Good Housekeeping's Florentine Frittata-Famous Fridays
Today is not just any ordinary Famous Friday but also the birthday of my favorite daughter Annabel, even if she's my only one!! Hard to believe that she's turning 14 and will be starting high school soon! I know it's a cliche, but geez, "where did all the time go?!" She's often my buddy in crime here, cooking, taking photos and tasting, of course, so when I made this Florentine Frittata a few weeks ago and she raved about it, I thought it would be a fitting day to share this delicious and light eggy concoction straight from the pages of Family Vegetarian Cooking by the folks at Good Housekeeping.
Unlike, our boys, Annabel has always loved eating vegetables, so I've really made an effort to make more vegetarian based meals in the last few years, especially as the boys' palettes have begun to catch up! And this cookbook has been extremely helpful as a guide to making fun meatless meals. It's full of down-to-earth and interesting dishes like Nacho Casserole, Vegetables with Sesame Vinaigrette, Wheat Berry Pilaf and wonderful stir-fries etc. that don't require hard-to-find, intimidating health-food store-like ingredients. It even has a "flexitarian" chapter that will help you add some meat easily to the vegetarian meal you've prepared to accommodate those in your house who might balk (or throw a tantrum) at an entirely vegetarian dinner!
Though you can make this all year round of course, this frittata is perfect for steamy summer nights (or brunches) when you want to put the oven on for as minimal an amount of time as possible. Plus it's very versatile. For example, here I used frozen chopped spinach and a combination of feta and mozzarella, but you could also just as easily use chopped broccoli and cheddar. And the crowning glory of it all, is that each serving comes in at a little over 200 calories and the servings are quite generous too!
You start by whisking together practically all of your ingredients--
Next you dump the whole mixture into a non-stick pan, top with cherry tomatoes and cook the whole thing on top of the oven for about 5 minutes, until the bottom is basically set.
Then you place the whole pan under the broiler until the cheese melts and everything gets golden brown and crusty. Yum!
The whole thing takes 20 minutes tops and tastes better than anything you'd get in a fancy cafe or bistro. Each bite is a wonderful combination of tomato, spinach, scallions and ooey-gooey cheese--serve it with a simple salad or some bread and you're good to go!
So, pick up a copy of Family Vegetarian Cooking and treat yourself and your loved ones to some healthy and tasty meatless meals and have a scrumptious and fun weekend!! Happy Birthday Annabel!!
Good Housekeeping's Florentine Frittata-Famous Fridays
Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed out
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 3 ounces (3/4 cup) low-fat mozzarella, shredded and divided
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
The Recipe
1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Into a large bowl, place the eggs, egg whites, spinach, scallions, feta, 1/2 cup of mozzarella and salt. Using a whisk, beat together until well blended.
3. Place the oil into a 10-inch, non-stick, oven-proof skillet over medium heat until the oil is hot but not smoking. Pour in the egg mixture. Place the tomatoes on top, gently pushing them down a bit. Cover the pan and cook for about 5-6 minutes, until the mixture starts to set around the edges.
4. Uncover the pan and transfer it into the oven underneath the broiler and cook for 4-5 minutes until the frittata is just set in the center. Sprinkle it with the remaining mozzarella and broil for another minute or two until the cheese is melted and the entire top is golden brown.
5. Remove from the oven and serve immediately, cutting it into 4 large wedges.
6. Frittata can be made ahead and served at room temperature too. Also leftovers can be stored well wrapped in the refrigerator and last up to 2 days.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from Good Housekeeping Family Vegetarian Cooking by Good Housekeeping.
