Bacon, Pea, and Goat Cheese Frittata

This is absolutely delicious and makes a simple but taste-filled dinner. It's also darned good when heated up in the morning for a flavorful breakfast if your taste runs to goat cheese early in the day. It's from Gordon Ramsay's Home Cooking although you also can find the recipe at his website.

The recipe has you broil it until the top is cooked but we don't have an oven-proof nonstick pan. We simply cover the pan and cook it for a while on a low heat until it is set all the way through. I'm leaving the broiler instructions if you've a mind to go that route.

If we have basil we use it. If we don't, it is still delicious. Bacon, Pea, and Goat Cheese Frittata
Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS
Olive oil, for frying
8 rashers of smoked bacon, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced
3 scallions, trimmed and sliced diagonally
1 cup frozen peas
Handful of basil, leaves roughly chopped
4 ounces goat’s cheese
8 eggs, beaten
3–4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.

Heat a glug of oil in a 10-inch, non-stick frying pan and fry the bacon for 2–3 minutes. Add the red pepper and continue to cook for another few minutes until the bacon is golden brown and crisp. Add the scallions and sweat for 4-5 minutes until everything is tender. Stir in the peas and heat through. Sprinkle in the basil, roughly mixing it through the vegetables. Cut half of the goat cheese into chunks and scatter on top.

Preheat broiler to highest setting.

Put the beaten eggs in a bowl, add the Parmesan and season generously with pepper. Pour into the pan over the vegetables and gently shake over a medium heat. As the omelette begins to set at the bottom, grate the remaining goat’s cheese on top and season with pepper.

Place the pan under the broiler for 4–5 minutes until cooked through and golden on top.

Slide the frittata out of the pan and cut into wedges to serve.

“Impossible” Ham-and-Cheese Pie

This is from Cook's Country and is just as easy and delicious as advertised. It's just as good reheated for breakfast as it was for dinner the night before.

“Impossible” Ham-and-Cheese Pie

Step 1

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, 1 tablespoon softened and the other 2 tablespoons melted
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch pie plate with softened butter, then coat plate evenly with Parmesan.

Step 2

8 ounces Gruyere, shredded (2 cups) — don't use pre-grated if you can avoid it. Real Gruyere is worth the trouble of grating by hand to get great flavor.
4 ounces thickly sliced deli ham, chopped
4 scallions, minced

Combine Gruyère, ham, and scallions in bowl. Sprinkle cheese-and-ham mixture evenly in bottom of prepared pie dish.

Step 3

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (2-1/2 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup half-and-half
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons Dijon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine flour, baking powder, pepper, and salt in now-empty bowl.

Whisk in half-and-half, eggs, melted butter, mustard, and nutmeg until smooth. Slowly pour batter over cheese-and-ham mixture in pie dish. 

Step 4

Bake until pie is light golden brown and filling is set, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Slice into wedges. Serve warm.

Cheat's Souffle with Three Cheeses

Here's a little something that makes a truly delicious Lenten Friday meal. Serve it with rolls and a salad.

This is from Gordon Ramsay and has become a regular, especially on our meatless Fridays. It heats up really well for breakfast too!

Cheat’s Soufflé With Three Cheeses  

1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup whole milk
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup cottage cheese
12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/3 cup cream cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9x13" baking dish.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder in a bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the beaten eggs, milk nand a pinch of salt and pepper.

Stir in cottage cheese and grated cheese. Dot small lumps of cream cheese over the egg mixture and then mix in with a spoon.

Pour into the greased baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden and set all the way through.

Hash Brown Frittata

This is from Cook's Country and is a real find. They say it makes enough for 4 but we all agreed that it can feed six.

It's got a fresh but filling quality that is an unusual combination, but very satisfying. Somehow the asparagus remains crisp.

Note: we used a whole pound of asparagus instead of the 8 ounces called for. Hey, it comes in pound bundles and what are we gonna do with a leftover half pound? We already know — nothing but watch it wilt. And it was delicious with all that crispy asparagus in there.

Hash Brown Frittata

12 large eggs
1/3 cup whole milk
Salt and pepper
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, shredded and patted dry
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded (1 cup)

Whisk eggs, milk, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Stir in asparagus and chives and set aside.

Melt butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Using rubber spatula, spread and pack potatoes into even layer in bottom of pan. Pour egg mixture over top and sprinkle with Gruyere.

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until egg mixture has set, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from heat nd let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer to cutting board, slice into wedges, and serve.

North African Eggs

These are from Gordon Ramsay's Home Cooking. Rose loves Ramsay's cookbooks and I definitely have come around to her way of thinking. Not only are the recipes generally simple and well conceived but they always work. Someone really tested these and, the state of cookbook testing being what it is these days, I appreciate that a lot!

This is essentially eggs poached in a flavorful tomato sauce. It makes a wonderful meatless meal and is a lot more filling than you would think. Gordon Ramsay suggests them for breakfast but I'm just not that adventurous in the morning.

We serve them with a crusty sourdough roll and it makes a simple and exotic meal.


North African Eggs

Olive oil, for frying
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 red chili, seeded and chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
5 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (add a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes aren’t quite ripe)
4 eggs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 green onion, trimmed and finely chopped
Crusty bread

METHOD

Serves 2-4

Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Add a dash of oil and sweat the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the peppers and continue to sweat for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and chili and fry for 1–2 minutes until soft and tender.

Add the cumin and fry for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, season and cook for 15–20 minutes until the tomatoes have completely collapsed (add 3–4 tablespoons of water to the mixture if the tomatoes aren’t that moist). The mixture should be the consistency of a thick sauce. Stir to mix well, taste and adjust the seasoning.

Make 4 wells in the tomato mixture and break an egg into each well. Cover the pan and cook gently over a medium-low heat for 5–6 minutes, or until the egg white is set and the yolk is still a little runny.

Serve sprinkled with coriander leaves and chopped green onion, plus plenty of crusty bread on the side to mop up any juices.