Asparagus Mushroom and Ham Frittata

 I am often approached by people who tell me that they would love to live in a small footprint but they can't because they love to entertain. My response often is, "well, don't tell the French and Italians, they may take offense in that they are masters at entertaining and often do it in very small footprints.  

This Frittata recipe is an easy way to start getting comfortable cooking in small spaces. The equipment needed is very minimal and the ingredients are fresh and tasty. When you pair it a Baby Spinach Salad with strawberries, Mint and Almond, ricotta toast and a little bubbly, you will just need enough room to take your bow!

  

Asparagus Mushroom and Ham Frittata

Serves 6-8   Prep time

Cooking time:  20 minutes

¼ cup half and half or milk

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

1 Tbls. chopped fresh thyme (or your favorite herb)

2 Tbls. extra virgin olive oil

½ lb. mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

½ lb. asparagus, sliced on the diagonal

½ lb. ham, diced (optional)

½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Preparation

 Crack eggs into a large bowl and whisk with the half & half, 1 tsp. salt, a few grinds of pepper and the thyme.  Whisk until eggs are just frothy. Set aside. Heat a cast iron pan on medium high heat. Add olive oil, mushrooms and a sprinkle of salt and sauté 3-4 minutes. Add asparagus and cook an additional 2 minutes. If using ham, add it to heat through.

Turn broiler (or place in oven if you do not have broiler) on to pre-heat.  Pour egg mixture over vegetable and ham mixture and gently stir with a heatproof rubber spatula. Cook, using spatula to pull eggs away from sides towards the middle, allowing uncooked egg to run underneath, until almost set, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Heat broiler and place frittata under broiler for about 3 to 6 minutes or until puffed up and set in the middle. You can carefully insert a knife into the center to see if eggs are set. The knife should be dry when you remove it. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Frittata should have pulled away from the sides of the pan but you can also loosen the edges with the spatula. Slice into wedges to serve. Delicious with a simple salad, toast and jam.

Note:  The combinations are endless and the results, delicious! Try making one with sausage and peppers and topping it with a nice marinara sauce or a combination of leftover chicken, goat cheese and cherry tomatoes and serve with fresh basil pesto. Frittata is an excellent means to use what you have on hand and is a great meal any time of day and is great eaten hot or at room temperature.

Mussels in Apple Curry Cream

This week on Rollin' On TV Britta teaches us how to make a quick and delicious meal from fresh Washington mussels.     




Prep time: 10 minutes 





  


                                
2 lbs. rinsed and de-bearded fresh mussels

2 Tbls. extra virgin olive oil

1 small sweet onion, diced

1 bulb fennel, diced  (fronds saved and chopped for garnish)

1 apple, cored and diced

1 Tbls. Indian curry powder

½ cup dry white wine or Hard Cider

1 cup heavy cream

salt & pepper

 Optional:

1 leek, light green end sliced

1 Tbls. chopped ginger root

 

Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium high heat. Add olive oil and sauté onion and fennel for 2-5 minutes or until soft. If using leeks or ginger, add and sauté along with the onions. Add apple and curry powder and continue to cook about 2 minutes. Add wine or cider and bring to a simmer. Add mussels until open 5 to 7 minutes. Dispose of any mussels that do not open. Ladle cooked mussels to serving bowls, crank heat to high and add the cream.  Boil 2 minutes to reduce the sauce, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.Ladle sauce over the mussels. Garnish with the chopped fennel fronds.

 

They are best served with good crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

This is also delicious served over pasta, my favorite being linguini. Add a simple salad and you have the perfect meal!

 

Moroccan Poached Eggs

Moroccan Eggs, fabulous anytime, anyplace.

This week we've invited ourselves abaord the Alcyone and created a fabulouse brunch in a very tiny galley with our host Arleen!

Rembember, you can watch full epesodes son Rollin' On TV.

Find Listings NOW

Eggs Poached in Moroccan Style Pepper and Tomato Sauce

Serves 4-8                  

Prep Time: 10 minutes      

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

This recipe makes a nice meal paired with a green salad for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 large yellow onion, sliced

1 Pasilla chili pepper, seeded and sliced*

2 Anaheim or Poblano chili peppers, seeded and sliced*

2 red or yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1 28-oz. can crushed fire roasted tomatoes or 4 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup water

1 - 2 Tsp. Harissa (dry spice mix)  Frontier Ethnic Seasoning or 1 Tbls. Harissa paste

Kosher salt to taste

8  free-range eggs

olive oil

4-8 thick slices of artisan bread

4 oz. crumbled Feta cheese

1/4 cup chopped parsley, cilantro or mint (or a mixture)

 * You can substitute chilies with what are available. Inquire to see what kind of heat they have. Pasilla, Anaheim and Poblanos are usually mild to medium heat. Removing the seeds takes away a considerable amount of heat. When handling chilies, it is wise to wear gloves or thoroughly wash hands, knives and cutting boards so as to not spread the chili oil. Do not touch your eyes after preparing chilies.

