I always seem to crave frittatas when the weather starts to cool off. So I made this frittata variation last night, signaled by fall temperatures. Frittatas are so easy to make but can seem intimidating. I like to think in patterns and I use this way of thinking when cooking something from my own brain. Here are some guidelines to making a successful frittata: you need eggs and lots of them, vegetables cut into bite sized pieces, herbs (dried or fresh), good quality cheese, salt and pepper for seasoning and some cooking oil (for the veggies). I always like the taste of having some variety of greens in my frittata, it’s a way to incorporate more of the nutrients found in leafy green veggies but I also like the added texture dimension. An important note to making a fluffy frittata is vigorously whisking the eggs. You want a lot of air incorporated to make it rise. Here’s another key ingredient to making a fantastic frittata: a cast iron skillet. If you don’t own one go buy one, they’re not expensive. This kitchen tool is a workhorse and gets better the more you use it, not like that car you’re driving, unless it’s a BMW. But I’m off point now, let’s get back to making this awesome meal. Did I mention I only make frittatas for dinner? Yeah, breakfast for dinner is a winner! The secret ingredient in this is the pear. Frittatas are typically made with only vegetables but I was feeling adventurous and I’m glad I went with it. You can add some dollops of cheese on top before you bake if you like, I’m cracking down on dairy so I only went with the Parmesan. Cheeses that work with this are goat, feta, gruyere or mozzarella.
Ingredients
1 large sweet potato, peeled, diced and microwaved for 2 minutes in a bowl with a damp paper towel on top (this speeds up cooking time)
1 leek, light and dark green part, thinly sliced (~ 1 cup)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large pear, thinly sliced (use a mandolin slicer if you have one for evenness)
8 eggs
1 TBSP dried sage
1 TBPS olive oil or ghee
salt and pepper to taste
Put It Together
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat cast iron skillet on medium heat, add oil. Once hot, add leeks and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add sweet potato and stir well, let cook 1-2 minutes. Add pears in a layer on top and let cook 1-2 minutes, the pears should begin to soften and you will start to smell them . Whisk eggs, parmesan, salt and pepper together in a large bowl, pour over veggie mix in the skillet. Sprinkle dried sage on top. You may need to use a spatula to press ingredients down into the egg mix. Place skillet in oven and bake for around 15 minutes. You know it’s done when the frittata is set, no longer jiggles when you move the skillet and doesn’t look wet on top. You can also run a knife through the center, if it comes out clean your frittata is done. Cut into 8 wedges and serve warm. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did