Sometimes I crave Chinese food so bad I don’t know what to do with myself.

Usually, though,  I get a grip and make a stir-fry.

This isn’t, as far as I know, a traditional stir-fry, but I really enjoyed it and it satisfied my cravings for Chinese [...]]]>

Sometimes I crave Chinese food so bad I don’t know what to do with myself.

Usually, though,  I get a grip and make a stir-fry.

This isn’t, as far as I know, a traditional stir-fry, but I really enjoyed it and it satisfied my cravings for Chinese food, so it’s all good.  I’m not usually a cauliflower fan, but I like it prepared like this, a bit browned and a bit charred, so that the earthy flavors are teased out.  The edamame’s nutty-earthy flavors are similarly enhanced by browning, and I think complements the cauliflower really well.  Plenty of freshly ground black pepper and a squirt of sriracha give this dish some kick.

Edamame can be found in most well-stocked supermarkets now (I get mine at Trader Joe’s). I find that getting the frozen, shelled variety is the easiest. They’ve already been blanched before being frozen, so they cook quickly.

If you don’t have sriracha, you can substitute another hot sauce as long as it is not too vinegary.  You can usually find sriracha in the Asian section of your grocery or at Asian food stores.

As with most stir-fries, you’re going to be working with a hot and fast wok, so having your mise-en-place ready to go makes things much easier.  Have everything chopped and your sauces ready at hand before you start stir-frying.

Cauliflower and Edamame Stir-Fry

2 tbsp canola oil
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 cup shelled frozen edamame
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp sriracha hot sauce
fresh black pepper
salt

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat until oil is hot and shimmering. Add cauliflower, and stir around to coat with oil. Cook, tossing frequently, until parts of cauliflower are browned. Lower heat to medium.

Add edamame and minced garlic. Stir around briefly, trying to avoid letting the garlic burn. Add 1/4 cup water (it will sizzle vigorously). Put cover on wok, and let steam for 4-5 minutes, or until cauliflower is crisp-tender.

Uncover wok. Stir-fry all the vegetables together until the last of the water has evaporated. Add sriracha, soy sauce, and season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Stir-fry briefly until cauliflower is coated (this is a relatively “dry” stir-fry…there won’t be much sauce).

Serve immediately with steamed rice and optionally, a few other Chinese dishes.

With the holidays upon us, Chris and I have been trying our best to eat healthy while we can, before the whirlwind of holiday dinners starts.  One of the things we’ve been trying to do is to have at least one dinner a week that [...]]]>

With the holidays upon us, Chris and I have been trying our best to eat healthy while we can, before the whirlwind of holiday dinners starts.  One of the things we’ve been trying to do is to have at least one dinner a week that is meat-free.  I also try to do at least one meal a week that is seafood or fish, something a little lighter.  Falafel is perfect for a vegetarian meal because it is filling, savory, and just plain delicious!  SOOOO so yummy.  I’d always been a bit intimidated by falafel, I don’t know why, but I’m glad to announce that it is SUPER easy to make!  All you need is a food processor and a few easy to find ingredients and you’ll have yourself an incredible vegetarian meal as well.

According to the folks at Chowhound, you should never use canned chickpeas in your falafel, because the canned kind are too wet and will make your falafel soggy.  Well, I’m not the type to plan ahead, and there’s no way I’m planning so far in advance that I remember to put dried chickpeas to soak in water the night before, so canned chickpeas it was!  And it turned out fine!  Just a tad creamier than the falafel you get at your local pita joint, but still flavorful and delicious.  I’m really glad that you can use canned chickpeas, as it makes this recipe incredibly fast and easy to make.

I also whipped together a quick tzaziki sauce out of a few things in my fridge.  I didn’t get a picture of it, but it brought everything together and gave the falafel a nice tanginess.  I also made this really easy couscous salad which is one of my go-to salads when I want something fast and fresh (Who doesn’t love couscous?  Just add hot water and it’s ready in five!).

Homemade Falafel
Serves 2-3, but can be easily doubled.

