The Fluffiest Springtime Frittata

I’m all about an easy to throw together meal especially during the week.

But then I realized that half of my go-to’s are egg related (quiche or frittata) and they are equally appropriate for weekend brunch.  We just love our eggs any time of day, and this dish is a perfect example.

Egg dishes are usually light, healthy and quick, or at least, very little hands on time demanded.  And whether it is a quiche or frittata, you are in total control of what gets added in.  So there is no reason everyone in your family will love what you make with this recipe, just pick the veggies that make them smile!

Which Vegetables to Use?

We are in May, so spring veggies are in full swing at the markets or grocery stores.  So you have a bounty to choose from.  Spring peas, snap peas, asparagus, scallions, radishes, broccolini, ramps, fiddleheads, even romanesco or cauliflower. Of course, if you are using fresh herbs like dill, parsley, thyme or tarragon, just chop them up and add them to the batter.  Or save them for the end as a garnish.

Steam, Blanch or Stir Fry

Before anything, clean and trim your veggies into bite sized pieces. Any of the thicker or denser veggies will do well from a quick steam or blanch or even stir fry.  For steaming (my preferred method) get a pot with about 1 inch of water to boil on the stove.  Insert a steamer basket, and when it is boiling add the veggies that require some softening. This would be your asparagus stems, radishes, broccolini, romanesco or cauliflower.  Even fresh shelled peas will do well with a quick steam. However they won’t need as much as say the cauliflower.  So layer the veggies from densest to tenderest (is that a word?) You only need to steam them about 3 or so minutes, depending on the thickness of the veggies and how large you cut them up.  Just long enough to get them part way to cooked through.  They will continue cooking in the frittata.  Plus you just don’t want mushy veggies in any dish!

Of course, if you want to blanch them in water, add salt to the water, wait till it is boiling to add the veggies, and keep your eye on them.  It may only take up to 3 minutes to get rid of the raw crunch.  Have a bowl with cold water and ice ready to transfer the veggies into.  Cool them down completely and then pat dry in a tea towel before adding them to the quiche or frittata.

If you are using onions, garlic, leeks or chopped scallions, they will do great from a quick stir fry in a pan to soften them and take the raw bite away.  But stop when they are just softened and starting to turn golden, only a few minutes.

A Word on Using Fiddleheads for a Frittata or Quiche

Always trim away any brown bits or papery skin from the fiddle heads, and rinse thoroughly several times.  You need to blanch or steam them separately as they will release a lot of dirt and potential nasty bits. You don’t want this in the water that will be steaming or blanching other veggies.  Fiddleheads should be blanched around 10 minutes, based on how large they are.  This will ensure that any bacteria etc have been eradicated.  Because fiddleheads come to us from the wild, not a managed farm setting, we never know what has been around them before we picked them.  But in the end, their wonderful nutty broccoli-like flavour is worth it!

Here is a great reference on dealing with those sensational fiddleheads so that you can enjoy them safely.

A Perfectly Fluffy Frittata

I have to give credit to Leanne over at Love and Lemons.  She’s the one who got me bringing out the blender to whip up the eggs for a frittata again.  What a difference it makes.  You will see just how fluffy this frittata is when you follow the method below! I really thought I did a great job of whisking my eggs.  But oh my, the aeration they get from the blender is next level.  I knew this but totally forgot it, I guess I just got lazy and didn’t want to clean the blender afterwards.  But now I realize that it’s worth it!

What to Serve on the Side

Frittatas or Quiche are both so easy to serve up, almost everything goes with eggs!  You can do a light green salad, or sautéed chard on the side.  But what about some carbs?  Of course toast or a bagel spread is a good choice for brunch.  But what about french fries!? Or in our case, we love Rösti on the side, check out the link for the recipe!  European hashbrowns for lack of a better description.  Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside.  If this frittata is dinner for you, why not both the salad and some roasted potatoes or fries?  And if it is part of a brunch spread, you can even add fruit salad, or savoury french toast to the mix.  The sky is the limit!

Love Jen

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Springtime Frittata

A most fluffy frittata, with the freshness of spring vegetables and feta cheese. A perfect light brunch or even dinner option. Just add a salad and maybe some french fries!

Course brunch, Main Course

Cuisine North American

Keyword asparagus, brunch, eggs, frittata, scallions

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 3

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup water or milk
• olive oil for the pan
• 4-5 thin spring onions chopped small, saving some of the tops for slicing into thin vertical strips
• 1/2 cup chopped asparagus tips if you are using the entire asparagus spear, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/2 cup fresh shelled spring peas if using frozen make sure they have thawed
• 1/4 cup fresh grated mozzarella
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta
• 1/4 cup chopped dill parsley or tarragon
• salt & pepper
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes or more as desired

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a medium (8-inch) cast iron or oven-safe non-stick skillet, lightly sauté the chopped onions, asparagus pieces and garlic in a bit of olive oil, salt & pepper. Remove from the pan after just a few minutes, cooking only until just softened.
3. Blend the eggs, water, salt and pepper in a blender until combined and foamy.
4. Wipe out the skillet you used previously and coat it with a bit of olive oil. Pour in the eggs and scatter half of the veggies and half of the cheeses evenly over the eggs.
5. Put the skillet in the oven, and bake until the frittata begins to set but is still uncooked on top, or for 8-10 minutes, depending on your oven.
6. Carefully, without jiggling the skillet around too much, add the rest of the veggies and the cheeses. Place the long thin slices of scallions evenly over the top, gently pressing them in.
7. Continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the edges of the frittata are golden brown and the eggs are set.

8. Top with chopped dill, a good grind of pepper and a few red pepper flakes, as desired. Let cool slightly before slicing.

9. This tastes great warm, or even the next day at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

This recipe is totally inspired by the Spring Onion Asparagus Frittata over at Love and Lemons