Another Breakfast, Lunch or Brunch

My vegetable Frittata

Frittatas are a wonderfully quick and healthful meal and are not specific to a particular mealtime, although breakfast and lunch would be a favourite time for me. I love quiches but the pastry makes them prohibitive for me because the pastry is so high in carbs and I am long-term diabetic striving for under 6.5 as my average blood/sugar levels. The frittata is exactly that. It’s a quiche without carb-overload. Make your own and you have total control over your carb intake and for any diabetic that is critical for your good health. You should be able to prep the whole meal in under ten minutes and with an oven bake time of just 20-25 minutes you have time to bake, get ready for work and sit down to a healthful meal with time to spare. Split it into two and you have a great lunch too.

Oh, and remember you can add any veg you like to a frittata!

Ingredients:

150 grams of Ricotta cheese (or use feta instead).

Medium onion

About 14 cherry tomatoes or 150 grams (Any tomatoes will be just as good.)

Half a medium courgette (zucchini)

A clutch of baby spinach leaves

3 small to medium eggs or two large.

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp of milk (optional)

Tsp of dry Basil or a small pinch of fresh

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180C

In a medium sized frying pan, warm the olive oil on a medium heat.

Slice and dice the onion into small pieces.

Cook the onion for five minutes until translucent and soft. I like mine browned a little too.

Slice the tomatoes into two or three.

Add to the onions.

Slice and dice to courgette.

Add to the onions and tomatoes and cook for a minute or two, tossing periodically.

Add the spinach and toss two or three times. The spinach should be soft and limp.

Whisk your eggs with a fork and add seasoning as desired; dried basil, salt and pepper.

Grease a shallow baking tray, about 25cm by 20cm, but size is not critical, and spread the cooked vegetables evenly.

Pour on the egg mix equally.

Spoon on dollops of Ricotta cheese equally spaced.

Bake for between 20-25 minutes, checking periodically until a golden tint appears.

I eat mine as is but might add some uncooked spinach and uncooked cherry tomatoes. For breakfast, I might add a low-carb toast.

A frittata lends itself to added ingredients and indeed you can split the pie to add or omit items another member of the family might not like. In the top one (first pic) I added broccoli and potato and the potato increased the carbs.You can control this level by the amount of potato or higher carb ingredients you add.

The egg cooks to the corners of a pie dish to form a harder wall and look like a pastry container.

26 Comments

  1. I would substitute one of your zucchini with a yellow squash and add a small hand full of sliced mushrooms, but your version still sounds good to me.

  2. One of the nice things about a frittata is that they are just as good at room temp as fresh out of the oven. I agree, a little brown on the onions is tasty. I cook mine mostly on the stovetop and finish under the broiler.

    Good recipe Paul.

  3. I too am on a low carb/high fat diet. This looks delicious. I’d be interest to know what kind of low carb toast you buy/make.

    1. I don’t go the high-fat route. I minimise animal fats, don’t eat meat at all. My vegetables take care of most of my needs including fat. I add cheese mostly for taste but keep it down.

  4. Is there no end to this fella’s talents? Woodworker, artist, philosopher and now chef. It’s good to see that you are keeping yourself in good health. I was recently warned regarding diabetes and have gone on a low carb diet from Dr Michael Moseley. Mostly excellent, but I miss bread and spuds ……. and try as I might I HATE spinach!

  5. Buenas tardes, Sr. Sellers. Las verduras me encantan . . .Es un descubrimiento que he hecho ahora, lejísimos de la infancia, cuando más apasionados enemigos de la ¨hierva¨ éramos. Pero me encanta al estilo chino, Me gustan todas, casi crujientes, al dente que dicen ellos. Ahora me paso las horas en la cocina, preparando platos chinos, llenos de verdura, con poquísima grasa, a mi esposa y nuestros dos hijos. . . a quienes encanta a pesar de su edad, dos jovencitos de Quince y Diecisiete añitos.

  6. Although many may find this interesting I wonder if this content is at the expense of your excellent woodwork blogs and videos.Please do not neglect your woodwork teaching for which you are rightly world famous
    Stay safe

  7. Great breakfast. I bought a metal handled saute pan just for frittatas. Go right from the stove to the oven. I like single pan meals.

      1. Sandor
        Couldn’t help but wonder. What is the difference between a crustless Quiche and an omelet?

  8. Yummy! You should try a crustless quiche. I never use a crust and it works just fine, similar your frittata only baked in a quiche baking dish.

  9. One day Paul experiment with a dash or three of smoked sweet paprika. It’s a bit like a good wax – improves many things! Keep up the good work. You have changed my lockdown!!

  10. Looks tasty!
    I do like a nice Denver omelette and omit the meat. Just goodies from the garden or fresh and seasonal produce and you’re always on a winner. Good health to everyone.

  11. You are a gift, sir. I’m currently pre-diabetic (type II), hoping to control it through improving my diet and getting more exercise. You’re inspiring me to do more and make better choices, and these receipes are a great help. Thank you!

  12. Aloha Paul , and Mahalo for the wonderful diet/life style changes/ health needs we all need to practice! Here with so many tempting things to eat, there is an important need to ‘Eat to live’ rather than live to eat. People need to simplify the intake of foods and put health ahead of eating everything that could be put on a plate.

  13. I’m in a quandary now Paul. I’ve promised to make this today for lunch but the knock on the door has changed all this. My diamond plates and vintage No5 plane have arrived. Do I sneak out to the shed with my new toys or try this recipe………it better be good !!

    1. Eat, drink and be merry. Thgediamons plates and the planes will last well but a good meal has to be served pronto!

  14. Just catching up on this one. The Frittata and variations became a staple for me years ago although I don’t avoid anything per say and have no recipe. Some I make with a can of tuna or salmon usually 2 eggs and some kind of whole grain more often than not some kind of interesting whole rice after that whatever looks a little dicey in the produce section of the fridge. Generally I top with some shredded cheese.

    I generally get 4 servings, eat one and freeze 3 in pie like shapes after baking and these can be a tasty nutritious instant breakfast after a few minutes in the toaster oven or microwave.

    Glad you posted this. Integrating whole foods and keeping physically active by pushing a plane are such good ideas.

Comments are closed.

Privacy Notice

You must enter certain information to submit the form on this page. We take the handling of personal information seriously and appreciate your trust in us. Our Privacy Policy sets out important information about us and how we use and protect your personal data and it also explains your legal rights in respect of it. Please click here to read it before you provide any information on this form.