instead of 8 oz, but since I reduced so much of my ingredients it worked out better. I only used six (6) eggs and 1.5 cup of half-n-half (organic, of course).

I do not make pie crust. Some people have this fabulous way of making the most desirable pie crust. I am not that person. I buy Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust and it tastes the same as all others I could make. I have also been known to buy the frozen deep dish pie crusts if I do need more. It's all the same to me. You will not be able to buy low fat pie crusts, so don't even try. You can reduce your calories by what you put in it instead.

A few tips here:

When wilting your spinach, do about 1/2 the bag at a time. When the spinach is wilted, lift the pan and tilt away from you so that the liquid falls to the other side. Take a spoon and pull the spinach towards the edge of the pan closest to you, draining the liquid. Then just spill the spinach onto a cutting board. It doesn't waste paper towels. Pour out the liquid before moving to the second half of the bag. Chop spinach after wilted.

You want to saute all your vegetables and let them cool in the bowl before adding the eggs. I hate when I add eggs to hot foods and it cooks the egg. Not pretty presentation. Add the half-n-half first to cool the vegies before whisking in your eggs. I like my whole eggs, but for those of us (myself included) who need to be more conscious of cholesterol, substitute egg whites for a few of the eggs. You will not get as firm a quiche using egg whites, so I suggest only substituting two eggs.

Fruit Skewers

This is not much of a recipe, but its a beautiful presentation. Take your favorite colorful fruits; I used strawberries, green grapes, pineapple and kiwi. Buy a few days before to make sure that all fruit is ripe. Prep fruits e.g. wash and haul strawberries, skin kiwi, etc.

Take wood or metal skewers (ask your grilling partner to borrow some or buy the wooden ones for cheap at your grocery). Just be careful that you do not buy "seasoned" skewers. Most likely they are not flavored with seasonings that complement fruit. Layer different color fruits together to create a rainbow pattern. I alternated green fruits with red strawberries and yellow pineapple.

Other Sides

I made Martha's Angel Biscuits with black strap molasses. Beware, the biscuits take 2 hours to chill so make them in advance. I would also suggest a yummy chicken sausage for our meat eaters. Trader Joes has an awesome selection. Martha also suggests a nice bibb lettuce salad for my super-healthy readers. I couldn't get my food audience to go along with that, but maybe mama will. I hope your mother feels special today!