Herby Asparagus and Feta Frittata

Making breakfast is not in my wheelhouse. I can be pretty happy with just some granola and yogurt, cold cereal and milk, or even leftover pizza…on the rare occasion that I’m even hungry first thing. John is the Weekend Breakfast King in our household. He’s always been more of a morning person than I am, and enjoys the whole process of creating breakfast. He’ll dance through his preparation with music playing, stopping to sip his coffee now and then and sing loudly to the dog. And he makes delicious food!

Once I’m up, I do enjoy morning time- the quiet, the light. But mostly, I’m just not awake yet. If I’m going to be the one working in the kitchen shortly after stumbling out of bed, there are two rules: the recipe has to be easy, and there must be strong coffee.

Enter the FRITTATA. I’m a big fan! I’ve gotten all fancy with ingredients, like butternut squash and apple. I’ve made them hearty enough for dinner with potato and zucchini. The thing about frittatas is that anything goes. Any veggies. Any herbs. All of the cheese. Meat? Sure! So on Sunday, I peeked in the veggie drawer and thought (knowing the coffee was almost finished brewing), I can handle this. I ended up with a bunch of asparagus, the last of a carton of spinach, half of an onion, and some garlic: a decent start. I pulled some corn from the freezer, just a tablespoon or two left in the bag. I found a semi-wrinkly but still decent jalapeno, some fresh herbs I’d almost forgotten about, and one lonely tomato. With my coffee poured (ahhh), I started chopping.

A frittata is kind of a one-pot meal, and I used my little 8-inch cast iron skillet. I sautéed the onion, garlic, and some jalapeno in a bit of oil and seasoned it well. I added the asparagus, cut in one-inch pieces. After five minutes or so, I added the thawed corn and the chopped spinach.

In a large Pyrex measuring cup, I cracked the last 4 eggs in the fridge, poured in some of John’s half and half, scooped in a little chopped thyme and a lot of chopped dill, and a pinch each of salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. We’re never short on cheese in this house; I chose crumbly, salty feta from the cheese drawer and whisked it right in with the eggs and herbs. I poured the whole thing over the veggies in the skillet, moving things around so there were even veggies throughout.

After a few minutes on the stove, I transferred the whole skillet to the oven. It was already hot (John had been making bacon!) but I turned it to broil. While the frittata finished cooking, I chopped up the tomato and some parsley. It only took about 7 minutes for the eggs to set (no jiggle when I wiggle the pan). Yum!

With only four eggs, this frittata was delightfully veggie-heavy. I cut my little egg pie into wedges and topped it with tomato and parsley. I love how you can see exactly what ingredients are in the dish- bits of asparagus and corn and dill and feta everywhere. Each bite was flavorful and full of texture- a soft crunch remained in the asparagus and the feta melted into creamy goodness. The dill and parsley added a springy freshness. The frittata was the perfect addition to our plates of bacon, random hashbrown squares (that John adores), and fresh fruit.

Using what we already had in the kitchen, we had a beautiful breakfast, healthy and vibrant, that took very little effort…perfect for a non-morning person like me.

Is there any coffee left?

Herby Asparagus and Feta Frittata

You’ll need:

• ½ bunch of asparagus, cut into one-inch pieces
• ½ red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• ½ jalapeno, chopped
• ½ cup frozen corn, thawed
• 4 eggs
• ¼ cup half and half
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• Pinch each of salt, pepper, crushed red pepper
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup spinach leaves, chopped
• One Roma tomato, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

Heat the oven to broil. In an 8-inch skillet, heat a swirl of olive oil on medium high and add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno. After sautéing for a few minutes, add the asparagus. After about five minutes, stir in the corn and spinach.

In a bowl, crack the eggs and add the cream, herbs, and seasonings. Add the feta and whisk well to combine. Pour the egg mixture over the veggies in the skillet. Allow to cook for 4-5 minutes, removing it from the stove when the top is still uncooked. Transfer to the oven and broil for 6-7 minutes, until the top of the frittata is beginning to brown and there’s no wiggle when you jiggle. Top with the tomatoes and parsley. Serve with whatever you want- bacon, hashbrowns, fruit- as long as there’s strong coffee. YUM.

Hungry for more? Check out the collection of recipes on the FOOD BLISS page. 

The New 52: A new recipe each week in 2015.