Spinach and Feta Frittata

Yesterday was a dreary, rainy winter morning and breakfast needed something more than a bowl of oatmeal to liven up the mood. I had come across a frittata recipe on Instagram earlier in the week and it reminded me of having dinner at a friend's house in the Beforetimes when she made frittatas in cast iron pans. I thought it was delicious and lends itself well to breakfast, lunch or dinner. For breakfast, pair it with a piece of sourdough toast, lunch with some greens and a lemon vinaigrette, and dinner with some roasted potatoes and sautéed Brussel sprouts or kale. It comes together quickly and is a nice comfort food.

I followed this particular recipe from Flavor the Moments, and as I was cooking decided it's begging for some mushrooms. I will try that next time and then add it to the recipe if it turns out well. The recipe called for dill, but I used thyme since it's what I had on hand. Parsley would be good too. Having some fresh herbs is not necessary, but does bring it up a notch in flavor. The original recipe also used half and half. I used whole milk since that's what I had. It suggests a leek, but I think shallots would be great, and you could use a regular yellow onion if that's all you had. I'd also like to experiment with different cheeses. I'm guessing this is a good base recipe that you can mess around with. It was meant to have a Mediterranean flare, but if you wanted to go with more of a French style, maybe some Brie and tarragon with mushrooms and spinach. Update 2/2024 - The original recipe called for a leek, I prefer shallot, so changed the recipe to reflect that and also to add mushrooms, which isn't necessary, but a nice addition if you have some on hand. 

Also, I love my new enamel cast iron skillet - 3.6 quart. I use it so much that I'm not sure what I was doing without it. I had planned on buying the Le Creuset version of this piece, but then discovered Lodge. It is seemingly the same quality, but much less expensive and made in the US. So far it seems to work just as well as my Le Creuset cookware. 

Spinach and Feta Frittata

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot, minced

4-5 oz fresh baby spinach, chopped

4-6 mushrooms, sliced (optional)

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

8 eggs

1/2 cup milk or half and half

1/2 cup crumbled feta

2 tablespoons fresh herbs (dill, thyme or parsley)

paprika for sprinkling

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl whisk eggs with dairy, then add feta, herbs, salt and pepper.

2. Heat the skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. 

3. Add shallots and let cook, stirring frequently for a few minutes until soft. Then add garlic and let that cook for another minute.

4. Add mushrooms, if using, and sauté until lightly browned.

5. Add spinach and let that cook down for a few minutes. Then blend with onion mixture. 

6. Brush some of the oil from the bottom up onto the side of the pan to make sure it is greased. Pour the egg mixture over the spinach mixture. Let cook for 2-3 minutes, until the sides start to set.

7. Sprinkle paprika over the top (this is just for some color, and not necessary.) Grind some pepper on top and a little more salt if you choose. Put skillet into the oven and cook 8-10 minutes until it's puffed up and the top starts to look a little golden. 

Sugo

Tiny Italian open air restaurant, sitting by the window on a warm summer's evening, the aroma of garlic wafting out of the kitchen, a glass of chianti and a bowl of spaghetti with red sauce, sprinkled with Parmesan. Someday we will be able to do this again. In the meantime, there's me and my kitchen and my tiny kitchen table.

I recall myself saying at the start of many winter seasons, "this is the year that I'll perfect a red sauce!" Somehow I don't seem to get around to this, and I'm not sure why. I'm not looking to make a complex sauce, just a simple sugo with minimal ingredients to be able to throw together a nice plate of pasta for dinner on a moment's notice. So, as with all things pandemic, this is the year. 

I browsed a few recipes before landing on this one, and I think this is really solid. The key is using good ingredients - mostly everything should be fresh. It's ok to used canned tomatoes, but make sure there's nothing funky in the can with the tomatoes on the ingredients list. Having a list that reads "Ingredients: tomatoes" is best. You can use either diced or pureed, based on your preference. I like pureed. Tonight I used the brand Cento. I may try a couple others to see if I can taste a difference. Another important element is adding the cooked pasta to the sauce once it's done. In American style, we would heap pasta onto a plate and then top it with red sauce. It does make a difference to let the pasta simmer in the sauce for a bit. Much tastier. 

Sugo

4 tablespoons olive oil

couple shakes chili flakes (optional)

4-5 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped a bit

1 small bunch parsley, chopped finely

1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond crystal salt

1 28 oz can tomatoes, diced or pureed

A few leaves of fresh basil, whole

pepper to taste

parmesan to taste

1. Put on a pot of water to bring to a boil for the pasta. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Try to time it so the pasta is done around the same time as the sauce. Otherwise, drain the pasta and reserve some pasta water in case you need it at the end to moisten the pasta/sauce combo.

2. Heat a skillet (not a pot) to medium high heat. Add the olive oil.

3. Add the chili flakes and garlic, cook until garlic is just starting to brown.

4. Turn the heat to high and add the parsley, salt and tomatoes. Put the cover on to contain any splatter, about 30 seconds.

5. Remove the cover. Keep at a healthy simmer until the sauce thickens about 7 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, add the basil leaves. 

6. When the pasta is done, transfer with thongs or slotted spoon into the sauce and blend. Let the pasta and sauce meld for a minute or two. 

7. Serve with Parmesan and more fresh parsley. 

Gremolata

 My first real attempt at growing my own herbs last summer was only minimally successful. I got a decent amount of basil and some parsley. The cilantro never took and my mint withered. This is partially due to me having no idea what I was doing and the rest I will blame on an extremely hot July. Parsley and basil are the two herbs I use most often in the summer with cilantro a close third, so having those easily accessed in my backyard was very convenient. I can use large amounts of parsley at a time though and my crop was never that abundant. 

I didn't discover this Italian condiment until after summer was over. I used it as a garnish on a new minestrone recipe I tried (and loved -will post soon). Other ideas mentioned for using gremolata were on eggs or on avocado toast. I can imagine both would work extremely well. I'd also like to try it on baked tofu or fish. It's like having summer in a jar. You can add a few spoonfuls to a winter dish and brighten it right up. I know that I will have this recipe in mind next summer when deciding how much parsley to plant.

Gremolata

1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped finely (should be about one cup packed) discard stems

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

zest of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons lemon juice (at least; you may want to add more)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

pinch chili flakes

1. Put all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl and mix well. I mixed by hand. You could also do this in a food processor.

2. Transfer to a jar with a tight lid and store in the fridge.