Spinach, Mushroom, and Roasted Red Pepper Frittata

This has been kindof a weird week for us for some reason; maybe because the excitement of my birthday was building up last week and the fact that we’re off to Hawaii next week hasn’t really sunk in yet. Whatever the reason, I’m very much looking forward to the weekend, even though it is a short one.

Tim was kind enough to remind me on Sunday that he had a work dinner the following night, which basically meant I was free to eat leftovers and yogurt for dinner after coming home from crossfit, score. Maybe I should have posted Tuesday night’s shrimp tacos, and the cake totally stole the spotlight from the quick sesame chicken I whipped up that will soon come into heavy rotation at our place. I’ll be sure to share that one when I’ve got a pretty picture to post.

Thursday nights are usually a bit of a crapshoot for us; sometimes it means we get to start our weekends early thanks to our work schedule, sometimes we go out, sometimes I grab prepared foods from WFM, sometimes I work with what I got.

In the fridge, we had 5 eggs, a carton of egg whites, some leftover mushrooms and some bell peppers. There’s more stuff in there too, but I wasn’t really planning on using the cranberry jalapeno jelly. I knew there was some spinach in the freezer too; sounds like frittata night to me.

I love the simplicity and versatility of the frittata. It can be savory, it can be eggy, you can eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Sometimes when I get my shizz together, I make one for  the week as a pre-workout snack; they pack really well. It also takes all of 20 minutes to make, start to finish, IF you have veggies to chop.

The first time I made a real frittata was under the supervision of this recipe from Cooking Light for  a smoked trout and asparagus frittata. It was so delicious, filling, simple, and loaded with good for you fish, greens, and eggs. I remember thinking this would be a great base to manipulate to anything I had in the fridge.

I encourage you to do the same-take this base recipe and run with it. Go for goat cheese and peppers, if you’re into that sort of thing. Wild mushrooms and gruyere with fresh herbs would be spectacular. Be creative and resourceful and use whatever is in your fridge or pantry.

Lastly, this particular frittata weighs in at 564 calories….for the whole frittata! If you’re a boy, that’s probably a decent sized dinner. If you’re me, one serving (a fourth of the dish) reaches for 150 calories while still packing a decent 12g of protein. So split the frittata with your better half, toss up a quick salad, and drizzle with a bit of pesto and a grate of fresh parmesan and enjoy a quick healthy meal.

Spinach, Mushroom, and Roasted Red Pepper Frittata
adapted from Cooking Light

First things first, roast your pepper. Place the pepper on a foil lined baking sheet or pan directly under the broiler in your oven. If you’re lucky enough to have a gas stove, you can also do this directly on the burner; it will char much faster this way and you can keep an eye on it.

5 eggs

1/3 c egg whites

1 bell pepper, roasted

1c frozen spinach or 2c fresh spinach

¾c baby portabella mushrooms

½ onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic

While your pepper is roasting, put a cast iron or oven proof skillet on medium high heat and add a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking. Slice your onion and garlic cloves and add to pan. While those are sautéing, crack your eggs and add the egg whites, and whisk well to blend and increase the fluff factor. Salt and pepper the eggs, I also added some dried oregano but if you’re working with fresh herbs add them here too.

Once your onions are soft and slightly browned, add the mushrooms and sauté for another 2-3 minutes, until they have released their juices and are slightly browned. Add the spinach and let thaw/wilt.

Pull your pepper from the oven and wrap loosely in the foil to let sit and steam for a minute or two, then run under the sink to remove the skin and seeds. Slice lengthwise. Add egg mixture to skillet, top with peppers. Let frittata cook stovetop for 2-3 minutes, just until the edges start to set.

Turn the oven down to 400F, and place the frittata in the oven for about 8 minutes. While the frittata is in the oven,  you can whip up a mixed green salad to serve with. Pull the frittata from the oven; the middle should be firm but springy. Slice into 8 wedges and serve with salad. I topped Tim’s with a healthy drizzle of pesto and snowdrift of parmesan.