Vladadog--A frittata is really just eggs, egg whites, or a combo of the two and whatever other ingredients you want to add. You start it on the stovetop, sort of like making scrambled eggs, then finish it in the oven so that it browns on top. Here are the basic steps:
- Saute veggies and/or meats in an oven-proof skillet.
- Whisk eggs together with salt, pepper, and any other seasoning you want to add. You probably want about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of eggs per serving. One egg generally equals 1/4 cup, so that's one to two eggs per serving.
- Add eggs to skillet (make sure skillet is at about medium heat or the eggs will burn on the bottom). Let them cook until almost but not quite done in the center. Don't stir them a lot (you aren't actually making scrambled eggs), but you will probably want to scrape the done parts towards the center of the plan a couple of times and occasionally lift of the done parts and tilt the pan so the uncooked egg on top flows to the bottom.
- Stick the skillet in the oven at 350 to 400 degrees (be careful that the oven isn't too hot for your skillet) for 5-10 min, until the eggs are done and slightly brown on top. Some recipes call for broiling the frittata, but you probably need a cast-iron skillet for this (most standard non-stick skillets can't take heat above 350 to 450 degrees, depending on the brand).
To make the frittata healthy:
- Use healthy ingredients (veggies, lean meats) in step one and don't use a lot of oil.
- Use a mixture of eggs and egg whites (or egg beaters) or all egg whites/beaters instead of all eggs in step two. If you want to stretch the eggs a bit, add 1/2 tbsp nonfat yogurt, cottage cheese, or skim milk per egg.
Another Option: Crustless Quiche
I'm also a big fan of crustless quiches--which are similar to frittatas except that they are cooked entirely in the oven and require milk or some other dairy product. They're basically a quiche without the crust.
Here is my favorite basic crustless quiche recipe:
4 eggs
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
whatever herbs and spices you like
whatever combination of veggies, lean meats, and/or cheeses you like
Cook veggies and meat if necessary.
Layer veggies, meat, and cheeses in 9-in square or round casserole dish.
Whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, salt, herbs, and spices. Pour over veggies, etc. in casserole dish.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min, until set.
This makes 4 servings. The basic quiche ingredients, not including the filling (veggies, meats, and cheese), is about 100 calories per serving. This gives you a fair amount of room to add cheese and other ingredients and still have a pretty low calorie meal.
For the filling, I find that 1/2 oz cheese per serving (2 oz total cheese), 2 oz meat per serving (8 oz total meat), and 2 oz veggies per serving (8 oz total), is about right. I try to use a fairly strong cheese like chevre, parmesan, or feta, so that I don't need a lot of it.