Monday, August 15, 2016

Tasty-fied Zucchini Frittata alla Parmigiana

So over the past year or so, my Facebook wall has become inundated with BuzzFeed's "Tasty" videos. Y'know, the short demonstration videos giving a recipe for something quick and, well, tasty (https://www.buzzfeed.com/tasty, if you're interested).

While they do look good, I find a lot of these recipes use a ton of fat and sugar. I'll watch and think, "Duh, of COURSE it's tasty with all that cheese!!" I can't judge, though, since I recently applied the same principle to a family favourite: zucchini frittata. 

TL;dr version- I had zucchini and eggs that needed to be used, but I was craving chicken parmigiana. Best of both worlds!!

Zucchini Frittata alla Parmigiana

Serves four

• 3 zucchini, sliced thinly
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, seeded and diced (and/or bell pepper... But since I don't like peppers much, tomato it is!!)
• 1 Tbsp. oil (canola, olive, vegetable, whatever)
• 5 eggs, beaten
• Sriracha, to taste (optional, but adds nice flavour and not too much heat. I used about 1/8 cup)
• garlic powder, salt, pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1 jar marinara sauce (yes, jarred. Shame, shame, I'm a bad Italian... But honestly, my mom fooled me into thinking that the Kirkland Signature Marinara was homemade, so I'll take it.)
• 1 lb. dry pasta, prepared
• Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a nonstick, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion, zucchini, and tomatoes/peppers, stirring frequently, until well cooked and browned. Spread cooked veggies in an even layer in the skillet and turn heat down to medium. 

Combine eggs, sriracha, and seasonings. Pour over vegetables in skillet, stirring just a couple times immediately after adding. Cook, scraping down sides of skillet, until almost cooked through. Flip over (I cheat and use a plate: slide the frittata onto the plate, flip the skillet over onto the plate, then while holding both, flip the whole deal over. Voilà). Return pan to low heat on the stove. 

Preheat the oven broiler. Open the jar of marinara and spoon about a 1/4-1/2 cup of sauce onto the top of the frittata (enough for a layer to give flavour, but not enough so you can't still see frittata underneath). Too with all the mozzarella, then the breadcrumbs. Broil until cheese melts (about 3-4 minutes- watch carefully!!) Remove and let cool slightly. 

In the meantime, toss the cooked pasta with the rest of the sauce. Cut the frittata into wedges and serve alongside pasta, with Parmesan cheese on the side to top. 

Better cheap-as-free zucchini than veal parmigiana, what with the price of beef these days!

Off to eat some leftovers,

-Honeybee


Saturday, August 13, 2016

Nonnetta's tomatoes and kinda-Caprese salad

Almost every Saturday, I start the morning with breakfast and coffee at my grandmother's (Nonna, who has been promoted to Nonnetta as a great-grandma to my kiddos*)

* yes, that's kiddos, plural. Baby girl joined the family almost 8 weeks ago, and big brother is almost 3! Yikes!

In the summer, these breakfast visits are made even more awesome by forays to Nonnetta's garden to pick fresh produce. Tomatoes, zucchini, basil, cucumbers, green beans, sweet peas, peppers... An absolutely glorious bounty. 

Nonnetta and her great-granddaughter (and namesake!) 💗

Nonnetta is the reason I love the smell of tomato leaves. Mmm, childhood nostalgia!!  Her tomato garden is amazing. She was growing heirloom tomatoes since before it was cool, using seeds brought over from Italy over 60 years ago (...but maybe don't tell Customs and Immigration about that).  She has a truly remarkable green thumb... When we developed a fondness for the Kumato varietal from the grocery store, she took some seeds and grew her own! Brilliant. 

Thanks to my most recent pregnancy, I have a few pounds to shed. What better way than filling up on tasty veggies and fruit? Instead of having a bagel and cream cheese for lunch, I whipped up this tasty little Caprese-ish salad. Behold!


Kinda-Caprese Salad
Serves one

• 2 medium tomatoes, as fresh as humanly possible, seeded and diced
• ~4 basil leaves, chopped (or torn by hand if you're lazy like me)
• 1 Babybel Light wax-wrapped cheese, diced (use REAL mozzarella for authenticity, instead of stealing your son's  snacks... If you want...)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Balsamic glaze**

Toss the first four ingredients together in a bowl. Top with a drizzle of glaze. Devour promptly. 

** I like using balsamic glaze since it's so nice and thick. Not gonna lie, I picked up this bottle at Dollarama. #momlife #neversaidIwasgourmet. 

On to more adventures while cooking for a family of four!

-Honeybee