Quick and Easy Weeknight Frittata

Happy new year! As is the tradition on this blog, at the start of every year, I try to revitalize things around here and motivate myself to post more. I am especially motivated this year because recently I have been getting a lot of visitors and wonderful comments, which has inspired me. I love hearing your ideas, and they do motivate me to get into the kitchen, so keep them coming.

This year, I’m going to focus on posting what I most like to cook: simple, easy recipes with a focus on healthy eating and seasonal ingredients. I will try to post at least one favorite recipe a week, plus tips and tricks as I pick them up.

My favorite recipe for this week is the frittata. A frittata is an Italian omelet. It’s flat and usually thicker than a French-style omelet, with a lot more stuff in it. Making a frittata is a good way to use up those odds and ends of vegetables and cheese that might otherwise get thrown away. You can even throw in leftover pasta, if you like.

I make a frittata about once a week. It fulfills all my requirements for a fast weeknight meal. I can usually make it with the ingredients I have on hand, so a trip to the grocery store isn’t required. It cooks in less than 30 minutes. Often, it can be made without meat, as we try to eat a vegetarian meal at least two or three times weekly. And the leftovers keep beautifully. They are good reheated for breakfast the next day or even cold in a sandwich.

I have tried a lot of frittata recipes from a different cookbooks, and I have gradually worked out a technique that produces good results every time.

1. Start with a 10-inch nonstick oven-safe pan (i.e., one with a metal handle, rather than plastic). Pour in a little olive oil and heat the pan over medium. In the meantime, prepare the vegetable filling. Chop up any vegetables you like. For this week’s frittata, I used red onion and spinach. Leftover cooked vegetables are perfectly fine. You could also throw in some cooked meat, if you have any, like bacon or sausage.
2. Once the pan is warm, add the chopped vegetables and let them cook until tender or wilted. For onions and spinach, this only takes about 5 minutes. Firmer vegetables will take longer. Pre-cooked vegetables only have to be warmed through.
3. While the vegetables are cooking, beat 5 eggs with some salt, pepper and 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced. Once the vegetables are ready, spread them out in the pan and pour the eggs over the top. Turn on the broiler. As the eggs are cooking, lift up the edges with a spatula and let the uncooked egg run to the sides of the pan. You want the eggs to be almost set but still a bit liquid on the top. It may be necessary to turn down the heat to keep the bottom from browning too much.
4. When the eggs are almost set, remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the top with grated cheese. For the frittata this week, I used mozzarella, because that’s what I had. You can do without cheese, but I always add it. It makes the frittata more satisfying, in my opinion.
5. Transfer the pan under the broiler and cook until the top is puffy and the cheese is melting and starting to brown. This should take no more than a few minutes. Take it out, cut it into slices and serve with toast.

Note: You don’t have to broil the frittata during the last step. Rather, you can put it into a 350-degree oven and let it finish more slowly. This works fine, but the frittata doesn’t get as puffy and browned, which I prefer. We call it egg pizza!

Leftovers keep for 3 days or so. Try a frittata sandwich for lunch the next day with slices of cold frittata between crusty bread.

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Vegetarian Carbonara

Well, I am back from Las Vegas, feeling a few pounds heavier. Happily for me, my wallet is also slightly heavier as well. I’ll post a full report on the great restaurants we dined at when I have a bit more energy.

Vegetarian Spaghetti Carbonara with Zucchini, Carrots and Green Beans

Coming off of vacation, I feel the need to lighten up a bit and shed a couple of pounds. My strategy is to eat at home a lot, cut portion sizes and stop eating sweets for a while. Our first night back, I made a vegetarian-style spaghetti carbonara, which my husband liked enough to photograph. This version cuts out the bacon and adds in healthful vegetables such as carrots, zucchini and green beans, cooked with the pasta. Other vegetables would happily join the party, I think.

Spinach & White Beans on Pasta

Has anyone tried to buy pine nuts lately? The cost is ridiculous (even more so than usual)! Apparently, there’s a worldwide shortage of them. At least, that’s what I heard. I like pine nuts, but not that much, thank you.

