Misto Peppers Frittata

Prep time: 20 to 25 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

Have you ever reached for an onion in the refrigerator drawer, but also found some forgotten, mixed peppers? Well, now you can turn it all into a delicious frittata and presto - you just made a nutritious breakfast, lunch or dinner!


Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced mixed red, yellow or green bell peppers
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and sliced (optional)
1 yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
8 eggs, beaten with 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon sea salt

Heat oil in a 12-inch, nonstick skillet. With a wooden spoon, stir fry all peppers with the onion on medium-high heat, 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is translucent.

Lower heat (on lowest setting) and add beaten eggs to the pepper-onion mixture. Cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes.

Uncover and with a spatula, lift frittata edges, tilting pan to let raw egg escape to bottom of pan.

Cover and cook an additional 2 minutes. Once more, uncover and with the spatula, lift frittata edges, tilting pan to let raw egg escape to bottom of pan. Cook an additional 3 minutes.

Uncover the frittata and, place a 14-inch round, flat platter over skillet. With one hand securely holding skillet handle and the other firmly holding platter, make a quick flip (you will have raw side of frittata underneath and cooked side on top). Slide the frittata back into skillet and cook one more minute.

Transfer the frittata to a platter and cut it nto 8 wedges or other decorative shapes.

Serve immediately with a salsa, tomatoes and bread or hot tortillas.

Text and Photographs © Nancy Real 2010

Salmon Nicoise Salad

Prep time: 30 minutes (after cooking vegetables)
Serves 4

Salade Nicoise is a salad that originated in the city of Nice, located on France's southern Mediterranean coast. Traditional ingredients for this salad are composed of raw vegetables, anchovies and tuna. In American restaurants the Nicoise Salad includes various types of lettuce, potatoes, green beans and hardboiled eggs. Because I favor salmon over tuna and love all types of fresh vegetables, I created a special version of this great French salad which is perfect for summer. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:
8 small potatoes (red or white), cooked and cooled
6 ounces French green beans, cooked and cooled and sliced
4 hardboiled eggs, cooled and peeled
3 cups loosely packed fresh arugula leaves
3 cups loosely packed baby Romaine lettuce or mixed salad greens
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup Kalamata olives
1/2 cup Spanish Manzanilla olives
8 marinated artichoke hearts
1 pound fresh salmon, divided into fourths and poached or grilled
Lemon Vinagrette (recipe follows)

Potatoes, green beans and eggs can be cooked up to a day ahead and refrigerated. When ready to serve, cut potatoes in half; cut green beans in half crosswise; and slice eggs into thirds. Set aside.

Divide the arugula and lettuce or salad greens evenly among four dinner plates. Divide potatoes, green beans and egg slices, onion slices, olives, artichoke hearts and salmon pieces evenly into four portions; arrange decoratively over lettuce mixture in four plates.

Drizzle vinaigrette over salads and serve immediately with white wine such as Bordeaux, Pinot Grigio or Viognier.

Lemon Vinaigrette:
1 garlic clove, crushed or 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons white Balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together the garlic or shallot, lemon, vinegar and mustard. Slowly whisk in the oils until dressing begins to emulsify. Stir in the salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings. Use immediately or refrigerate up to one day.

Text and Photographs © Nancy Real 2010

Emilian Spinach Pie (Erbazzone)

Active Prep Time: 20 minutes (with ready-made pie pastry)
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes (baking)
Serves: 8 to 10

Popularized in the Middle Ages, the culinary tradition of making savory pies continued throughout the Renaissance. Nobility would be served pies filled with meats, poultry and fish at dinner and at banquets. Other varieties were made with spinach or chard. In the northern region of Emilia Romagna in Italy, cooks would go out to the "orto" or garden and pick these leafy plants. They would then combine them with ingredients such as cheese, eggs and herbs. Placed between two rolled-out pastry sheets, this type of pie was called "erbazzone" which derives its name from "erba" (Italian for "grasses" and "plants with stalks"). In this day and age, my yummy Emilian Spinach Pie can be served at lunch with a green salad or as an appetizer at dinner time.

