I think it’s what you do with your leftovers that shows you how much you’ve grown as a cook. This Vegetable Egg White Frittata with Harissa is an example.
When I look back at things I used to waste I want to do a facepalm. Back when I was young and stupid and made something from a recipe that called for only egg yolks or whites I would toss the other half in the trash. WHY? I want to shout to my past self. You could have gotten 3 or 4 more meals out of that. STUPID!
I’m still stupid a lot of the time and I still waste food. But I’m getting better. And I never throw eggs away. When I made the Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream, I had the egg whites in the fridge long enough to make another batch of ice cream. What was going to be a small 6 egg white frittata turned into a large 12 egg white frittata. But that’s okay because it was really good.
Vegetable Egg White Frittata with Harissa
This was my first time using all egg whites and choosing to do a frittata over a quiche. And I’m converted. The frittata is lighter without the crust and the egg whites make it a very fluffy and airy meal. Plus this means you can eat your frittata with crusty bread (I read this in a cook book and thought it was weird but it’s awesome-like a fancier version of eggs on toast).
Using egg whites creates a very airy frittata
I filled this Vegetable Egg White Frittata with (you guessed it), leftover veggies. I had asparagus that was still hard but going slimy at the ends, cherry tomatoes that I had to pick through to get the mold-free ones, and wilting baby arugula. All of this sounds horrible but trust me—it was delicious baked in the frittata.
While the veggies might have been leftovers, I decided to try some new things as well.
My local grocery store (The Nugget Market) has a pretty good cheese selection. I’m always so tempted to buy everything but I try to practice some restraint because cheese can be pretty pricey. But I decided to splurge since I had all the basics already. I bought seven year aged white cheddar cheese that I’m in love with (no I’m serious-it’s the love of my life) and a Bergamino di Bufala, which I had never tried before.
I have to be honest. When I got it home and tasted it I was worried. It was kind of…musty. I didn’t like it very much. It’s made from water buffalo’s milk and is starting to be exported more from Italy but still isn’t that common here. But cooked on top of the frittata, it tasted really good so I was saved from disaster. Just use fresh mozzarella, burrata, or your cheese of choice.
I jumped on the harissa bandwagon by dabbing it all over the top of the frittata and spreading it on the bread. I loved it so much I almost went through the whole jar in one week. Why couldn’t I have jumped sooner??? What are your favorite food saving techniques?
Other Things
Just a quick little update. It’s getting closer and closer to my surgery day (Friday!!!). I’ve been trying to both simultaneously get a lot of work done and pamper myself. Sunday I got all dressed up, experimented taking selfies with my new iPhone (so much fun), and went to Journey Coffee to work where I got to drink a lavender latte.
Monday was my appointment for a nurse to mark the place where my stoma will be if they can’t do the whole surgery in one go. After, I treated myself to a Potato Gnocchi dish (golden yukon potatoes, parmesan cream, English peas, spring onion, and wild arugula) from Corner’s Tavern in Walnut Creek, where I’m having the surgery. I loved how light it was. Usually gnocchi is covered in lots of rich sauce but not this one.
My next post will come from either the hospital or the comfort of my bed, depending on how well I do. I’ll be posting updates on Facebook and maybe Snapchat (my username is megiswell) if I can get the hang of it.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1.5 cups coarsely chopped asparagus
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced or crushed
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 12 egg whites
- ½ shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup sliced Bergamino di Bufala, mozzarella, burrata, or any cheese you prefer
- harissa, to taste
- Favorite crusty bread
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mix together the olive oil, salt and pepper, tomatoes, and asparagus and mix until all the veggies are coated. Spread out on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast in the oven until the tomatoes are shriveled, about 10 minutes. Broil the veggies for 5 minutes, getting some of the tomatoes a little blistered.
- Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and arugula and cook for 2 minutes until it's wilted. Transfer to a bowl.
- Whisk the eggs. Reheat the skillet on medium-low heat. Pour the eggs into the skillet and spoon the roasted tomatoes, asparagus, and arugula on top. Sprinkle with the extra-sharp cheddar cheese and dot with the sliced cheese and harissa (to your own personal taste and heat tolerance).
- Cook until the edges have set (about 5 to 6 minutes). Transfer to the oven and bake 20 minutes or until cooked through.
- Broil for 5 minutes, crisping and making the top crusty. Take out and let cool for a little and then use a spatula to transfer to a serving plate.
- Eat by itself or serve on top of crusty bread spread with some harissa.
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