Anyway, last night’s dinner was simple, healthy, quick and good. While I was cooking the rigatoni, I sauteed a little slivered garlic in olive oil. I added a can of cannellini (drained and rinsed, natch), and seasoned it with some salt, pepper and Italian herbs. I let that heat through and then dumped in a bunch of trimmed, chopped spinach. I stirred it around until the spinach had wilted. Off the heat, I squirted over a little lemon juice. Pine nuts would have gone great in this dish, but alas, I had none, so I crumbled in some Asiago cheese instead. That worked great too. I served it over the cooked rigatoni.

When I read food blogs and articles these days, I see a lot of complaining about how expensive and time-consuming it is to eat healthy or eat vegetarian. I have not personally found this to be the case. Last night’s dinner is a great example. It took less than 15 minutes to make (not counting the time to bring the pasta water to a boil, which I spent reading) and was completely vegetarian. The canned beans were probably the most expensive thing in the dish ($1.99). I’m sure the entire dish, which could easily serve 4 people, cost less than a trip to McDonald’s for the same number of people.

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Light Dinner: Calzone and Sauteed Kale

Calzone with marinara tomato sauce and kale with breadcrumbs.

If you have pizza dough on hand, it’s a snap to get an easy meal like this on the table on a weeknight. I recently found out how easy it is to make pizza dough and freeze it (here’s the recipe). I think frozen pizza dough works better for making calzones, because you don’t have to stress as much about rolling it out thinly or making a perfect circle (not that I stress about those things anyway).

Just remember to take the dough out of the freezer and let it defrost in the fridge overnight. I like to let it sit on the counter for at least an hour so that it will come to room temperature before working with it.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. On an oiled baking sheet, pat and stretch the dough out into an approximate circle. I think it’s easier to make one calzone for 2 or 3 people, but if you want to try making individual smaller ones, go for it.

Once the dough is stretched out to a good size, cover one-half of it with your chosen filling ingredients. For this calzone, I used chopped sun-dried tomatoes, red onion and shredded mozzarella. No sauce is necessary. I think it’s better to keep a light hand with the filling, because too many ingredients have a tendency to explode out of the calzone during baking.

Brush a little water around the edges of the dough. Fold the dough over the filling and crimp the edges together. Use a knife to make five slashes in the top to let the steam escape during cooking. Sprinkle the calzone with coarse salt and slide it into the oven. Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden-brown.

While it’s cooking, you can make a simple marinara dipping sauce. Heat up a can of tomato sauce over medium-low and add some spices, such as garlic, oregano and hot red pepper flakes. Just let that bubble while the calzone bakes and serve it alongside in a small bowl.

I think sauteed kale makes a nice alternative to salad, especially in the cooler months. You can substitute other greens, such as chard or spinach, of course. I steamed the kale first, then sauteed it with some garlic and breadcrumbs. Here’s the recipe.

Kale with Garlic and Breadcrumbs

Time to make: ~20 minutes
Yields: 2-3 servings

• 1 bunch kale or other greens
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lg. clove garlic, minced
• Hot red pepper flakes to taste
• 2 tbsp. breadcrumbs, preferably homemade
• 2 tsp. capers
• Juice of ½ lemon

Wash the greens. Remove the stems and roughly tear the leaves. Steam with a small amount of water in a covered pan until wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove to a colander and let drain. (This step can be done ahead.)

Heat the garlic in the olive oil over medium until it starts to sizzle. Add the hot red pepper flakes and breadcrumbs, and stir until they turn brown. Add the capers and greens, and saute until the greens are warmed and coated with the breadcrumbs and garlic, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and squeeze the lemon juice over.

How to Make Granola

Granola is not something I ever thought of making for myself, even though I eat it with yogurt almost every morning. It just seemed like something you buy, rather than something you make. But when you think about it, there are several advantages to making your own granola. First, it’s cheaper to buy the basic components of granola in bulk. Second, you can put whatever you like in there. And you can also cut down the amount of sweeteners typically used in processed granola. Finally, it keeps pretty much indefinitely in the refrigerator, or it can be frozen, so you can make up a big batch and snack on it for a while.

For my first attempt, I used Mark Bittman‘s recipe from Food Matters. Making granola is much easier than I thought it would be. Bittman’s recipe does make a huge amount — it calls for 5 cups of rolled oats — but I think you can safely cut down the amounts as long as you maintain the proportions (and it might fit better in your baking pan). I also thought the cooking time of 30 minutes was a bit too long, and resulted in a more toasted granola than I normally like, so I would reduce the cooking time to 20 minutes or so. Keep a good eye on it as it cooks and take it out of the oven when it looks and smells done to you.

