Healthy Twists

Earlier this week, the following meal was brought about by a few things:

1. It was finally my turn to cook, since my guy has been cooking up a storm (umm…he might have baked cornbread from scratch last night to go with chili…that he also made).
2. I knew I’d be getting home late-ish, and needed something I could fix quickly.
3. I had ricotta cheese to use up.
4. I was too cheap to buy chicken or ground turkey (and forgot tofu) this weekend, but we had eggs. We also had everything else I needed.
5. I wanted to make something that would reheat well since Mitch was working late.

And so, we have my second attempt at a frittata. The first one I made was pretty good, but I think I liked this one better. I did think it was a little lacking in salt, so next time I might add some…or, I might use bacon instead of ham. But really, who’s to say?

Oh! Because I obsessively research everything, I learned a trick for getting food not to stick on a regular pan. And it TOTALLY worked! Thanks, All Clad website:

A preheated pan and lower flames are the key to stick-free stainless steel cooking. Preheat your pan on low or medium heat for one to two minutes. Tap the upper edge of your pan to test the heat.  (If it is too hot, remove from the burner for a couple of minutes.) Pour 2-3 teaspoons of cold oil in your preheated pan; enough to cover the bottom of the cooking surface. Add your food, making sure that there is an even sizzling sound when your food touches the pan. This indicates that your food is cooking on contact and creating a natural barrier to prevent sticking.

So with that little lesson of the day for ya, here’s the recipe. Obviously, you can swap out whatever vegetables you might have (I would have added kale but, you know, I wanted Mitch to actually eat it)

Ricotta Frittata with (Ham and) Vegetables
Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

• ½  tablespoons olive oil (don’t be fat phobic!)
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• ½ bell pepper, chopped
• black pepper
• 4 eggs and 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 oz chopped ham (optional)
• 1/4 cup green onions, sliced (green and white parts)
• red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Heat the oil in a oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the leek, shallot,, bell pepper, and pepper to taste and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft.
3. In a bowl combine the eggs, ricotta, and ham. Stir until incorporated, adding half of the chopped green onion
4. Add the egg mixture to the pan and stir. Let the eggs cook on the stove until  the eggs start to set.

    

5. Sprinkle the rest of the green onions and red pepper flakes (if using) over the top of the pan then transfer the skillet to the oven.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until firm. If desired, broil for a minute or two to get a browned top, although traditional frittatas aren’t browned (according to Joy of Cooking)
7. Serve hot or room temperature. Serves 4.

As I notes last time, I love how filling this is for not a lot of calories. I didn’t do the nutritional analysis, but since 1/4 of the recipe basically had some veggies, less than 1/2 tsp of oil, one whole egg and 1/4 an egg white, two tablespoons of ricotta, and 1/4 oz of ham, I figured it was a pretty light dish.

Which is good because I had the best thing ever (yes, probably ever) on the side: roasted potatoes and carrots with fresh rosemary (1 tsp of oil, roasted at 400 degrees for 35 minutes). I could have just eaten those carrots for dinner and been happy, except for that silly need for protein, and the fact that I had potatoes to use (and, eggs and potatoes are yum too).

Ok, now I’m off to Costco to pick up my new glasses! I haven’t had new glasses since 2005 and my old ones were, shall we say, not cute. And since I’m blind as a bat, they were a really old prescription. (Why am I blogging and then going out? Forgot my wallet at home this morning. Yup.)

Question of the day: What are your thoughts on blackberries?

I got some in my CSA this week, and they taste delicious, but I’m not a huge fan of the seeds. I used to feel the same way about raspberries, but now those seeds don’t bother me as much? So I guess I really want to know your thoughts on fruits with seeds…oh I know, I ask the  hard-hitting preguntas around here.

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