Tomato Frittata or Something

So, I thought I'd make something different for my friend's baby shower. I settled on Julia Child's Tomato Quiche because I had a bunch of frozen tomatoes ready to go and I was all about not going to the store. Then life got in the way and I didn't have time to make the crust. So, I had to change up a few things and made a frittata or maybe a gratin or something.... Whatever it's called, it ended up being a gorgeous red color and it had a wonderful, rich taste.


Tomato Frittata
1/4 cup minced onions
olive oil
2 lbs. fresh or frozen chopped tomatoes
1 clove minced garlic
2 tblsp basil
salt and pepper
5 eggs
1 tblsp anchovy paste
3 tblsp tomato paste
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheeses
Sweat onions in 2 tblsp olive oil. Add tomatoes, garlic, basil, and salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat for five minutes. Remove lid and cook on high until all liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Beat eggs, anchovy paste, tomato paste, paprika, cayenne and salt and pepper together. Mix cooled tomato mixture into eggs. Transfer to a 9" pie plate and top with shredded cheeses. Cook at 375 until eggs are set and cheeses are lightly browned.

Basil Egg Sandwich

I totally stole the idea for this from this recipe, but since I didn't have pesto on hand and don't know how to successfully make an eight egg omelet (or a two egg omelet), I made it this way... This ended up being too much egg for the four sandwiches I made, so you probably want to cut this back to six eggs if you're making four sandwiches. Also, she posted an instructional video of the original recipe if you want to watch someone make an omelet without being a spaz.


Basil Egg Sandwich
8 eggs
1/3 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup grated parmesan
heavy splash milk
salt and pepper
2 tblsp butter, divided
whole wheat bread
1 cup cheddar cheese
Beat eggs, basil, parmesan, milk, and salt and pepper together. Melt 1 tblsp butter in large skillet. Scramble eggs. Remove from pan and wipe pan clean. Melt 1 tblsp butter in skillet. Assemble sandwich with cheese on both sides and grill in pan.

Frittata

Finally, we rested upon an oldie but goodie for a meatless Monday dinner. Frittata is an old standby for us. It's particularly awesome since Kevin feels very confident making it without consulting me at all! It works for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, parties, everything. And it's a nice fridge cleaner - put in whatever leftovers you have and viola! your fridge is cleaned out and you have a lovely meal. Also, frittata reheats surprisingly well in the microwave, so you get the extra bonus of yummy leftovers. Before you start, make sure whatever pan you are using can be used on the stovetop and in the broiler. 


Veggie Frittata
olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 broccoli crown, tops only, chopped
3 cloves garlic
8 eggs
splash milk
1/2 cup asiago cheese
1 handful grape tomatoes, sliced in half
In cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, zucchini, pepper, and broccoli and saute until slightly softened. Mix in garlic and let cook for a minute or two. In the meantime, whisk eggs with a splash of milk, salt, and pepper. Add eggs to pan and stir. Continue stirring for a minute or two. Once the eggs are about half set, form eggs into the pan and then leave it alone. Cook frittata until the eggs are almost completely set (they can still be a little runny on the top). Top frittata with cheese and tomatoes (I've also made it where I serve the tomatoes raw on top of the cooked frittata and it's tasty that way too). Place under broiler until brown and bubbly on top. You can serve the fritatta in the cast iron or remove it to a serving plate. Cut it like a pizza.

Eggs with Sugo (previously Sougle)

Okay, okay, I don't know how to spell sougle. (Note: I was corrected by someone who actually speaks Italian. Sugo=Sauce) You know what else I don't know how to do? Poach eggs. Turns out that's something you need to know to make eggs with sougle. If you also don't know how to poach eggs, you should look up instructions. That's what I'll be doing next time! Anyway, eggs with sougle always sounded gross to me when Kevin told me about it, but then his mom made it for us one day and it turns out I was totally wrong and it's really tasty. I served it with cheesy polenta, but it's also delicious with a big hunk of bread.


Eggs with Sougle
olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tblsp tomato paste mixed with half can water
basil
oregano
red pepper
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste/water mixture, and spices to taste. Bring sauce to simmer. Poach eggs. Let sauce reduce slightly.


Cheesy Polenta
3 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 cup polenta
1 tblsp butter
1/2 cup asiago cheese
Cook polenta according to package directions - Mine called for boiling water and salt, adding polenta, and cooking for five minutes. Stir in butter and cheese.


Serve two eggs per person over polenta and topped with sauce.