1 can chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans)
1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
pinch of red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste

vegetable oil for deep-frying

Rinse and drain chickpeas thoroughly in a colander. Then pat dry with paper towels. You can also stick them in the toaster oven for a few minutes to dry them out further, if you want.

In a food processor equipped with a metal blade, put all the ingredients (except oil). Whiz a few times until blended, BUT NOT PUREED. You want it to be grainy and chopped rather than creamy.

Heat 3 inches of oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat, until temperature registers 375 degrees on a deep-frying thermometer. Or, if you’re like me and you like to fly by the seat of your pants, just wait until the oil is hot and shimmering, and drop in a tiny piece of the batter. When the little piece sizzles enthusiastically, the oil should be hot enough.

Drop balls of batter by tablespoonfuls into the hot oil (carefully!), and deep fry until browned on all sides, about 3-4 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

Serve with salad, pita and tzaziki sauce.

Quick Tzaziki
Double recipe if increasing amount of falafel (see above).

1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp chopped mint or parsley
2 tbsp minced or grated cucumber
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together.

After a month and a half of being in California, I’m starting to really miss Chinese food. On the Central Coast, it’s hard to find good Chinese restaurants. Of course, there’s the local Panda Express, and other such establishments. But they don’t [...]]]>

After a month and a half of being in California, I’m starting to really miss Chinese food. On the Central Coast, it’s hard to find good Chinese restaurants. Of course, there’s the local Panda Express, and other such establishments. But they don’t particularly appeal to us. The other day we actually had a coupon for free food at Panda Express. We pulled into the parking lot – I mean, it’s FREE FOOD, people! Old college habits die hard. But when we peered into the eerie heat-lamp-lit interior, we just shuddered and decided to cook dinner instead.

There are a few Chinese restaurants around, but we haven’t gotten around to visiting them yet.  So maybe I shouldn’t pass judgement so quickly.

I finally got a chance to stock up on Asian sauces, spices and other condiments when we drove down to Orange County last weekend, and I brought a good couple of heavy bags back up here with me. Then, all I needed to do was to find the raw materials (aka Asian vegetables) to cook me up a feast. Of course, it’s not the easiest to find Asian vegetables around here. The local supermarkets don’t stock baby bok choy or bamboo shoots, or even very good tofu (the best tofu is fresh, something not very appealing to our food industrial complex). But on Wednesday I went to the farmer’s market, and tadaa! I found an Asian vegetable stand!

It was kind of refreshing to be in contact with Asians again, to be completely honest. Of course, they were speaking Vietnamese (I think?), not Chinese, but there was a definite sense of déjà vu as I grabbed a couple of Japanese eggplants and handed them, smiling, to the middle-aged Asian man who bagged them and gave me change. I mean, haven’t I done that countless times before, only when I’m in China, the middle-aged man only speaks Chinese, and the vegetables cost a fraction of the price? In any event, I was quite satisfied to find a supply of Asian vegetables, including some I haven’t used before, such as mizuna, Japanese mustard greens.

One thing I really love about Chinese food is mixing together all the different sauces. I feel like I’m in some crazy science lab, and the goal is to find the right combination of sauces to produce the best flavor. Even though some Chinese recipes give specific measurements for how much of each sauce to use, there is such a great difference between different brands and kinds of sauces that you really have to do much of it by taste. Soy sauces, for example, vary so much in saltiness and flavor, as do fish sauces. Different kinds of vinegar vary in acidity, and I’m not about to go buying a new bottle of vinegar every time a recipe recommends a specific brand (in Chinese vinegars alone, I have three or four bottles already, let alone my balsamic, wine and cider vinegars)! So, I experiment, and taste, and sometimes it works well, and sometimes it doesn’t work out as well as it might. But hey, that’s cooking right? It’s an imprecise science (unlike baking).

This is one of my favorite Chinese dishes – Eggplant in Chili-Garlic Sauce. I’ve always had difficulty with my eggplants becoming either falling-apart tender, or not quite tender enough. I just want them to be tender but to keep their shape, darn it! The trick is to fry them at high heat, until they sear nicely on the outside, making a sort of crust, which keeps the tender insides together. In a traditional upside-down-dome-shaped wok, you can easily almost deep-fry the eggplants in a few tablespoons of oil at the bottom of the wok. But I, alas, have an electric range, and my wok is flat-bottomed. So I just pan-fry them in a bit of oil. Thank you to Appetite For China, whose recipe helped me get it right!

