Much like Sam Cane at the breakdown, this one is nothing flashy, but reliably gets the job done every time. A great way to use up eggs and a good way to pack in the daily veg intake, I enjoy that you can add literally anything you like. A go-to when you have bits and pieces to use up.
I’ve tried baking and not-baking the frittata and it’s probably a matter of personal preference. Finishing the frittata in the oven produces a nice golden-brown top, but the interior dries out slightly more. This one was just done on the stove-top with a lid – the stove was too small for the pan and the lid didn’t fit tightly, so it burned slightly underneath, but other than that still turned out pretty well. I probably prefer the stove-and-cover method as the interior doesn’t dry out.
Nothing else to say on this really; the simple flavours speak for themselves. I’ve included in the recipe what I used this time but it changes every time depending on what we have. Some ideas: feta, smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, sundried tomatoes etc.
Veg frittata (vegetarian)
Serves: 3
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
8 large free range eggs
1 capsicum
Half a large brown onion
2 tsp capers
2 cloves garlic
1 chilli (optional)
A couple of handfuls of beans
A good handful of spinach
4 small portobello mushrooms
1 tomato
50g your choice of grated cheese
10g finely grated parmesan (optional)
A good splash of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Slice capsicum, onion, garlic, chilli, beans (if need be), mushrooms and dice the tomato.
- In a pan large enough to hold all the vegetables and eggs, heat a good splash of olive oil over medium-high heat. (Aside: olive oil has a low smoke point so shouldn’t really be used for cooking on high heat)
- Fry capsicum, onion, garlic, chilli, beans, capers and mushrooms for a few minutes before adding the tomatoes and spinach. Feel free to add a crack of salt and pepper at this stage (I think mushrooms always need a bit of salt at the start to bring out the flavour). The mixture needs to be dryish before the eggs go in.
- While the veg is frying, crack the 8 eggs into a large bowl and whisk to bring together. Season with a bit of salt and pepper but not too much because we’re going to add cheese. The goal is just to combine the yolk and egg, not so much to beat air into the mixture. Then add the cheese and parmesan to the eggs and mix.
- Once the veg has fried for a bit longer and there’s no obvious liquid in the bottom of the pan, pour the egg mixture into the pan and give the whole thing a good mix, evenly spreading the veg.
- Turn the heat down to a medium heat, cover and let cook for around 7 minutes or until the top of the frittata has only just solidified. Alternatively you could bake or grill in the oven until golden brown on top.
- Turn the frittata out onto a large plate. This can be done by placing the large plate on top of the pan, then using a long tea towel grip the plate and the pan together at the sides and flip.
- Top with a bit more parmesan or garnish with parsley if you like. Serve with your favourite sauce or enjoy plain. I had mine today with a bit of Greek yoghurt and sweet chilli.
Concluding remarks: This is great for packed lunches too! Whip it up on a Sunday and it’ll probably last through to Wednesday lunch.