Zucchini-Onion Frittata

I found this one on Cooking Light's website. I'm a Cooking Light whore and am proud of it! Frittatas are so very easy and naturally lend themselves to the whims of the cook's palate because so many ingredients can be substituted depending on what's in the fridge, the garden, the season, in general. Enjoy!

I'd suggest using a spring mix with a simple vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and pepper to round out a meal.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

8 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Garnish: chopped seeded plum tomatoes

Preparation

Melt butter with oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat; add zucchini and onion, and sauté 12 to 14 minutes or until onion is tender. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

Whisk together eggs and next 3 ingredients at least 1 minute or until well blended. Pour over vegetable mixture.
Bake at 350° for 13 to 15 minutes or until set; increase oven temperature to broil, and broil 5 1/2 inches from heat 1 to 2 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and basil. Garnish, if desired.

Lightened Zucchini-Onion Frittata:

Reduce butter to 1 tablespoon, and omit oil.

Sauté zucchini and onion as directed; remove from heat. Reduce grated Parmesan cheese to 1/4 cup, stirring 2 tablespoons into vegetable mixture.

Substitute 1 (15-ounce) carton garden vegetable egg substitute for 8 eggs and 1/4 cup low-fat milk for 1/4 cup milk, and whisk together with salt and pepper. Pour over vegetable mixture.

Bake as directed; do not broil. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese and basil. Garnish, if desired.
Yield
Makes 6 to 8 servings

Balsamic Peppers and Onions

Very simple stuff here. I'm trying to make more homemade veggies to compliment proteins and starches. The kid may not be adventurous with veggies just yet, but I know the Pack Mule will eat anything I put in front of him for fear that he will have an empty plate one evening.

I stumbled on a beautiful bottle of balsamic vinegar yesterday when the kid and I were perusing things at Fresh Market. I couldn't resist it. Here's what I threw together with the thick, dark, pungent goodness.

Balsamic Peppers and Onions

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced in half-moons

1 red bell pepper, sliced in strips

1 orange bell pepper, sliced in strips

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

2-3 Tbl balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Heat a skillet to medium to medium-high heat, add the olive oil, and toss with onions and peppers.


2. Stir quickly. You don't want the veggies to burn. A slight carmelization is the only kind of color you're looking for here.


3. After cooking for 7-10 minutes, throw in the salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar.


4. Turn the heat down to a slow simmer allowing the vinegar to become glossy and thick.


5. Serve hot.

Notes:

Balsamic
I'm a snob. I'm ok with paying $20-$30 a bottle for a good balsamic vinegar. If you're not used to the dark loveliness that is balsamic, you can buy whatever you like. The good stuff sometimes overwhelms the palates of people who are unfamiliar with it.

Time-saver
Stop by the almighty produce department and pick up a bowl of the pre-sliced peppers and onions.

Variations
Use mushrooms (cremini, anyone?), zucchini, or eggplant to beef up the veggie content. Be sure to increase the amount of balsamic you use so the veggies don't become plain Janes.

Serving:

Grilled or sauteed fish such as sea bass, swordfish, and cod pair nicely with the veggies served on top. Grilled shrimp with this as a side is also great. The thickened vinegar will add a delicious undertone to the entire dish.

Grilled chicken. It's a no-brainer here, kids. Use some coriander and fennel as a rub on the chicken and see how it pairs with the peppers. Divine simplicity.

Atop polenta, quinoa, brown rice, or pasta. If you choose to use pasta, double the recipe so you're pasta becomes coated with the reduced sauce. Try tossing on some crumbled feta or ricotta salata to add some protein.

Feedback:

This worked exceptionally well as a reheated dish as well. I have made this early in the morning and heated it through for lunch or dinner later in the day as well as the next night as a leftover. And? It's CHEAP.

Soyrizo and Beans

Batten down the hatches.I have "invented" a new recipe with SOY. No meat here, kids. Nope. You can always throw in something from a cloven hoof if you feel the need, but I don't think it's necessary here.

