Thursday, February 4, 2010

The Leftover Frittata

The frittata is a very versatile dish and is equally good for a leisurely breakfast or a quick dinner. [It does require a brief encounter with the oven.] You can saute onions and veggies or meat -- whatever you'd put in an omlette or quiche -- specifically for the frittata, but its greatest glory is its ability to transform leftovers just by dumping beaten eggs over the top and baking it off. The frittata method also allows for a much higher ratio of filling to egg than an omlette or scrambled-eggs-with-X... and any leftover frittata can be eaten cold like a slice of pizza. I intentionally make enough to have leftovers of my leftovers so I can enjoy them one last time. See?
This particular frittata used about a cup and a half of a hearty diced turkey breast stewed with squash, roasted bell peppers, and tomatoes [sorry, no pictures], but it works just as well with a leftover veggie medley [succotash frittata is a personal favorite] or even plain old steamed broccoli.

Recipe: Leftover Frittata
If using raw meat or veggies for a non-leftover version, turn heat a little lower and cook completely before adding eggs. I prefer to use a smaller cast iron pan that fits in my toaster oven, but you can use a standard 10-inch skillet as well. [Make sure you have a non-melting cutting board big enough to flip the skillet onto before you get started.]

1 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 cups meat and/or veggie leftovers
6 eggs
~1 oz shredded , crumbled, or cubed cheese [optional]
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350F. Dice/ chop leftovers into smaller cubes, strips, or wedges, ~ 1/4" to 12" thick. Crack eggs into a medium bowl and briefly whisk with a fork. Stir in salt, pepper, and cheese [if using] and set near stove. Heat oil in a well seasoned cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium high heat and add leftovers, stirring occasionally, until pieces are heated through and begin to brown, ~2 minutes. Spread contents as evenly as possible around the skillet. Pour in eggs all at once and DO NOT STIR. Run a spatula around the edges, pulling the cooked edges in and tipping the pan to let the raw egg fill the gap. Transfer to the oven and bake until opaque on top ~3-5 minutes. [If you use cheese, it often rises to the top and makes it look a little runny. If you shake the pan and it doesn't slosh around on top, it's set.] Using oven gloves, place a wooden cutting board over the pan and flip both over. Let it cool for a minute, then slice into wedges. Refrigerate any leftovers.

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