Food ‘Buzz’ Gone, Sobered Up: Mediterranean Frittata

Umph.

Now what?

After the Foodbuzz food competition extravaganza, I was left with a whole hunk of Brie and an entire jar of Kalamata olives.   Delicacies that aren’t normally in our refrigerator, much less in our meals (GASP!  I know.  What kind of lame foodie am I?  I assure you, the fact that these items are not staples in our pantry has nothing to do with me, per se, but rather my ‘family issues.’)

But after spending almost $10 dollars on the Brie and another $4 dollars on a jar of olives (courtesy of Whole Foods), I felt compelled to do something with these ingredients.  Make something that would entice everyone’s palette and rid us of these expensive, rarely used items before they expired and ended up in the trash.

The answer?  Frittata.  A Frittata is to cooking what the classic black cocktail dress is to a woman’s wardrobe.  This open-faced, Italian omelet is incredibly versatile, trustworthy and presentable in most any occasion.  Perhaps most important, it is also the best friend of any left over vegetables/cheeses/meats you might have lying around in the fridge.  Like my Brie and Kalamata olives.

If you have some time on a Sunday morning and you want to take your omelets ‘up a notch’,’ whip out this Mediterranean Frittata.   While relatively light, it is surprisingly filling as either a morning meal with toast or served at room temperature with a side salad for lunch.  The family thoroughly enjoyed their jazzed up Sunday breakfast – even though it included the Brie and olives.

Mediterranean  Frittata

Ingredients:

1 medium russet potato, diced
2-tablespoon olive oil
Salt/pepper
½ a cup of red pepper, diced
2 green onions, sliced thinly
Handful of Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
Handful of parsley, roughly chopped
8 teaspoons of Brie
4 whole eggs
4 eggs whites
½ cup of half and half

Directions:

Preheat a frying pan (8-9 inch) on medium heat.   You can use a non-stick pan that is ovenproof, but I prefer using the stainless-steel pan.  Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the potatoes.  Sprinkle the potatoes with a pinch of salt and pepper. Occasionally move the potatoes around the pan so that they don’t burn.  Cook the potatoes until they are browned and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Also pre heat the same frying pan you used to cook the potatoes on medium heat.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and egg whites.  Add the pepper, onion, olives, parsley, and half  and half.   Add another pinch of salt and pepper.  Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the frying pan.  Pour in the egg mixture.

Once the egg starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, add the potatoes over the top of the frittata and dot the top of the frittata  with the Brie.  Place the frittata in the oven and let bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the center has solidified.

Remove from oven.  If you used a non-stick pan, you can slide the frittata out on a cutting board and slice it, but if you used a non-stick pan, it may not readily slide out.  Not a problem.  I normally just use a spatula and scoop out the portion that I want.

Tags: brie, Foodbuzz, Frittata, health-recipes, Mediterranean, olives, Potatoes, recipe

Category: Breakfast/Brunch, Europe, Featured Articles: Travel & Culture, Main Dish - Vegetarian, Recipe Vault, Travel & Culture