Frittatas are a handy option for a quick but healthy meal. Thanks to our backyard chickens, we always have eggs on hand. And as almost anything can be thrown in a frittata, all that is required is a quick rustle in the fridge or freezer to get dinner underway.
I am the first to admit that I am not great at using up leftovers, and my main focus this year is to make better use of any surplus from our meals. It is a process though, and requires a mental shift for me, as I have become quite accustomed to either sending leftovers to the chickens or packing them off with Mr Grumpy for lunch. As part of this process, I have discovered that there is a huge difference between leftovers and intentional leftovers. Leftovers are such things as the occasional spare roast potato or cupful of rice; things that I find difficult to repurpose into a meal for three, and which more often than not end up as chicken scraps.
Intentional leftovers are, however, a completely different prospect. Intentional leftovers are created when I deliberately cook more food than I require for dinner in the knowledge that there will be enough leftovers available to create another meal. For example, when making this roast vegetable frittata I prepared two huge trays of vegetables. One tray of vegetables was eaten for that night's dinner, whilst the other tray of vegetables was repurposed into this frittata.
One of the biggest advantages of creating intentional leftovers is the time it saves me during the week. Some of my favourite intentional leftovers are roast chicken or roast vegetables. Both chicken and vegetables take far more time to cook than I often have available on a busy weeknight. By making a roast dinner on a lazy weekend evening, and cooking more food than we need for dinner, the leftovers can easily be repurposed into quick meals through the week.
This roasted vegetable frittata will work with almost any vegetables you have. I'm not a fan of pumpkin, and favour sweet potato over potato, however the vegetables you use really come down to personal preference. Try zucchini, capsicum, onions or shallots, carrots and mushrooms. Make sure the vegetables are not fridge-cold before you start though, as this will prevent the frittata from cooking properly. Either allow the vegetables to come to room temperature or give them a quick zap in the microwave before you start.
As frittatas are are easily prepared in advance, and fabulous both hot or cold, I find they are an ideal meal for those nights that members of the family are eating at different times. To round out the meal I'll serve this roasted vegetable frittata with a loaf of crusty bread and simple green salad. And any leftovers (of the leftover roast vegetable frittata) are great tucked into a lunchbox the next day. Perhaps I'm getting better at using up those leftovers after all.
P.S. Looking for other ideas for using up leftovers? Try Leftover Salmon Caesar Salad, Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes or Lentil & Roast Beef Salad.
