A Frittata has to be one of the easiest and tastiest of weeknight supper dishes. Basically they are just a large omelet or crustless quiche and let me tell you, they have saved my bacon on more than one occasion. When all else fails and you are feeling uninspired, so long as you have a few veg and/or bits of meat at the ready, you are never very far from being able to put a delicious meal on the table!
Italian in origin, the name "Frittata" basically translates to "fried." The main base for a frittata will be beaten eggs, and perhaps some cream, some seasoning and maybe some cheese. Not much different than an omelet, except for in the case of a Frittata the filling is incorporated right into the egg prior to cooking, instead of filling the already cooked eggs.
They are quick and they are delicious. Today I decided to incorporate some roasted vegetables, which meant that it did take a bit longer, but if you knew ahead of time you were going to make this, you could always have your vegetables roasted ahead of time.
I roasted two kinds of potatoes . . . sweet potatoes (which I love) peeled and cut into chunk, and baby new potatoes, cut into wedges.
I also roasted some red bell pepper and courgettes (zucchini). You could also do some wedges on onion, if you wanted to, but today I decided not to. I had plenty enough vegetables as it were.
There is something really lovely and rich about roasted vegetables . . . you get some caramelization which almost lends a sweetness to them . . . perfectly beautiful flavours . . .
If you don't want to use cream, you can use low fat evaporated milk. It will work fine, and there are enough other flavours going on that you won't notice any "tinned" milk flavor. This is what I did because I am watching my fat and calories, but if you aren't bothered about these things, go for the cream!
I chose to use Parmesan cheese, basically because I love it, and you get more flavor bang for your buck, ie. you don't need to use as much of it as you would other cheese, which further cut down on the fat and calories. I love Parmesan. Half goes into the egg mixture and I scatter the rest on when I go to grill it and finish it off.
I scattered minced chives over top to really finish it off just prior to serving and they were lovely, adding just a hit of onion flavor without it being overpowering. Some nice green color as well. This went down a real treat!!
*Roast Vegetable Fritatta*Serves 4Printable Recipe
The vegetables for this lovely frittata are roasted first, which helps to really bring out their natural flavours.
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped1 large red bell pepper, trimmed and cut into 8ths2 small courgettes, trimmed and cut into 8ths4 baby new potatoes, quarteredolive oil, fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To finish:6 large free range eggs240ml single cream (1 cup, light cream)90g coarsely grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup)2 TBS minced chives
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line a large rimmed baking tray with some baking paper. Scatter the prepared vegetables in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle with some olive oil, and then season with salt and black pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, until soft and golden, with some caramelized edges.
Have ready a large (12 inch) non-stick skillet. Scrape the roasted vegetables off the tray into the skillet. Place the skillet over medium heat. Beat together the eggs and cream, 1/2 of the cheese and 1 TBS of the chives. Pour this around the vegetables in the pan. Reduce the heat to low. Cook over low heat for eight to tn minutes, until the frittata begins to set.
Heat the grill to medium high. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top of the frittata and cook for a further two to three minutes until golden. Let stand for about five minutes. Scatter the remaining chives over top and serve. Cut into wedges to serve.
This is a really delicious frittata. Filled with color and flavour, you really don't need anything on th side other than a salad! Bon Appetit!