Eggplant in Chili-Garlic Sauce
Slightly adapted from Appetite For China

Be careful not to add any moisture to the eggplant while frying, as it will make the eggplants fall apart.

Sauce
2 tbsp chili bean sauce
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp black Chinese vinegar
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp rice wine or sake
¼ cup chicken stock
a good grinding of fresh black pepper

Eggplant
2 Japanese eggplants, sliced into thick strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
½ tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp sesame oil

Garnish (optional)
sliced spring onions and cilantro leaves

1.  Mix together all the ingredients for the sauce and make sure it’s ready to be dumped in.

2.  Heat the vegetable and sesame oils together in a wok over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add the slices of eggplant. Using tongs, turn them as they fry to ensure each side is well browned and inside is tender.

3.  When surface of eggplants are browned (almost caramelized), add the garlic and ginger and toss until fragrant. Add the sauce, and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow to simmer and boil down until eggplant has absorbed some of the sauce and sauce is somewhat thickened, just a minute or two. If sauce needs more thickening, add the cornstarch-water slurry, and stir briefly until thick and shiny.

4.  Arrange eggplant strips on a plate, and pour remaining sauce over top. Garnish with spring onions and cilantro, and serve along with steamed jasmine rice.

Yes, I’m aware that Munich Oktoberfest officially ended on October 4th.  But don’t you think that is just silly?  To end in the middle of the week, on the fourth day of October, when the name of your fest is OKTOBERFEST???  I refuse to recognize [...]]]>

Yes, I’m aware that Munich Oktoberfest officially ended on October 4th.  But don’t you think that is just silly?  To end in the middle of the week, on the fourth day of October, when the name of your fest is OKTOBERFEST???  I refuse to recognize the end of Oktoberfest and I’m officially prolonging the festivities with a week long of Oktoberfest themed dinners.

First up, braised red cabbage.  Chris is half German on his mom’s side, and when we were living in China, I tried to make German-ish food a few times just to honor that side of our family’s heritage.  And besides, braised red cabbage is good anytime.  It’s hard to believe that the humble cabbage, really, so common and not much to look at, is so addictive when cooked with a little wine, vinegar and brown sugar.  A little sweet, a little sour, a little savory, wow, really it hits most of the major taste buds all at once, so no wonder it’s so delicious.

Braised red cabbage takes a teensy bit of forethought, because you want it to braise for about an hour, but the prep work is almost nil and it’s SO easy to get delicious results.  You could even make it the day ahead and let it continue to develop flavors overnight, and then heat it up the next day.  And making it on your own is HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS, no GAZILLIONS of times better than getting it out of a jar.  You don’t have to save it for a special occasion like Oktoberfest, either.  Just serve it up with a leg of chicken grilled on the BBQ and a green salad for some freshness.  Yum, what an easy but mouthwatering meal.

OR, you could go really German and serve it with some roast beef or wienerschnitzel and a buttery side of spaetzle (you can buy dried spaetzle from specialty food stores, and cook them just like dry pasta.  Dried spaetzle is ok, jarred red cabbage AIN’T).

Or, you could just grab a bowl of cabbage and eat that for your dinner.  The thought had crossed my mind.

Wine-Braised Red Cabbage

1 small-medium head of red cabbage, shredded
1 medium onion
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
salt and pepper
olive oil

1.  Dice up the onion.  Heat (medium heat) about 2 tablepoons of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot large enough to accommodate all the cabbage.  Add onion and cook about 3 minutes until onion is softened.

2.  Add the shredded red cabbage to the pot and stir with a wooden spoon until cabbage is coated with oil.  Add red wine.  When the bubbling dies down, turn heat down to low.