Now that I have successfully made a batch of granola, I think I will be experimenting with different grains, nuts and seasonings. I definitely won’t go back to buying my own granola!

Basic Granola

Time to make: ~30 minutes
Yields: 9 cups

• 5 cups rolled oats or other rolled grains
• 3 cups mixed chopped nuts and seeds — I used sunflower seeds
• 1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 1 tsp. cinnamon or baking spices
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ½ cup honey, or to taste
• 1½ cups dried fruit of your choice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Combine all of the ingredients but the honey and dried fruit in a large bowl and toss well. Spread the mixture over the baking sheet. Drizzle the honey over and toss again. (I found it much easier to mix in the honey this way than in the bowl, as the original recipe calls for.)

Bake 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is browned and toasted to your liking. The darker it gets, the deeper the toasted flavor and the crunchier the granola.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the pan cool on a rack to room temperature. Put the granola in an airtight container or plastic bag and mix in the dried fruit. Store in the refrigerator or freeze any extra amounts. Snack on it as is or mix with yogurt and fresh fruit for a yummy, healthy breakfast.

Recipe adapted from Food Matters by Mark Bittman.

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Bruschetta with Cheese and Peppers

I made these bruschetta for a light supper last night, and I thought they were scrumptious. The combination of spicy, tangy peppers and flavorful cheese just hit the spot. I might make these again for a party, a snack or lunch.

These bruschetta were inspired by a much more complex recipe that involved three kinds of cheese and getting the food processor out. I simplified the recipe a great deal, omitted some ingredients (like cream cheese, which seemed completely unnecessary), and decreased the amount of prep work required. I didn’t take note of the precise amounts I used, so all measurements in the recipe below are approximate — use your best judgment. Also, I would imagine that this recipe can be doubled or tripled fairly easily.

Bruschetta with Cheese & Peppers

Time to make: ~20 minutes
Yields: 4 lg. bruschetta

• 4 thick slices of sourdough, French or Italian bread
• Olive oil
• Coarse salt
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
• 3-4 hot or sweet marinated peppers — I used Italian hot peppers, which I think added just the right amount of bite; you might also try a combination of peppers or use roasted chiles.
  
• 2 scallions
• 4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 oz. ricotta salata, crumbled — If you don’t have ricotta salata, substitute any similar cheese, such as feta or goat cheese.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay out the slices of bread on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt over each slice. Rub each slice with a garlic half. Put the bread in the oven for 10 minutes to crisp and brown at the edges.

Meanwhile, mince the peppers and the scallions. Mix with the cheeses.

When the bread is toasted, mound some cheese mixture on top of each slice. Return to the oven for about 5 minutes, just until the cheese is starting to melt. Serve immediately.

Pasta with Broccoli & Mozzarella

Pasta with garlic and oil is one of the most basic pasta dishes, which I imagine most people can make without even consulting a recipe. Because it is so simple, it lends itself well to variations. This is one of my favorites.

Although I make pasta about once a week, I do not like the time and energy it takes to boil all that water. Usually, I try to make that pot of water do as much as work as possible. I like this recipe because it uses the big pot of boiling water for double duty: to cook both the broccoli and the pasta.

Another reason I like this recipe is because I usually have all the ingredients on hand, so it serves as a quick but healthy meal when the pantry is empty. And it’s a vegetarian offering that’s also really satisfying.

Pasta with Broccoli & Mozzarella

Yields: 2-3 servings, depending on appetite
Time to make: ~30 minutes

• 1 bunch broccoli, florets cut off, stems peeled and chopped
• ½ lb. chunky pasta, such as penne or rotini
• 2 lg. garlic cloves, minced
• 2-3 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 oz. mozzarella, cubed
• salt and red pepper flakes to taste
• grated Parmesan for garnish

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rapid boil. Add the broccoli stems and cook about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and cook 2 minutes more, until they are bright green and tender. Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool a bit. When it’s cool enough, chop the broccoli roughly.

