This is the Remix Meal #2 - Vegetable Frittata

In my P. Diddy voice “This is the remix…”.  A couple of weekends ago, my partner was in charge of making the protein for Sunday dinner, while I was in charge of sides.  So we had rice (of course...LOL) and steamed veggies.  My veggie medley included julienned carrots, peppers, onions, frozen broccoli florets, and a few cloves of garlic, mixed with a bit of olive oil, salt, and lemon pepper.  All of this was thrown in the microwave for about 6-7 minutes, mixed once about halfway through the cooking process.  But as we sit in the afterglow of fullness, I wonder, “What the heck am I going to do with those leftover steamed veggies?”  And there we have it… the vegetable frittata.

You may ask, what in the world is a frittata?  It is an open-faced Spanish omelet, or as I like to call it, a “man-quiche”, since you don’t have to bother with rolling out a pie-crust to make this happen.  So let’s get started!

Leftover steamed veggies (your favorite mix will always work)

6 whole eggs, cracked and beaten

½ cup of milk

1 tbsp. of dried parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

Non-stick spray

1 tsp. of butter

Leftover steamed veggies

Eggs

1 Glass (Pyrex) pie plate

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, beat your eggs and beat in your milk.  Then add your salt, pepper, and parsley.  Set this mixture aside.

Bout to beat the eggs!

Next, prepare your pie plate by lightly spraying it with your non-stick spray.  Now, this may seem extra fat, but there is actually a purpose to what I am about to do.  Take your teaspoon of butter and rub the bottom and sides of your pie-plate with it.  Your are doing this to add a bit of that butter flavor to your frittata, without having to actually add butter to the frittata itself. 

Place your steamed veggie mixture in the bottom of the pie-plate, ensuring that your vegetables create an even layer.  

Veggies in your pie-plate

Pour your egg mixture over the top of the veggies, ensuring that the eggs seep into every crack and crevice of the eggs.  

The beginnings of a frittata

Cook in your preheated oven for 30-45 minutes, or until your eggs have completely set and are lightly browned on top.  Serve this with your favorite grain or a salad for lighter fare.

All Done!

Are you ready to eat?

Come and get it!

The beauty of this dish is, you can add just about anything to your frittata.  Have a bit of leftover grated cheese?  Throw it in there!  Do you have some leftover steak?  Chop that up and throw it in there!  Are your fresh herbs wilting on you?  Throw it in your frittata!

All I have to say is, experiment, experiment, experiment!  And EAT THOSE LEFTOVERS!

Onwards and upwards,

-Vince

"This is the REMIX" Meal #1 - Chicken Pesto Pasta with Asparagus!

In these tough economic times, we have to consider ways to save ourselves some money.  No one ever said that you couldn’t eat well on a budget… and damn near gourmet too!  How many of you all buy those pre-roasted chickens from the grocery store?  In a bind, I definitely do.  And honestly, at less than $7 a bird, it’s a pretty good value for something that is already pre-made.  But, are you like me and get tired of eating the chicken after a while?  Well… here’s a great remix meal for you…

1 cup of cooked chicken (pick the meat off of your pre-roasted chicken when you get tired it)

1 cup of asparagus, chopped at an angle

½ box of spaghetti, boiled per the box directions

4 tablespoons of store-bought pesto sauce (this is a great value, and keeps really well in the fridge)

1 tbsp. of butter

1 tbsp. of olive oil

1 tsp. of chili flakes

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, boil your water for your pasta.  Drop your pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally.  Takes about 8 minutes for al dente pasta. 

While your pasta is cooking, heat up a frying pan.  Melt your butter into the olive oil in this pan.  Add in your asparagus and spices.  What you are looking for here is for your asparagus to get tender.   

Once the asparagus has gotten to your desired tenderness, turn down the heat and throw in your chicken.  You just want the chicken to warm through.

Now… drain your pasta, reserving a half-cup of the cooking liquid. (You’ll see what we are going to do with it in a few.)

Take your pasta and add it to the frying pan with your asparagus.  Add in your pesto sauce, and let everything combine and warm through.  If you find that you are having a hard time incorporating your pesto, throw in a few teaspoons of the reserved pasta water.  This should loosen your pesto enough to get better coverage on your pasta.

Serve it up and enjoy!

Onwards and upwards,

-Vince