Ah the Frittata – not so much a recipe as it is a set of instructions. This is one of the easiest dishes ever created and it offers endless possibilities for the home cook who is always looking for a way to use up leftovers.

The flexibility of this dish also makes it ideal for vegetarians and those with food allergies or intolerances who require Gluten or Soy Free foods it’s even well suited for egg and cheese substitutes. Let your tastes, dietary needs and imagination be your guide.

A few tips – if you’re using vegetables that have not yet been cooked you can save time by cutting them small and steaming them in the microwave.  Also, I say 1 cup of vegetables here – but you can also add meat and left over boiled potatoes, diced tomato, olives, corn kernels, etc. You just want to stick to about 1 cup of “veg/meat/etc” for every two eggs used. If you dislike or can’t have onions or garlic you can omit those too and add in up to a ¼ of a cup more of other ingredients.

Regarding cookware, if you are blessed with a nice cast iron or other oven safe frying pan, you can skip the pie plate and when you get to step 6, mix the herbs, black pepper and cheese into the beaten eggs and pour the mixture over the vegetables, stir quickly and move to the oven.

This is the ratio for 2 eggs, the recipe doubles and triples nicely – 4 eggs will fill a deep dish pie plate, if you make more use separate pie plates or a large oven safe casserole dish.  A 2 egg Frittata is ideal for one as a full meal or for two if served with other dishes, such as fresh fruit and a rasher of bacon.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

2 large eggs

Roughly 1 cup of vegetables of choice

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon olive oil

1-2 cloves of garlic finely minced

¼ medium onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup grated cheese

4 tablespoons fresh minced herbs (Italian parsley, basil and thyme are especially nice with eggs)

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste

1. Very lightly oil a pie plate using olive oil – you can use a pastry brush, piece of paper toweling or your hands. If you rather, you can use a spray like Pam. (Allergy alert – many spray-oils have soy in them, even if they are advertised as corn or olive oil sprays – read your label)

2.Heat butter and olive oil together in a skillet and sauté the onions until they start to sweat (release water) and allow to cook 1-2 minutes more then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

3. Add vegetables of your choice to the sauté pan and sauté until all the vegetables are tender. Taste for seasoning (salt and pepper) and adjust accordingly.

4. Meanwhile, whisk eggs together with a fork in a fairly large bowl until well beaten.

5. Add a large pinch of kosher salt to the eggs, giving them a bit more whisking after.

6. Carefully stir in the vegetables, cheese and herbs, as well as cracked black pepper to taste.

7. Pour into prepared pie plate and bake for 20-25 minutes until set – a table knife stuck into the center should be clean when pulled out and if the pan is moved, the eggs should not ‘wiggle’.

8. Let stand for 3 minutes, then cut into wedges and enjoy.

Some of my favorite Frittata combinations are as follows:

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Mexican Inspired:

Black beans (whole, cooked and drained of any excess liquid if canned)

Cheddar cheese

Green chilies

Olives

Cilantro

Minced tomato

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Country:

Chopped boiled red potatoes

Pepper Jack

Onions

Garlic

Chopped Roast Beef

Parsley

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Rock & Roll:

Garlic

Onions

Chinese hot chili & garlic paste

Minced cooked chicken

Freshly grated Asiago or Parmesan (but not too much)

Thai basil

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BACON!

Garlic

Onion

Bacon

Mushrooms

Thyme