Start cooking the pasta in the same pot as you cooked the broccoli.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it turns golden. Add the broccoli and mozzarella cubes, plus salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Stir to combine and melt the cheese a bit. Remove from the heat.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving about ½ cup of pasta cooking water. Add the pasta to the broccoli mixture and stir to combine well, adding the pasta cooking water as needed to help the sauce and pasta cohere (you may not need all of the reserved water). Garnish with Parmesan to serve.

How to Make Slaw

Ah, slaw. That staple of picnics and barbecues everywhere. Slaw is a versatile recipe that can go in many different directions depending on what you’re having it with. It can be creamy or tangy. It can be dressed up with other vegetables and herbs. And many avowed salad haters (and cabbage haters) will gladly eat slaw.

When I make slaw, I start out with a basic recipe, which I add to depending on what other fresh vegetables and herbs I have on hand. I have found that crunchy vegetables, like carrots, peppers and red onion, make the best additions. I like to julienne the vegetables so they mix up well with the shredded cabbage.

A creamy dressing is traditional, so that’s what I have provided in the recipe below. But really, any salad dressing will work on slaw. If you want something lighter, substitute a vinaigrette. A tangy honey-mustard vinaigrette works particularly well, or try a sesame dressing for an Asian twist.

Basic Slaw

Yields: 2-4 servings

• 1 sm. head cabbage
• Choice of vegetables and herbs

For the dressing:

• 3 tbsp. mayonnaise
• 1-2 tbsp. prepared mustard or horseradish, or to taste (add more if you like tang)
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Core the cabbage head and shred the cabbage; a food processor will make short work of this chore. Julienne or chiffonade the vegetables and herbs. (Julienne means to slice into thin matchsticks. Chiffonade means to roll up leafy herbs and then slice crosswise, resulting in thin strips.) Toss all of the vegetables and herbs together in a large bowl.

Combine the dressing ingredients and toss with the vegetables until they are well coated. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Baked Beans for President’s Day

Image via Wikipedia

I don’t make baked beans too much. To tell the truth, it’s not one of my favorite dishes. But a lot of people love them, especially on patriotic holidays, like President’s Day, and I always think something is much better homemade than out of a can. Here is a fairly simple, vegetarian baked beans recipe that I enjoy, although I have to confess that I haven’t made it very often and the seasonings might need some tweaking.

One nice thing about baked beans is that it is a versatile recipe. You can cook the beans ahead or make the whole recipe ahead and then reheat before serving. You can easily make them in the slow cooker just by extending the cooking time. Leftovers freeze well and, I am told, make an excellent breakfast served on toast (see the picture).

One note: It is better for this recipe to use dried beans than canned, as they will retain their texture during the long cooking time and not turn to mush. If you are unsure how to cook dried beans, here are some instructions.

Baked Beans

Yields: 4 servings
Time to make: ~1 hour, not including the time to cook the beans

• 2 cups dried navy beans, cooked until just tender
• 2 cups tomato puree
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• ½ tsp. liquid smoke
• 2 tsp. cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all of the ingredients in a casserole dish and cover. Bake for 1 hour. Uncover for the last 20 minutes of cooking time.

Refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze.

How to Make Applesauce

Applesauce is really easy to make. I didn’t realize how easy until I got a food mill. A food mill is a bowl-shaped gadget with a hand crank; you fit a disk with holes in it into the bottom of the food mill and use the crank to force cooked food through the holes. Depending on the size of the holes, you get a chunkier or a smoother puree, and things like seeds and peels are left behind, unlike when you puree foods in the food processor. I bought my food mill to make baby food but I have since found many other applications for it, including making smooth tomato sauce, creamy mashed potatoes and, of course, applesauce.

Using the food mill results in a really smooth applesauce. And you don’t even have to worry about peeling the apples first. I like to buy apples to snack on, but if I don’t eat them all by the weekend, I just match a batch of applesauce to mix with oatmeal for breakfast.

You can omit the sugar if you are making this for a baby or if your apples are sweet. Also try varying the seasonings.

Applesauce

• 4 tart apples, cored and cut into chunks
• 1 cup water
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ½ cup sugar, or to taste
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ tsp. cinnamon

Combine the apples, water and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium. Mix together the sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir into the apple mixture. Cook until the apples are tender, adding more water if necessary. Run through a food mill, let cool and refrigerate.