Heat a heavy bottomed sauce pan on medium high heat and add olive oil. Add onions and peppers with 1 tsp of salt and sauté until onions begin to turn golden and the peppers become very soft. Add tomatoes, water and Harissa. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or until it begins to turn into a sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and Harissa. While sauce is cooking use a cast iron pan to grill bread in olive oil. Alternately, you can toast the bread and drizzle each piece with a little olive oil afterwards. Place toast on individual plates. Crack each egg into a small bowl before gently sliding it into the simmering sauce. You may need to cook the eggs in two batches, depending on the size of your pan. Place a cover on the pan for about 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to simmer and spoon sauce over the eggs to cook evenly. If you prefer runny yolks, you will want to only cook your eggs until the whites are set, for harder yolks, cook until the yolk is firm when gently pressed with the spoon. Scoop eggs and sauce onto grilled bread and garnish with feta and chopped herbs.

 Encores:

When tomatoes and peppers are in season, make a double batch and use it on pasta, with meatballs, shrimp or sausages. You could also pair it with polenta or use it on a sausage sandwich. It freezes well and you can change it up by using different seasonings. Instead of Harissa, try 1 Tbls. dried oregano, 1/2 tsp chili flakes and 1 tsp. cumin for a Mexican flavor. Substitute a handful of torn fresh basil leaves and a few cloves of sliced garlic for an Italian twist. Get creative and experiment with flavors you enjoy. The combinations are endless!

 

Seared Albacore Tuna in Charmoula

When you start with fresh ingredients it doesn’t take a big kitchen to create something fabulous.

Fish is often "misunderstood". This very easy recipe will give you immense flavor and is almost fail proof.

Seared Albacore Tuna in Charmoula (Morrocan marinade and sauce)

1 lb. Albacore tuna loin

Charmoula

1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

¾cup parsley leaves, chopped

1-2 small garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. smoked paprika

¼ tsp. ground coriander

pinch of cayenne pepper

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbls. fresh lemon juice

1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced (or if using jarred, about ½ cup)

Prepare Charmoula sauce. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir to combine and adjust seasonings to taste with salt, lemon juice and cayenne.

Place tuna loin on a plate and rub with a few tablespoons of Charmoula. Set aside to marinate no longer than 30 minutes as the acid in the lemon juice will begin to "cook" the tuna.

Heat a cast iron pan on medium high heat. The pan should just begin to smoke. Add a film of olive oil and then carefully add the tuna. Cook on each side about 1-2 minutes or until you have just cooked the outside edges and it is still nice and pink on the interior. When  you have seared all sides, remove from the pan and set on a cutting board. Let rest about 10 minutes. Slice in ¼ inch slices and fan out onto a serving platter. Add the roasted peppers to the remaining Charmoula and pour on top of the tuna to serve. This is delicious with a side of couscous, steamed rice or roasted potatoes. Sliced avocado would be a lovely addition as well. Seared tuna also make a perfect hot weather meal atop a simple green salad.

Encores: Sauté tuna in a little olive oil and toss with pasta or white beans, roasted peppers, additional cilantro and sliced green onions. Ripe, in-season tomatoes would also pair well. Tuna can also be cooked, cooled, flaked and used in tuna salad. Just substitute Charmoula instead of the traditional mayonnaise dressing, add some sliced olives and diced cucumber or whatever your prefer and you will be delighted with this new twist on an old favorite.

French Press – The Small Kitchen Leatherman

Every trailer chick knows that it’s not how many kitchen tools you have that matters, but the versatility in each of them. Each kitchen gadget has to function like a Leatherman. When space is at a premium, it’s important to make sure every kitchen tool does more than one job. My rule is that every tool has to do double duty before it’s brought on board my land yacht. My French press does just that.

Rarely is such a work horse able to do so much and still sit beautifully on a counter top. Since most French presses are made with a glass cylinder (highly recommended) they are ideal for hot and cold applications and won’t trap strong and lingering flavors like garlic or ginger. Cleaning is a cinch; the plunger unscrews to quickly rinse out the screen. You can go from coffee to colander in under 10 seconds.

For the most versatility, get an eight cup press. Then, consider it for some new tasks:

§  Straining pasta

§  Soaking beans

§  Washing rice

§  Infused teas

§  Cocktails

§  Sangria

If you have never used a French press, Bodum has some easy directions for use and maintenance.