April 30, 2012

Spinach Zucchini Mushroom Frittata


I love frittatas.  I think it's because they are reminiscent of the Spanish tortillas (a potato omelet, if you will) that I used to eat when I studied abroad in Spain.  I also tend to like these because you can customize it however you want, depending on what veggies or meats you have in your fridge that day.  This frittata that I'm showing you has some of my favorite ingredients: spinach, zucchini, and baby portabella mushrooms.  And the whole thing is only 250 calories.  

Ingredients (1 serving):

2 tbsp chopped onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped spinach, raw
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 tsp minced rosemary
1 full egg and 1 egg white
2 tbsp milk
a few pinches of salt
garlic powder
red pepper flakes (optional)


I like to do all my washing and chopping ahead of time.  Here are my trio of veggies that I plan on using.
 
This particular bunch of spinach had pretty rough stems, so I cut the off.  And diced the spinach leaves so they are overwhelmingly big.


Here is my zucchini!  I used about a quarter of a medium zucchini and that was enough, but you might use more or less. 


And the mushrooms, of course.  Love me some mushrooms.


Now, in a small pan, brown onions in olive oil over low heat.  I used my little 7" pan.


When the onions are soft, add salt, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes to taste.  I use about a pinch of each for now.


So, here add mushrooms and zucchini and saute over medium low heat for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms and zucchini are soft and kinda defeated.  Like it's given up on being springy.



Now for some spinach magic.  Take your cup of raw spinach and add it to the pan.  It's gonna look like this at first.


Gently fold it into the rest of the ingredients, and 30 seconds later, it'll look like this. #spinachmagic


Now, time for the eggies.   In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, rosemary, and milk.  I like to use one full egg and one egg white.  The extra egg white adds some volume without overdoing the cholesterol.  Add another pinch of salt for seasoning.


Pour the egg mixture into pan and kinda swirl it around so that it covers all the nooks and crannies.






Cover it with a lid, and let sit for about 4 minutes.  You don't have to have a specific lid, just find one that is greater than or equal to the size of your pan.  The point is to trap the heat so that the top gets cooked too.



Now, here is where you have a choice.  When you take the lid off, you'll notice the top is soft but not super fully cooked.


You can either (1) flip the frittata with a big spatula and cook for 30 seconds, OR (2) put whole pan in the oven at 350F for several minutes until top is firm.  The first choice is riskier and faster, and that's more fitting with my character than the second choice, which requires more patience.  When I'm hungry, I don't like to wait.

So here we go!



Not bad!  (I suggest that, if you are gonna serve this to guests, you do option (2) because it'll probably turn out prettier.

Here is the frittata on the plate!


Yummy!






Let's dig in!



Such a simple dish, but really delicious!  Serve it with a side of fruit and coffee for brunch, or have it for dinner with half a sliced up potato to make it heartier.  Hope you enjoy this dish!



For a printable version of this recipe, please click here.

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