3.  Add the vinegar, sugar, and season liberally with salt and pepper.

4. Cover and simmer on low for about 1 hour, until cabbage is tender.  Adjust seasonings and serve.

Here’s a soup that works for all seasons. Its flavor profile strikes me more as a spring-summer soup, served at room temperature or chilled, but it could also be a comforting reminder of spring served hot in the middle of winter. That’s the [...]]]>

Here’s a soup that works for all seasons. Its flavor profile strikes me more as a spring-summer soup, served at room temperature or chilled, but it could also be a comforting reminder of spring served hot in the middle of winter. That’s the beauty of frozen edamame – you can enjoy it around the year, though I think it’s particularly suitable for spring.

This edamame-arugula soup is light and nutritious, yet surprisingly hearty and filling. A shallow bowl of this could easily satisfy you for lunch – maybe with some crackers and cheese alongside.

I love edamame, simply boiled in their pods and salted, just like in many Japanese restaurants. Here, their nutty flavor is accentuated by the peppery freshness of just-picked arugula.

(By the way, have you ever tried growing your own arugula? We have some in windowboxes, and they grow like a weed. And their flavor is so much more intense than the store-bought version – nutty with a deep intense peppery flavor, grassy and slighty bitter – just delicious! A few leaves really pump up the flavor of a simple sandwich.)

If you serve this warm or at room temperature, use the recipe as it is. If you want to serve it chilled, you’ll want to add a bit of extra vegetable stock to thin it out after chilling it.

Edamame is incredibly good for you.  It is packed with protein, vitamins and minerals.  You get a good serving of the green soybeans in this soup, as well as guilt-free creaminess!  That’s right, there’s no cream or milk in this soup!  The soybeans themselves lend that rich creaminess to the dish.

Edamame Arugula Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 ½ cups shelled edamame
1 cup packed arugula
4 cups vegetable stock
½ onion, chopped
salt

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot, then add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until translucent and slightly browned.

Add the edamame and 3 cups vegetable stock. Simmer over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the arugula and stir in briefly until wilted.

Pour the soup into a blender and purée (or use an immersion blender to purée it in the pot). Pour it back into the pot and taste for seasoning, adding salt if needed. If the soup is too thick, thin it out with the extra cup of vegetable stock until it is the desired consistency.

Serve slightly warm, at room temperature, or chilled (adding a bit more stock if needed).

For the longest time before we knew that garlic scapes were, in fact, garlic scapes, we just called them “those yummy green things”. In China, they are a common vegetable and are usually skewered on a stick, brushed with oil, dusted with five-spice powder [...]]]>

For the longest time before we knew that garlic scapes were, in fact, garlic scapes, we just called them “those yummy green things”. In China, they are a common vegetable and are usually skewered on a stick, brushed with oil, dusted with five-spice powder and grilled over a charcoal grill. They taste mildly of garlic, and their fresh crunch combined with the intensity of their flavor make them absolutely delicious!

Garlic scapes (I’m not sure why they’re called “scapes” – maybe because they “escape” from the garlic bulbs as they grow) are the long green shoots of the garlic plant. They have to be cut off to allow the garlic bulb to develop, so eating them is one way to use all of the garlic plant in a more sustainable way.

Now, I see garlic scapes all over the web – they are, apparently, one of the trendy new foods that people are starting to explore. Garlic scape pesto is one delicious way that many people are using garlic scapes, but when I picked a bunch up at the market the other day I wanted to enjoy their crispy garlic taste whole. I thought about using them in a stir-fry (I bet they would be delicious stir-fried with some Cantonese-style BBQ pork), but decided to toss them with some pasta instead. A squeeze of lemon juice and a bit of butter dressed the pasta wonderfully, with the garlic scapes providing a fresh punch of garlicky, grassy, flavor. I love garlic, so I added two cloves of chopped garlic, just for that extra measure.

When using garlic scapes, use only the crisp stalks, not the softer part on top of the bud.

Garlic Scape Lemon Pasta
Makes 2 servings

If you want more lemon flavor, add a bit of grated lemon zest.

About 1 ½ cups garlic scapes, chopped into 2-inch pieces
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ pound pasta
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon
salt and pepper

Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving a cup of the pasta water.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic scapes and minced garlic and stir-fry until scapes are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes (try a piece to make sure the outside of the scapes are not fibrous or tough – if so, cook a minute or two longer). Add the butter and the juice of the lemon and stir together till butter is melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the drained pasta and toss with the sauce. Add a bit of the reserved pasta water if pasta is dry. Taste for seasoning and adjust if desired. Serve immediately.

