asparagus and sun-dried tomato frittata

asparagus and sun-dried tomato frittata

Nothing says “weekend” more than a leisurely breakfast.  A sleep-in kind of morning followed by a hot cup of coffee and something tasty to get you going.  And while the lazy, relaxing morning is a wonderful thing, it ceases to be lazy or relaxing if it takes an hour to get that something tasty into your belly – including driving to and waiting in line at a restaurant.  Enter the frittata. 

Frittatas, like omelets or any egg dish, are the champions of quick, delicious and healthy meals — and they are incredibly versatile.  

On this particular Saturday, I had Spring on the brain, so I opted for this seasonal eggstravaganza using fresh asparagus, meaty mushrooms and sweet-chewy sun-dried tomatoes.  I like a little heat too, so I  sliced some red onion for a sharp bite – but if your palate doesn’t lean toward fiery, skip the onion.

The key to making a frittata is having all of your ingredients ready to go when you start the actual cooking, so have your vegetables done before the eggs go into the pan.  This recipe has a few steps — none of them difficult or time consuming, but more than a simple scramble.  To save a little time in the morning, prep the asparagus and mushrooms  the night before. 

Coat your skillet with nonstick vegetable spray and heat it over medium – medium-high heat until the pan is hot but not scorching.  Add the scrambled egg, but don’t stir.

Sprinkle on the asparagus and mushrooms, those chewy bits of sweet sun-dried tomato and for a salty kick — a little feta or goat cheese.

Cook on the stove until the bottom is set and the top has a few bubbles coming through (like little air vents).  Then pop it into a hot oven to finish cooking for five or so minutes.  When the  frittata has set, turn on the broiler for just a minute or two.  Don’t walk away, lest you wind up with a very crispy breakfast.  You want it to just have a hint of browning on top. 

And that’s it!  This is really simple to make and once you do it a few times, it will become second nature to you.  This is a very healthy breakfast too — it will fill you up without putting you into a food coma.  This would go great with some bran muffins!

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Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

When we're hungry, but also watching our calories, this Frittata is a quick and easy way to satisfy both requirements!

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: 2

Calories: 241 kcal

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound asparagus trimmed and cut into one inch pieces
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 large crimini or white button mushrooms sliced
• 1 heaping tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained and sliced
• 1/4 cup goat cheese or feta crumbled
• 4 eggs lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• red onion thinly sliced, for garnish optional

Special Equipment

• Oven safe 8 or 9" nonstick skillet

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Add a cup of water and salt to a non-stick 8-9" skillet. Bring to a boil. Blanch the asparagus by adding it to the water and boil for 2-3 minutes or until just crisp tender. While asparagus cooks prepare an ice bath (ice and water) in a medium bowl. Transfer blanched asparagus to the ice water to shock it and stop the cooking. (This also helps preserve the bright green color of the vegetable). Dry the asparagus lightly with paper towels and transfer to a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Pour the water out of the pan and dry it. Set the pan back on the burner and add olive oil. Heat over medium-medium high heat and add mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms give off their liquid and begin to brown, 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms to the asparagus and toss to combine.
4. In a medium bowl crack the eggs and add salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
5. Spray the pan liberally with non-stick cooking spray. When pan is hot, add the eggs into the center of the pan. Do not stir or jostle the pan around. Sprinkle the asparagus and mushroom mixture evenly over the eggs. Sprinkle the tomatoes and goat cheese over the egg mixture. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until edges begin to cook through, but center is still wet.
6. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 5-6 minutes until center of frittata is set. Turn the broiler on and brown the top of the frittata for 1-2 minutes or until desired doneness.
7. Let frittata rest for a minute or two, then use a pliable spatula (I like my very thin and flexible fish spatula for this) to remove frittata from the pan and transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle with red onion if desired. Cut into wedges and serve.

Recipe Notes

You can substitute egg beaters for the eggs -- figure 1 cup of egg beaters will replace the eggs.

Nutrition Facts

Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata

Amount Per Serving

Calories 241 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 16g 25%

Saturated Fat 7g 35%

Cholesterol 340mg 113%

Sodium 1984mg 83%

Potassium 382mg 11%

Total Carbohydrates 4g 1%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 2g

Protein 19g 38%

Vitamin A 23.9%

Vitamin C 5.6%

Calcium 10.3%

Iron 19.6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.