Days 7 & 8 Vegetable Frittata with Hummus & Black Olives (4.11 & 4.12)

Life has been a bit nutty lately with running the business (Lotions & Potions) and trying to take advantage of the BEAUTIFUL weather we've had this week!  After having pizza last Saturday night, I definitely wanted to make something from scratch on Sunday night for dinner.

I have been craving a GOOD quiche when I came across this recipe for a Vegetable Frittata with Hummus & Black Olives (all things I love!)  Especially black olives. I never used to like them but now I'm the person that gets extra black olives on my veggie sub from subway :-)  Anyhow, I started wondering what the difference was between a frittata and quiches.  I know that generally speaking, a quiche has a crust although there are some quiches that don't.  So I wanted to see what the difference was and here's what I found.........

Frittatas

Lesser known in the United States, this is more or less the Italian version of an omelet. Because of the way it is cooked, I think it is more versatile, as it can be easily eaten later, and even frozen. Several portions are usually cooked at once, in just a little more time than it takes to cook an omelet. There are several techniques, but I like a quick one that starts on the stove and finishes in a few minutes under the broiler.

Yummy Tip: Small cubes of cheese in a frittata will melt during cooking and create yummy little cheese pockets!!!

Quiches

A quiche is essentially a baked custard (savory rather than sweet) in a pie shell –- although you can certainly make one without the crust, as I have done before for less calories & fat. It usually includes cheese, as well as other ingredients. Since it is a custard, it is more delicate in consistency than a frittata. This is because it is made with more liquid than eggs, traditionally 2 to 3 eggs per cup of liquid (traditionally cream), although you see recipes with more eggs.

Helpful Tip: The trick with quiche is how to preserve the delicate texture. This is achieved by removing it from the oven while it is still a bit uncooked in the center; it will continue to cook when removed from the heat. Overcooked quiche has a “tough,” cracked texture around the outside.

So I decided I was going to make a Frittata for dinner and couldn't wait to dig in!!!  Plus, I finally had an excuse to use a cast iron skillet I've had for years!!  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut in 1/4 inch slices
• 2 cups cooked and sliced sweet potatoes                    
• 1 medium eggplant
• 1 cup chopped fresh tomato
• 2 tablespoons black olives
• 4 eggs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (I skipped this as I think cinnamon gum is spicy....)
• 1/2 small tomato, sliced
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Yummus Hummus (see recipe from day 1)

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler on your oven.
2. In a frying pan with an ovenproof handle (I used my cast iron skillet), heat the oil and saute onion, garlic and green bell pepper over a low heat. Saute until vegetables are just tender but not browned. Add the zucchini and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Add the potatoes, stir well to combine, and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are heated through and starting to stick to the pan. 
3. Add the tomatoes and black olives, stirring well to combine with the other ingredients, and cook just until the tomatoes have begun giving up their    juice.  Remove from pan.
4. Brown eggplant on both sides until golden brown on both sides. 
5. Then put the onion/pepper/zucchini/potato/olive/tomato mixture back in to the pan on top of the eggplant.
6. Beat the eggs with the salt, pepper, oregano, and cayenne.  Pour the eggs over them
7. Arrange the tomato slices over the top of the eggs, and sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the tomato slices. Cook gently over low heat until the eggs are almost set (they'll be firm around the edges and a bit runny in the middle).
8. Slip the pan under the broiler for a two or three minutes, until the eggs are fully set and the cheese has melted and begun to brown.  Let cool and flip onto plate. Cut into wedges or squares.  Top with Yummus Hummus!

THE VERDICT:

Vic: "Don't skimp on the spices! This came out a little bland.  And the broiling step is essential---brown that cheese! I used fresh oregano on top after it came out of the broiler and that added alot. Don't be afraid to add some strong flavors to this. "

Amanda: "Eggy but filling.  Better with hummus."

 Day 8 was SUBWAY - eat fresh!! :-)