Growing up, my mom often made stir-fried Napa cabbage as part of our meals. In my mind, Napa cabbage always came cooked, as part of a Chinese family-style meal, with rice and the works. And it IS really good cooked, simply stir-fried with [...]]]>

Growing up, my mom often made stir-fried Napa cabbage as part of our meals. In my mind, Napa cabbage always came cooked, as part of a Chinese family-style meal, with rice and the works. And it IS really good cooked, simply stir-fried with some minced garlic. It has a slight sweetness to it, and doesn’t make you as gassy as normal cabbage (oops, did I just say “gassy” on a food blog? That’s gotta be a big no-no).

It took a trip to California to visit the in-laws for me to learn about this simple, no-brainer, and absolutely delicious way to prepare Napa cabbage. IN A SALAD!!! Hello, light sweet flavor? Crisp, refreshing texture? Wrinkly leaves perfect for catching and holding the flavor of a light sesame dressing? Napa cabbage salad, where have you been all my life? Thank you, thank you, mother-in-law!

It’s so easy to make. Just slice up a whole cabbage with a big knife (discarding the bottom 2 inches or so which are mainly stem), then rinse the leaves and spin them dry. Chop up a cucumber and a yellow pepper – oh how I love the crunch of this salad – and add some soy candied walnuts for extra crunch and sweetness (you can get these pre-made at your local Asian supermarket). A slightly sweet honey-sesame dressing rounds out the flavors and makes this salad distinctly Asian.

Asian Napa Cabbage Salad

1 medium head Napa Cabbage
½ English cucumber, sliced thinly
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup candied walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp olive oil

Slice the whole head of cabbage crosswise into ½ to ¾ inch sections, discarding the bottom two inches of the cabbage. Rinse the cabbage and spin the leaves dry in a salad spinner. Toss cucumber, pepper, and walnuts with cabbage.

Whisk together vinegar, honey, sesame oil and olive oil. Toss with salad. Adjust seasonings to taste, adding more vinegar if needed.

I love salads that can double as main courses. Sometimes I really crave fresh vegetables, but I’m also really hungry, so I end up eating salad, plus a bunch of other stuff (PB&J, muffins, cookies, etc…). I love it when I can just [...]]]>

I love salads that can double as main courses. Sometimes I really crave fresh vegetables, but I’m also really hungry, so I end up eating salad, plus a bunch of other stuff (PB&J, muffins, cookies, etc…). I love it when I can just scarf down a salad, and it’s good enough and satisfying enough that I’m shoveling it down my throat and don’t need anything more… This Chickpea Veggie Salad is that kind of salad. Definitely shovel-down-the-throat material.

This salad is just plain GOOD! The combination of flavors is bright and fresh, but earthy and nutty at the same time. I forgot how good chickpeas are, even just from a can. The nice thing about this recipe too, is how easy it is to throw together. You don’t need a lot of exotic ingredients; in fact, you probably have everything you need to put this salad together right now.

And of course, you could doll it up a little more. Add some olives and feta for a Mediterranean slant, or some more spices (I feel like a sprinkle of cumin would go well in here) for extra kick.

Chickpea Veggie Salad
Serves 2 as a main, or 4 as a side

1 can chickpeas
1 English cucumber, chopped (seeded if necessary)
1 ½ cups halved grape tomatoes
3 tablespoons thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped mint (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons good olive oil
salt and pepper

Mix together vegetables (chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, onion). Toss with cilantro and mint (if using). Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.

Whisk together lemon juice, cider vinegar, and ½ tsp salt. Add olive oil and whisk until emulsified. Toss with salad. Taste for seasoning and adjust (you may want to add more lemon juice or vinegar depending on how acidic you like it).

