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So as you know, Shaun and I are going meatless for a week. So far, I've been cooking up a storm for our lunches and dinners (we typically don't include meat at breakfast, so no change there) and I'm psyched to share some of my ideas with you. I think I found a good one.
I knew that to keep us on track, I'd have to arm us with all the tools to keep our food fun, exciting and most importantly, delicious. So on my day off for MLK day, I made a loose menu plan, a big list of goodies and went shopping. I am happy to report that 75% of my shopping cart was filled with fruits and veggies. Booyah! So to kick things off, I eased us into dinner with a little frittata with a side of sauteed broccoli and cauliflower.
Hold the phone. Eggs...for dinner? Yep, I went there. And if that's wrong, I don't want to be right.
I have one word for this dinner: yum. Though I had never tried one in the past, I've seen many a frittata made on Food Network by some of my faves (Giada, Tyler) so when I came across a delectable looking version in this month's Food Network magazine (obsessed much?) I knew this was a must for meatless week. Not to mention that Shaun loves all things eggs and requests them every Saturday and Sunday morning. Personally I prefer pancakes, but eggs are ok too :) Anyhow, the point of my story is that this frittata is light, delicious and even easier than scrambled eggs if you can believe it.
Mushroom + Onion Frittata
*Adapted heavily from Food Network Magazine
3 eggs
4 egg whites
1 C smoked mozzarella cheese, grated (or cheese of choice, but smoked is recommended)
2 C sliced mushrooms, I used about one package of baby bella's
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, cut in half and sliced
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp parmesean cheese + more for dusting
splash of skim milk
olive oil
light butter
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a non-stick oven approved skillet, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a little scoop of light butter. Add the onions and cook on low heat until they are soft and browned, stirring occasionally. Low and slow is key here - don't let them burn! Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Once combined, whisk in the mozzarella, parmesean and basil.
Add the garlic and sliced mushrooms to the onions and continue cooking just until the mushrooms start to soften and break down. They will continue cooking in the oven, so don't overcook them here!
With a silicon brush, I coated the sides of the pan with olive oil. Pour in the egg mixture, evenly over the mushrooms.
Cook over medium heat, without mixing or touching it in any way, until a crust starts to form in the pan, about 2 or so minutes. Run your rubber spatula around the edges to make sure it has set. Transfer to the oven for 7-10 minutes or until lightly cooked through.
Cut into wedges and serve that bad boy up! We enjoyed this along with a bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflower that I sauteed in a tiny bit of olive oil and season with salt, pepper and parmesean cheese. Belissimo.
Though the original recipe called for cottage cheese, I, of course, did not read the entire recipe before food shopping and forgot this ingredient. I don't know what it would taste like with the cottage cheese, but I don't need to find out. This was pure perfection without it. The smokiness of the cheese coupled with the earthiness of the mushrooms was a fab flavor combination all on its own, if I do say so myself.
So there you have it. Our meatless, eggy dinner that Shaun immediately said he 'hated' (our inside joke for when something is over-the-top yum) which also lead to cleaning his entire plate and going back for seconds. And taking another serving for breakfast today. So what do you think? Do you believe in eggs, or any breakfast, for dinner? I personally think it rocks my world!