veggie fritatta

go crazy and have eggs for dinner.

i love eggs- especially when they're filled with delicious veg. and while this fritatta makes a fantastic breakfast, we eat it more often for dinner. it's almost always what i want when i don't have taste for anything. and mosts veggie work well in it. frequently when i've got a fridge full of stuff that's about to turn, i'll throw it into a fritatta. sauté what you've got on hand, cover it with scrambled eggs, and throw it into the oven. it's that easy.

• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 small shallot. sliced thinly
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup mushrooms (i used bunashimeji mushrooms- but any will work)
• 2 cups baby spinach (approximately- i usually fill up the pan as much as possible)
• 4 eggs, scrambled with a splash of water, salt and pepper
• 3/4 cup of grated cheese (or as much as you like- don't let me tell you how cheesy to make your meal), the cheese used in the fritatta pictured is manchego

preparation:

• preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• heat a small oven proof skillet over medium. add a splash of olive oil, and the onion. season each veg as you put it in the pan with a tiny bit of salt and pepper (the salt helps the veg cook faster in addition to seasoning it). cook the onion for about a minute, until it's softened. add the bell pepper and cook it for another minute before adding the mushrooms.
• when the mushrooms have softened a little (after 2-3 minutes), add the spinach to the pan. after it's wilted a bit, add the scrambled eggs and top with cheese.
• move the pan into the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes, until the center is firm when you shake it.
• the fritatta will be all puffed up and glorious when it comes out of the oven- but don't get too excited. it will collapse as soon as it's cooled. trust me, it's still delicious, and looks totally presentable.
• let it cool in the pan for a few minutes, then shake it out onto a cutting surface. you may need to use a spatula around the edge to make certain it doesn't stick.
• cut it into quarters and serve it up.

serves 2