Protein and veggie packed, with lots and lots of herbs so it smells just heavenly while baking, this herbed vegetable frittata makes a wonderful breakfast, lunch or light dinner.
Though it ended up being pretty different from her recipe, this was inspired by Kalyn’s Recipe for Zucchini Bake with Feta and Thyme (though I don’t follow the South Beach Diet, I just adore Kalyn’s recipes and blog!)
I am not usually a fan of using egg whites instead of whole eggs (hey, nature gave us the package as a whole, and I believe the nutrients from eggs are better absorbed as such). That being said, I had so many egg whites in my refrigerator (leftover from recipes where only yolks were needed) that I decided to go ahead and use them here.
I guess I could have made angel food cake or meringues or something but I just didn’t feel like going there…
You can certainly use whole eggs in the recipe, as I will next time I make this. You can also swap out the veggies I’ve suggested and use pretty much anything you like- I used what I’ve still got in my garden at this point, but you can substitute what is local and available to you.
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Leftovers are quite tasty straight out of the refrigerator; they can be reheated, as well.
Herbed Vegetable Frittata Recipe
Ingredients
- *2 tablespoons olive oil
- *1 tablespoon minced garlic
- *1 cup chopped squash I used pattypan from my garden, but feel free to use yellow squash or green zucchini
- *2 cups chopped tomatoes I used San Marzanos but any tomatoes will do
- *1 cup chopped greens I used chard; you can use any dark leafy greens that you like
- *1 cup chopped herbs I used a combination of basil and parsley
- *Himalayan or sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- *6 eggs or 12 egg whites
- *1/2 cup mild cheese crumbled if very soft, like feta, or roughly chopped if harder, like provolone or fresh mozzarella
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 2. Heat olive oil in a saute pan and add garlic. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn, and then add the squash. Saute for a minute or two. Add the chopped tomatoes, cook a bit, and then add the greens and the herbs. Cook for several minutes until the greens and the herbs are wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
- 3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs (skip this step, obviously if you are using egg whites). Mix in the sauteed vegetables and the cheese.
- 4. Butter or oil a deep pie dish or other casserole pan and pour in the frittata ingredients. Bake in your preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until the frittata is set. Allow to cool before slicing.