holy frittata!

Ever ponder what to do with all those odd bits left in your fridge? Well, I hear ya and that's why I am sharing my secret for making a hearty meal wit nuttin. I collect those scrappy odds and ends and whip them into an impressive, tasty looking GF (gluten free) frittata in no time using only one pan! The best part is that uninteresting leftovers magically transform themselves into more delicious leftovers and behold! the frittata can be eaten cold or room temperature tomorrow since the flavors just get better as it sits around for a day or two...

here's one I just pulled out of the oven made with leftover purple kale, potatoes, red and green bell pepper, pear tomatoes, fresh basil, kidney beans, red onion and garlic. The egg and cheese mixture uses up bits and pieces of chevre, aged cheddar and manchego cheeses I had laying around in the cheese drawer...the chevre was a little over the top but mixed with the egg and baked into the frittata added a nice tangy zip to the dish!

So to put the frittata together I am just sauteing all these ingredients together (if they are not already precooked) with a little olive oil, cumin and paprika and topping them with a mixture of eggs and cheese seasoned well with salt and pepper...you could use virtually anything in this dish, I've used leftover pasta, rice, tortilla strips and a huge variety of veggies including summer squash, sweet potato, chard, leeks, spinach and eggplant successfully, roasted bell pepper, artichokes, olives or capers could also be included and of course eggs with any combination of cheeses grated and whisked in and perhaps some pesto...this is not rocket science, just be resourceful and combine things creatively and you'll probably wind up with something delicious enough to serve to guests for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner...you could also add sausage, pancetta, bacon or Serrano ham if you are lucky enough to have some laying around...I saute everything in one large skillet (in the frittata above I had so much ingredient I needed to use a separate casserole, but usually I just make it in a large enameled cast iron skillet) adding the veggie and starch ingredients in layers and pouring the egg and cheese mixture over the top before popping it into a hot oven to bake until the center is nice and firm and the top is golden...

serve an heirloom tomato salad with your frittata...

my basic formula is about 3 eggs per every cup of other ingredients so that when the eggs are poured over the veggie and starch components they come up just to the top of the other like a quiche...the frittata should puff up nicely in the baking stage...I bake it at about 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the center is firm...Voila! dinner is re-served...here's some history...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frittata