Sunday, August 10, 2008

Cheesy Zucchini Frittata

Ingredients:

6 eggs

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup Cheddar cheese

1 medium zucchini

Salt

Pepper

2 tablespoons of Butter or Margarine

1/2 cup sour cream

Chopped fresh herbs for garnish

Serves 4

A frittata is like an omelet, only much easier. I have to sheepishly admit that I have always had trouble flipping my omelets, and often wound up with some sort of fancy scrambled egg dish (for lack of a better description). So boy, was I thrilled to discover the ease and sophistication of a frittata. All you need is a non stick/ oven safe frying pan, and a few eggs. What you put in your frittata after that can range from leftover steak to vegetables from your garden, to even leftover pasta. Today I'm using zucchini and light Cheddar cheese for a healthy twist. Read on to learn more.

Start by cracking your eggs into a bowl, and whisking them together with 1/4 cup of water. For a rich treat, try using whole milk, or even cream instead! Next, season your eggs generously with salt and fresh ground black pepper. To prep your vegetable, take the zucchini and slice it into paper thin pieces. I like to use my multi-purpose grater. It has a side that works like a mandolin and does a great job of slicing, though a knife will work just as well.


Next, heat a burner on medium heat and melt your butter in the pan. Swirl it around and make sure that all of the edges in the pan are well covered. This will keep your eggs from sticking to the pan. Toss in the zucchini and saute for about two minutes, or until they begin to tenderize. Then add in your eggs, and turn your heat down to low. Let the eggs sit without touching them for about 20 seconds, and then lightly run a spoon around the pan stirring lightly, almost as if you were making scrambled eggs. Don't mix too much, all you want to do is help lift some of the eggs off of the bottom, giving the rest of the liquid a chance to begin to cook.


Once most of the liquid is cooked, sprinkle over the grated cheese, and move your pan to the broiler for about 2 minutes. Make sure your pan is on the top rack of the oven, and then watch carefully! You are looking for your cheese to melt, and begin to lightly brown on top. Never leave the delicate eggs under the broiler for long, or they will become tough.


Once out of the oven, gently take a butter knife, or a heat resistant spatula, and run around the rim of the pan. This will loosen your edges, and make sure that the frittata will slide right out of the pan. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and fresh herbs.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

YUMMM do i love frittatas. I made a super healthy one out of the south beach cookbook that sounds similar to those, except theres no butter of course, and egg subsitute instead. but this sounds deliccccious. i think the one i made had peppers and broccoli and cheese. thanks for this recipe, i didnt think of zucchini.
-Erin :)

Anonymous said...

Having a daughter that's a vegetarian, I'm always looking for new recipes to try, and this looks like a good one! Guess what's for dinner tonight! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I just made this and it was awesome! The only thing I changed was the use of a small cake pan! The frying pans I own have plastic handles so I used a 9" cake pan and it worked perfect. Thanks so much for sharing with us your recipes. I love your blog!