Ingredients:

29oz can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 package of Soyrizo (look for it in the produce section with the tofu, egg roll wrappers, etc.)
1 cup salsa - I used Newman's own.
1 cup Sofrito (made by Goya - a mixture of tomatoes, onions, green peppers, garlic, and cilantro)

Tortillas and/or rice
Fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and chopped onion
Shredded cheese of your choice

Directions:

1. Remove the Soyrizo from the plastic casing and saute until heated through, browned, and slightly crispy.
2. Add the Sofrito and salsa and mix thoroughly.
3. Add the humongous amount of beans.
4. Allow to heat through completely.

Notes:

You'll notice the shortage of "fresh" vegetables here. There are plenty of tomatoes, onions, and garlic in the salsa and sofrito. If you want to beef up the veggies. Go for it. I didn't feel the need. Obviously.

"What ARE these things she's talking about?" Here. Take a gander at the pics. You can easily find these items in your everyday grocery store.

Variations:

Serve over rice (white, brown, or some made with Sazon!) or in warmed flour tortillas with shredded sharp cheddar or monterey jack, low-fat sour cream, and fresh cilantro.
I know there are some of you out there who can't stomach the "soapy" taste you get when eating cilantro. If that's you, chop up some fresh parsley. Nothing says loving like fresh herbs. I ate this in the tortilla and folded it up burrito style.

You NEED meat? Add some meat. Real chorizo, ground beef, tips, whatever. My only caution is that if you're going to use anything other than chorizo or another kind of sausage is to SEASON the meat before searing and cooking. I'd say salt, pepper, ground ancho chiles or plain old chile.

Feedback:

I fed this to my husband who states that a meal is not a meal unless there is something that's come from a cloven hoof. He had NO IDEA the chorizo was actually soy and will NEVER find out!

Zucchini Fritters

I found this recipe on a night when I knew I wanted to use some zucchini I'd picked up at the farmer's market. I'd purposely chosen some of the larger ones because they were cheaper and could be easily used in a recipe calling for shredded zucchini. I have this "thing" about cooked zucchini: I can only eat it in small chunks, shredded, or grilled. The high water content makes it feel gross in my mouth if it's in large pieces.

Needless to say, I went in to the afternoon planning for the evening meal with "shredded zucchini on my mind. This lovely and so very simple dish is adapted from the Skinny Chef. I've seen other adaptations and ideas on blogs and other sites over the years but viewing a recipe that I was certain I'd like on a site that has "skinny" in its title made me try it.

Zucchini Fritters (adapted from http://www.skinnychef.com/ )

Ingredients
3 C zucchini, shredded

1 egg lightly beaten

1/2 cup grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8-1/4 tsp nutmeg

scant 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions
1. Combine all of the ingredients except for the zucchini in a large bowl.
2. Whisk to form a batter, removing large lumps, about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the grated zucchini it to the bowl. The moisture from the zucchini will produce a batter. Use your HANDS in this one. Stirring with a spoon is just not something I normally do. I’m a hands-on chick. Try it. You’ll like it. And the consistency once you add that zucchini? Goopy goodness. If you have kids who won’t fling this stuff around your kitchen, let ‘em get down and dirty with this stuff. They’ll love you as much as my kid does!
4. Use the batter immediately.
5. Heat olive or canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Using a 1/4-cup measure, pour out 3-4 cakes. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Drain on paper towel

Serves 2-4.

Notes:

Moisture: Please believe me when I say you should NOT add any extra moisture to this recipe. When you see how dry and crumbly the batter will be before adding the shredded zucchini, you’ll be hard-pressed to not dump in some water or milk. DO NOT do this.

Mixing: Use your hands. But for all that’s holy, will you PLEASE remember to take off your rings before you do this? I never remember to take off my wedding rings and always get chunks of zucchini and soupy batter stuck under the diamonds. Learn from the error of my ways. Someone should.

Variations:

I’ve doubled the recipe and used ½ Parm and ½ mozzarella with good results. I don’t recommend using a cheese with a high moisture content (fresh mozzarella) because the batter and resulting fritters will likely be very soupy. You want crunch with these babies.Serve hot or at room temperature. These will be great on a buffet because they retain their quality really well. If serving them as an appetizer, I’d recommend using a tablespoon measure for each fritter.

Feedback:

The husband LOVED these things. Loved them. The kid? Not so much. He knew they were “fried” and heard daddy raving about them but wouldn’t touch them. His loss is my gain.