Thursday, December 14, 2006

Real Men DO Eat Quiche

...or at least fritattas! Sometimes you need to make something quick, light and a little more healthy. When I find myself with a few leftover vegetables and nothing else to cook, I'll throw together a crustless almost souffle-like quiche. It's a one-dish meal that only needs a glass of a crisp white wine to make an elegant evening.

Here's my basic approach.

Saute whatever vegetables you have on hand in a little olive oil until tender. I've used leeks, onions, peppers, asparagus, squash, mushrooms, tomatoes and even leftover steamed spinach in mine. (One of the standard times I fix a frittata is a day or two after a party to use up the leftovers from the vegetable tray.)

Once the vegetables are cooked and tender, dump them in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat 4-8 eggs (depending on how many folks you are feeding) with a little milk or cream, salt and pepper. (The more you beat, the lighter the final product will be. You can even use a blender if you want.)

Blend eggs into vegetable mixture and then pour into baking dishes you've prepared with a little cooking spray. (If you'd like, you can also add a little grated cheese, or even something like crab or chopped turkey. I usually just keep it on the simple side if I have a nice enough variety of vegetables.)

Note: I've discovered I like these best in individual ramekins or smaller baking dishes that serve two people. It cooks faster and is fun to serve that way. But you can also bake in a pie plate or small baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for about thirty minutes or until puffed, slightly golden and eggs are set in center.

Easy and GREAT food.

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