Ingredients -

For the pastry:
Two ready made pie pastries for a 9-inch pie (thawed, if frozen)
-or-
Pate Brisee Recipe (makes two pastry sheets for a 9-inch pie)- recipe posted on this blog on May 12, 2010

For the Spinach-Leek Filling:
2 pounds fresh spinach, boiled (drained and cooled) and finely chopped
-or-
2 pounds frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 small white or brown onion, finely chopped
1 large leek, white parts only, finely chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (about 3 to 4 ounces)
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 to 1-1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Dash each ground pepper and nutmeg
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon cold water (for egg wash)

Butter a 9-inch pie plate and set aside. Gently fit one pastry sheet into the plate and trim edges to a one-inch overhang. With a fork, make random holes in pastry and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Meanwhile, prepare the spinach filling by melting the butter in a 14-inch skillet set over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and leek; stir fry until onion is clear. Combine the onion mixture and the spinach in a large porcelain, glass or stainless steel bowl. Stir in the cheese, eggs, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and nutmeg until mixture is uniform; transfer the spinach filling to pastry-lined pie plate.

Top the filling with second pastry sheet, trimming it to a one-inch overhang. Pinch and seal the edges. With a fork, make random holes over top of sealed pie and brush with egg wash. Cover and seal pie edges with one-inch aluminum foil strips. Transfer pie to a rack placed in center of preheated oven.

Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil during last 5 minutes of baking. Serve warm.

Text and Photographs © Nancy Real 2010

Nopales Frittata Burrito

Prep time: 35 minutes
Serves 4 to 6

Nopales (cactus) and scrambled eggs are an important food staple in Mexico. I admit that the first time I was offered a scramble of nopales I thought it was unusual to eat a food with cactus leaves in it. Believe it or not, nopales, onion, eggs and tomatoes wrapped into a burrito make for a nutritional breakfast that everyone will enjoy.

In my bicultural home I created the Nopales Frittata Burrito, enjoyed immensely by my Italian Mexican son and all his friends. Try this recipe - the burritos won't last very long!

Ingredients:
2 to 3 large fresh nopales (cactus leaves), cut into 1/2-inch squares, rinsed and drained
-or-
One 15-ounce jar cooked nopales, rinsed, drained and cut into 1/2-inch squares
1 medium brown or white onion, peeled and halved
3 large egg yolks
6 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 vine-ripened tomato, quartered, pulp removed and flesh cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Four to six 8-inch flour tortillas

To cook fresh nopales: In a 5-quart saucepot bring 12 cups water and half the onion to a boil. Add the fresh cut nopales and cook on medium-low heat, uncovered, 3 to 4 minutes or until nopales turn a lime green color. Drain and rinse the nopales in a colander under cold water. Discard onion, drain nopales again and set aside.

Meanwhile, chop the remaining onion in 1/2-inch pieces and set aside in a small bowl.

In a separate 4-cup mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks, egg whites and salt together; set aside.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet. Stir fry either fresh or jarred nopales with the chopped onion on medium heat, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato pieces and stir fry an additional 2 minutes or until onion is translucent and mixture begins drying out. Set heat on low and pour the egg mixture over the nopales, onion and tomato in skillet. Cover and cook about 2 minutes or until underside of frittata looks golden when lifted with a spatula.

Divide frittata into 4 to 6 wedges and flip each wedge over. Cook on low heat an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the frittata pieces to a flat plate and set aside.

In the same skillet set over medium-low heat, warm two tortillas at a time, turning them over every 30 seconds until warmed through. Repeat with remaining tortillas while beginning to assemble the burritos.

Assembling the burritos: Place a warm tortilla on an individual plate and set a frittata wedge in its center horizontally. Roll up one-third of the tortilla, folding in the sides to seal and roll up completely. Repeat with remaining tortillas and frittata wedges.

Serve with a favorite salsa or garnish with tomato slices.

Note: Fresh nopales (cactus leaves) are sold at farmers' markets or Latin American markets, flesh cut into squares and bagged. If buying whole cactus leaves with thorns, place one leaf at a time in a large paper bag set on a counter and scrape off the thorns with a knife. The bag will prevent thorns from flying towards you or all over your kitchen.

Text © Nancy Real 2010
Burrito Photograph Only © Nancy Real 2010