Asparagus and Feta Frittata

When I’m developing recipes for an article I’m writing I need to experiment, so my family gets to be the guinea pigs (also my neighbors and friends and sometimes any repairman who happens to be in the house).

This past weekend, being Mother’s Day and all, my children and grandchildren were here so I tried this frittata recipe on them and it got good reviews. It makes a good hors d’oeuvre if you cut it into slim slices, but can also be a good vegetarian dinner item. I like it hot but it’s also good at room temperature and even cold.

Asparagus and Feta Frittata

12 medium asparagus spears

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

8 large eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons milk

2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven broiler with the rack about 6-inches from the heat. Cut the tips from the asparagus and set them aside. Cut the remaining part of the spear into 2-inch chunks and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cut asparagus spears and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the asparagus tips and cook for another minute. Remove the vegetables and set aside. Mix the eggs, milk and parsley in a bowl. Heat the butter in the saute pan. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, return the vegetables to the pan. Scatter the feta and Parmesan cheeses on top. Pour in the egg mixture and turn the heat to low. Stir once or twice then cook undisturbed for about 8 minutes or until the bottom has set and is golden brown. Place the pan under the broiler and cook for up to a minute or until the top of the frittata is puffed and golden. Season to taste with black pepper. Makes 4 servings

Shakshouka - Peppers n' Eggs for Meatless Monday

Just because there’s a Meatless Monday doesn’t mean your only alternative at dinner is a plateful of boring steamed vegetables.

The idea of eating “meatless” for an entire day started in World War 1 and continued through the Second World War as an effort to ration meat to make it available to the troops. Anyone growing up just after WW11 has heard about the ration stamps; my Mom always talked about how difficult it was to get meat back then. But she was a creative and good cook so she’d make macaroni and cheese, spaghetti and tomato sauce, potato omelets and other wonderful dinners when she couldn’t buy meat.

She continued those meals occasionally even through the 1950s and 60s. No one complained. When food tastes good you don’t complain whether there’s meat in it or not. In fact, you don’t miss the meat.

Today we’ve latched onto the Meatless Monday idea as a health matter. Americans typically eat too much meat so giving it up for a day could make us healthier.

Still, for people who love to eat well, the best reason to cook any dish is because it tastes delicious. Try this meatless recipe for Peppers and Eggs. It’s from my book, Hip Kosher. It’s a quickie version of Shakshouka, an Israeli dish that has stewed tomatoes and peppers and then you cook an egg right on top of the vegetables, in the same pan. This dish is spicy, filling and easy to cook. Add a piece of pita or chunk of bread and you’re done with dinner. It could be preceded by cold soup or with a salad.

The recipe calls for zatar as a final seasoning; zatar is a Middle Eastern spice mixture. You can make Shakshouka without it, but zatar is so tasty, why not get a jar and use it for vinaigrette dressing or on top of chicken and so on and so on?

Peppers and Eggs

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, deseeded and chopped

2 small habanero or other chili peppers, deseeded and chopped

1 large clove garlic, chopped

6-8 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

8 large eggs

3/4 teaspoon zatar

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Add the tomatoes, basil and lemon juice, stir, cover the pan, turn the heat to low and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the vegetables are very soft and sauce-like. Crack the eggs into a bowl one at a time (to make sure they are okay), then transfer each one to the pan over the vegetables. Cover the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the eggs are set but are still slightly runny. Sprinkle with zatar. Serve each person 2 eggs with some of the vegetables. Makes 4 servings

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Guacamole and Piperade for World Cup June 11, 2010

Years ago Americans barely knew about soccer. My kids played on school teams on the weekend, but it wasn’t a TV sport.

Now the World Cup is news and everyone’s talking about it. There are official Soccer Bars all over the country so you can watch with other fans. Go to www.bigsoccer.com for details about events in your area.

If you’re home and entertaining though, here are some snacks to make for the first game, played today,  June 11th. I am going to match the food with at least one of the teams playing each day.

First game between South Africa and Mexico. This is an easy one. Make Guacamole!

Here’s a recipe:

Guacamole

1 habanero pepper

1 medium tomato

2 medium ripe avocados

2-3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

salt to taste

chips

Discard the stem, white parts and seeds of the pepper. Chop the pepper into small pieces. Chop the tomato into small pieces and add to the pepper. Peel the avocados, discard the pits and add the flesh in chunks into the bowl with the pepper and tomatoes. Mash the avocado, incorporating the pepper and tomato into the mixture. Add lime juice and some salt. Taste and add more juice or salt as needed. Serve with chips. Makes about 1-1/2 cups

Afternoon match is between France and Uruguay. For that you could make Piperade with Eggs, spicy, delicious and filling. Serve it with crusty French bread of course.

Piperade with Eggs

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

2 green bell peppers, deseeded and chopped

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

5 tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

cayenne pepper

8 eggs

1 cup chopped ham

salt to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep sautepan over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and tomatoes and cook for 10-12 minutes or until vegetables are soft and most of the liquid has evaporated. Sprinkle with parsley and cayenne pepper to taste. Beat the eggs and pour them over the vegetables. Cook, stirring gently until the eggs have the consistency of scrambled eggs. Scatter the ham on top. Sprinkle with salt to taste and serve. Makes 4 servings

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