LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Fun and flavorful frittata beats the heat


Broccoli Cheddar-Feta Frittata Photo Susie Iventosch

This summer I was slated to be Discovery Bicycle Tours' camp "chef" for a couple of weeklong cycling adventures in Vermont. I was really excited about the idea of planning and cooking a camping menu for this adventure and for my first visit ever to Vermont. Unfortunately, the trips were "Covided" just like so many 2020 plans all over the world. In any case, as I was planning the menu for the tours, I tried to come up with interesting and hearty breakfasts that would fortify our cyclists for a long day of rugged mountain riding. The only catch was that everything had to be cooked on a grill or a propane camp stove. There'd be no oven in the great outdoors!

When the idea of a frittata came to mind, I had to figure out if it could actually be cooked all the way through on top of the stove, since they are generally finished off in the oven. Just this week, I finally got around to testing my theory that the frittata could indeed be cooked through over a flame. It turns out that it can, provided you have a lid that fits your pan. This allows the heat to be trapped to cook the eggs all the way through. This one turned out beautifully puffy and in fact, I used a combination of whole eggs and Eggbeaters and it turned out just right. The trick is to allow plenty of time to cook the frittata over medium heat so you don't burn the bottom. This is a fun breakfast dish for any of you who love to cook outdoors, go camping, or hang out at the lake for your summer adventures.

I also have a little tip I'd love to pass on regarding outdoor cooking. We are big fans of our Weber barbecue and cook on it all year long, but this summer we purchased our first 3-burner camp stove and have absolutely loved using it, even on our patio. We selected the Camp Chef brand and we also bought the fry griddle accessory, which has been fantastic for making large batches of pancakes or burgers, grilling onions and making egg and bacon breakfasts. You can find this through Amazon as well as on the Camp Chef website.

Broccoli Cheddar-Feta Frittata

(Serves 6 for breakfast)

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 sausage links of your choice, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 red onion, chopped

2 cups broccoli florets, pre-cooked

12 eggs (or equivalent using egg whites or Eggbeaters)

1/2 cup Half & Half

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon pink salt (I love Himalayan pink salt, but any salt will do!)

1 cup sharp cheddar, grated

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, heat olive oil and cook onions over medium heat until translucent. Add sausages and broccoli and cook until all are slightly browned.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs with Half & Half, salt and white pepper. Stir in feta and half of the grated cheddar.

When veggies and sausage are ready, pour egg mixture over them in the skillet and cook, covered, until all of the eggs are cooked through and beginning to look puffy. This takes about 15-20 minutes over medium-low heat. When eggs are cooked through and set, remove lid and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Cover again and cook until cheese is melted.

Remove from stove top and allow frittata to set up for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving. Frittata will deflate slightly as it cools, but not to worry, this is normal.

*If you are not camping and do happen to have an oven handy, you can cook the eggs, uncovered, over medium heat on the stove until the custard begins to pull away from the edges of the pan. This will take 5 minutes or so. At this point, put the frittata in a preheated 400 F oven and cook for another 10 minutes or until eggs are cooked through. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and continue to cook until cheese begins to brown.