Bulgur wheat is an easy substitute for rice or couscous in many dishes, and it’s really easy to cook. Just simmer it in some water for about 15 minutes, and then leave it while it absorbs the rest of the water. Bulgur wheat is [...]]]>

Bulgur wheat is an easy substitute for rice or couscous in many dishes, and it’s really easy to cook. Just simmer it in some water for about 15 minutes, and then leave it while it absorbs the rest of the water. Bulgur wheat is a whole grain that has been parboiled, dried, and the bran partially removed.  It’s higher in fiber and vitamins than white rice or couscous, so I guess it’s pretty good for you too.

Last night I simmered some bulgur wheat in vegetable broth, added some seasonings, then sautéed a yellow and red pepper, some mushrooms and an onion, and mixed them all together for a satisfying, though still quite light, dinner. We had it with some baked chicken nuggets as well, but I could very well have gone without the chicken.

Bulgur Wheat with Sautéed Vegetables

1 heaping cup bulgur wheat
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 large yellow bell pepper, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
½ red onion, diced
6 medium mushrooms of your choice, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp granulated garlic
½ tbsp dried basil
salt and pepper

Simmer the bulgur in the broth, uncovered, for about 15 min, mixing occasionally. Add granulated garlic and basil and stir thoroughly, then set aside so bulgur can absorb any remaining liquid.

Sauté the onions and mushrooms in 1 tbsp of the olive oil until onions are softened and starting to turn translucent. Add bell peppers and continue to cook until peppers are crisp-tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the bulgur wheat to the pan with the vegetables and toss to combine, breaking up any lumps. Drizzle with remaining olive oil (or alternatively, stir in some butter). Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Serve immediately while hot.

Welcome to my new food blog!  If you are looking for some fun recipes, glimpses of life as a world traveler and expat living in China, luscious pictures of food, and some random ranting, you’ve come to the right place.

I decided to start this blog [...]]]> Welcome to my new food blog!  If you are looking for some fun recipes, glimpses of life as a world traveler and expat living in China, luscious pictures of food, and some random ranting, you’ve come to the right place.

I decided to start this blog to record my successes and (hopefully not too many) disasters in my tiny kitchen.  I live in a small city called Xiamen in Southern China, and cooking therefore has its challenges, especially if I want to cook healthy, varied food.  Finding Western groceries is difficult, and, as necessity is the mother of invention, I find myself making many things from scratch that I would otherwise have bought premade (such as pitas, tortillas, ricotta cheese, gnocchi…the list goes on…).

My husband and I love traveling, so naturally many of my recipes have been inspired by international cuisines from the places we have visited or lived.  I am of Chinese descent, grew up in Toronto, but lived in France for two years when I was a child, and now live in Mainland China.  My husband is half German, grew up in California, and loves Mexican food.  Together, we have traveled all over SouthEast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, China, across the US, and to Australia and New Zealand.  In every country, we have found new ideas for recipes.

So without further ado, let me introduce you to an easy meal, not particularly exotic, but absolutely yummy and doable in about 30 minutes.

Frittata with Vegetables and Herbs

adapted from Tea and Cookies

A frittata is basically a baked omelet, and this version packs a punch with vegetables.  Frittatas keep well, and I’ve served one cold as an appetizer (cut into wedges), and packed one for dinner when my husband and I have to work in the evening.  This version is flavorful with the fresh herbs mixed in, but feel free to use any vegetables and herbs you like (fresh shiitake mushrooms are delicious here).

6 eggs

2 chopped green onions

1 diced red onion

1 diced green pepper

¾ cup halved grape tomatoes

5-6 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

a sprig or two of fresh oregano, finely chopped

salt and pepper

oil for sautéing

butter

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sauté the onion in oil until softened, then add the green pepper and continue sautéing until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

2.  Beat the eggs in a bowl, and add all the vegetables and herbs.  Season again with salt and pepper, and mix together.

3.  Butter an 8 or 9 inch quiche pan (my quiche pan is in California, so I used an 8-inch cake pan).  Pour in the egg mixture.

4.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until egg is set in the middle.  Cool for 10 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.  Serves four as a main course.

Note: I tried oiling the pan, and ended up with a baked-on mess that took me 20 minutes to scrub off.  I really think butter works better for greasing the pan because the eggs are so runny, but this might vary depending on what kind of pan you are using.