Quiche and frittata are both egg dishes made delicious with the addition of cheese, veggies, meat, seafood or poultry. They’re both great ways to get a meal on the table — they’re not just for breakfast..using just about whatever you have on hand.
Quiche is made by adding ingredients to a custard base, a combination of eggs and heavy cream, which gives it a deliciously creamy consistency when baked. You can replace the cream with half and half or milk to cut the fat. Quiche usually has a crust, but it doesn’t have to. A quiche is a savoury dish originating in the Alsace Lorraine region of France. The classic is quiche Lorraine, an open tart with a pastry base filled with eggs, cream and bacon and served hot or cold, but varitations today can include almost anything, including onion, cheese, fish and herbs.
Eggs are the most important part of a frittata. Frittatas have no crust and no milk or cream. Frittatas are cooked first on the stovetop, then finished in the oven. The Italian frittata can vary from thin and pancake like to thick with a golden crust and creamy centre. Frittatas can be filled with cheese, vegetables, meat or seafood. And, just like tortillas, they can be eaten warm or cold, or in squares as part of an antipasti plate.
Now a frittata is NOT an omelet either... An Omelet is cooked quickly over moderately high heat and after folding, has a flat-sided half oval shape. Filling is folded inside.
We already did Quiche....so...
Read on!!!
Basic Frittata
| 4 | eggs |
| 1/4 | cup liquid, such as water, tomato juice, broth |
| 1/4 | tsp. dried thyme leaves OR herb of your choice |
| Salt and pepper | |
| 1 | cup filling (see below) |
| 2 | tsp. butter OR vegetable oil |
BEAT eggs, liquid, herb and salt and pepper in medium bowl until blended. ADD filling; mix well.
HEAT butter in 6 to 8-inch nonstick omelet pan or skillet over medium heat until melted. POUR IN egg mixture; cook over low to medium heat until eggs are almost set, about 8 to 10 minutes.
REMOVE from heat. COVER and LET STAND until eggs are completely set and no visible liquid egg remains, 5 to 10 minutes. CUT into wedges.
hints...
Make fillings from your favorite foods or from leftovers. Use a combination of meat, seafood or poultry, cheese, vegetables and cooked pasta or grains.
For fewer or more servings: Adjust the filling, liquid, seasonings and pan size proportionally to the number of eggs used. For 2 eggs, use a 6-inch pan; for 6 eggs, an 8-inch pan; for 8 eggs, an 8 to 10-inch pan.
Filling ingredients should be cooked, not raw. Pieces should be cut fairly small and drained well.
Three ways to serve a frittata: Serve wedges right from pan, slide uncut frittata topside-up onto platter, or invert frittata onto platter to show its nicely-browned bottom.
Broiler Method: Prepare frittata in a pan with an ovenproof handle. (To make handle ovenproof, wrap it completely in aluminum foil.) Cook on stovetop until eggs are almost set. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, bread crumbs or crushed chips. Broil about 6 inches from heat until eggs are completely set and no visible liquid egg remains and cheese is melted or topping is lightly browned.
Broccoli Cheddar Frittata
| 1 | pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli |
| 1 | small carrot, diced, OPTIONAL |
| 1/4 | cup water |
| 8 | EGGS |
| 1/4 | cup milk |
| 2 | tsp. prepared mustard |
| 1 | tsp. seasoned salt |
| 1/8 | tsp. pepper |
| 3/4 | cup shredded Cheddar cheese (3 oz.) |
| 1 | Tbsp. chopped green onion |
COMBINE broccoli, carrot, if desired, and water in 10-inch nonstick skillet. COOK over medium heat until tender, stirring occasionally to break up broccoli, about 10 minutes; drain well.
BEAT eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper in large bowl until blended. ADD broccoli mixture, cheese and green onion; mix well.
COAT same skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat until hot. POUR IN egg mixture; cook over low to medium heat until eggs are almost set, 8 to 10 minutes.
REMOVE from heat. COVER and LET STAND until eggs are completely set and no visible liquid egg remains, 8 to 10 minutes. CUT into wedges.
Frittata with crabmeat
| 1 | cup small fresh asparagus pieces |
| 1 | cup sliced mushrooms |
| 1/2 | cup sliced green onions |
| 1/2 | cup thin red bell pepper strips |
| 1/2 | cup flaked crab meat (2 oz.) |
| 8 | EGGS |
| 1/4 | cup water |
| 1 | tsp. dried Italian seasoning |
| 1/2 | cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (2 oz.) |
| 1 | Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese |
HEAT oven to 375°F. COAT 10-inch nonstick skillet with ovenproof handle with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat until hot. ADD asparagus, mushrooms, onions and bell pepper; sauté until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. REMOVE from heat. ADD crab; mix well.
BEAT eggs, water and Italian seasoning in medium bowl until blended. STIR IN mozzarella cheese; pour over crab mixture in skillet. COOK over medium heat until eggs are set at edges, 5 to 8 minutes. SPRINKLE with Parmesan cheese.
Spinach, Mushroom & Bacon Frittata
Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 slices bacon, diced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup baby spinach
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Meanwhile, fry bacon in an 8" cast-iron skillet until crispy. Drain the bacon, reserving 1 tsp of pan drippings. Fry the onion in the reserved drippings for 3 minutes or until soft & translucent.
Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes, then add the spinach and cook until wilted. Return the bacon to the skillet.
Pour the egg mixture into the skillet; bake in a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are set. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
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Zucchini Frittata
This simple combination of summer squash, onion, garlic, cheese, and eggs makes a quick and satisfying brunch, lunch, or casual dinner. Yellow summer squash works just fine in place of zucchini, although the yellow color blends in with the egg and makes a less stunning frittata.
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 2 Tbsp. cream or milk
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 small zucchini or summer squash, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup parmesan or other hard, grating cheese
- 2 Tbsp. minced parsley, basil, or thyme (optional)
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs and cream or milk until whites are thoroughly broken up and the whisk lifted out of the bowl drips egg with no globs clinging to it.
- In a large frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add zucchini or summer squash and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 5 minutes.
- Stir cheese, herbs, and pepper into the eggs. Stir in vegetable mixture.
- Return pan to stove. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil and let sit until hot. Pour in egg-vegetable mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until lightly browned on bottom, about 5 minutes.
- Heat broiler, arranging a rack 6 to8 inches below the heating element.
- Put frittata under broiler and cook, watching constantly, until frittata is set and top is browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Run a silicone spatula around the edges, gradually working under the frittata until the entire thing is loose from the pan. Slide onto a serving plate and serve immediately.
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