Infuse your kitchen with the flavors of the Mediterranean, and bake up this delicious savory dish. In addition to lots of leafy greens and chunks of crumbled cheese, this frittata is laced with fragrant fresh dill, basil, parsley, sweet red pepper, and a dollop of Dijon for a subtle tang. After your first bite, you might start wondering what this reminds you of and continue to be intrigued to take more and more bites to figure it out— it’s spanakopita. This recipe takes the Greek favorite Spanakopita, skips the heavy pastry and gives you a good dose of leafy greens that even my kiddos devour, along with heaps of feta and creamy ricotta for a satisfying way to make your day. Make it ahead of time and simply warm it through in the toaster oven the next day. Spinach and feta make eggs even better with a fresh, salty, and creamy kick. This beautiful frittata extends well beyond its veggie filling and ability to satisfy a crowd with ease or brunch or as a special family dinner. Take your taste buds on a trip to Greece with this easy-to-make and delicious casserole! It’s filled with vegetables and has enough feta and chopped fresh dill in it to inspire your next vacation to Greece.
Mediterranean Egg White Frittata: Makes 4 servings
This recipe is meatless but you could decrease the amount of egg whites and add in ham, shrimp, grilled or rotisserie chicken if you prefer.
INGREDIENTS:
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (½ tsp for sauté & 1 tsp for coating baking dish)
2 tsp garlic (minced)
1 ½ cup mushrooms, finely chopped
5 ounces fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
2.4 ounces fresh kale, coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
¼ cup zucchini, diced
¼ cup yellow squash, diced
½ cup diced tomatoes, drained (I used Rotel w/ chilies but Italian diced tomatoes is more traditional)
22.33 egg whites (I used 1 whole 32oz container & less than a 1/3 of 16 oz container)
1 cup ricotta cheese (part skim) - needs to be strained
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp pesto (I used premade - can be omitted and then just double sour cream)
1 Tbsp sour cream
½ cup 2% low fat Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp of half and half
¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
½ tsp dried oregano leaves, crushed
2 Tbsp feta cheese, crumbled (full-fat) [can used reduced fat and double the amount]
2 Tbsp blue cheese, crumbled (full-fat) [can used reduced fat and double the amount]
1 cup shredded moderate fat ( 3-6g/oz) mozzarella cheese (4 oz)
¼ cup fresh dill
2&¼ Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
Parchment Paper
DIRECTIONS:
Straining Ricotta: DON'T SKIP THIS STEP - because it keeps the recipe from becoming watery. Place a fine mesh strainer over a small prep bowl, and line the strainer with cheesecloth. Cheesecloth is necessary for this recipe. It keeps any cheese particles from slipping through the strainer. Add the ricotta, and using a rubber spatula, gently push and spread the ricotta into an even layer. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator. Let the ricotta cheese strain overnight, or at least for 8 hours (as long as time permits). Discard the accumulated liquid in the bowl, and use the ricotta as directed below.
Prepare for baking: Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and second rack higher and preheat to 450⁰F. Line a baking sheet with Parchment Paper. Coat a 9x13-inch (3-quart) baking dish with 1 tsp EV olive oil (you could also use a muffin pan instead if you want individualized frittatas).
Chop veggies & herbs: Chop your vegetables and herbs as described above.
Sauté greens & mushrooms: in a non-stick sauté pan heat ½ tsp EVOO and 2 tsp of minced garlic on medium heat until garlic is translucent. Add the mushrooms, cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and almost all of the liquid is evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. Then add in the spinach, kale, and basil tossing until wilted and almost all of the liquid is evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. Then drain the greens/mushrooms and let them sit in a colander/strainer for 20-30 minutes, before continuing with the recipe, press the rest of the liquid out of the greens. Then transfer the greens/mushrooms to the egg mixture.
Bake excess moisture out of veggies: Spread zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes on a sheet pan. Roast the veggies for 15 to 20 minutes until slightly caramelized. Reduce heat to 400⁰F. DON'T SKIP THIS STEP - baked egg dishes full of raw vegetables, can end up with a watery as they release their natural juices. Many vegetables like zucchini, squashes, and mushrooms, all contain a high percentage of water, whereas things like beans, peas, corn, carrots, potatoes, and root vegetables do not. So baking the veggies helps to lightly dry the food and concentrate flavors.
Prepare egg mixture: (this reminds me of spanakopita) In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites and cream until well combined. Stir in strained ricotta (as directed above), sour cream (with no visible liquid), yogurt (with no visible liquid), dijon, parsley and oregano. Then add in the greens and mushrooms from above when drained and stir, until well combined (don't over mix).
Assembling frittata: Transfer veggie mixture from the oven into prepared dish, spreading evenly to coat the bottom. Sprinkle evenly with the feta & ½ shredded mozzarella. Pour egg mixture over veggie layer; stir gently, allowing some cheese, greens & veggies to float into egg mixture. Sprinkle with blue cheese evenly over top, then add remaining shredded mozzarella, fresh dill sprigs ( reserve a few sprigs for garish when plating) and lastly the Parmesan cheese (this will help create the crispy brown top, so make sure the parm is last).
Baking frittata: Transfer the baking dish to the oven. Be sure the frittata is placed on the center rack to keep the topping from being too close to the top heating element. Bake until set and just starting to brown around the edges, 20 to 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. If frittata starts to get too dark on top early on during the cooking, just place a piece of foil on top as a barrier, then remove later to finish browning. Rise baking dish to higher rack, if more browning is needed to make the top all lightly golden-brown. Let cool for 5-15 minutes before slicing.
Serve! Slice into squares or triangles creating 4 equal portions, remove the dish, serve warm and garnish with dill sprig.
ENJOY!
1L/3G/3C/1F
Ok, now it’s your turn! Make your own healthy frittata with this recipe and take a photo and and tag us, so we can check it out!
Did you know studies show: If you need to increase your calcium intake, leafy greens beats milk?!?! Because leafy greens (like kale) don’t put the body into an acidic state the way dairy does, leafy greens can help increase your calcium levels over milk! Calcium is a mineral that the body needs to build strong bones and teeth. Calcium allows blood to clot normally, muscles and nerves to function properly, and the heart to beat normally. Kale has around 250 milligrams (mg) of calcium per 100g, which is comparatively higher than whole milk's 110mg per 100g. Getting in more calcium isn't enough, you also need vitamin D, either from your diet or from exposure to sunlight, so that your body can absorb the calcium. Often times other foods are high in calcium but contain oxalates that bind to calcium and make it unavailable to our bodies. Kale and spinach are highly nutritious and and associated with several benefits. Greens provide a whole host of valuable nutrients, micronutrients, and phytonutrients. While kale offers more than twice the amount of vitamin C as spinach, spinach provides more folate and vitamins A and K. Both are linked to improved heart health, increased weight loss, and protection against disease. Together these leafy greens help you maintain vibrant health because of their influence on metabolism, appetite regulation, energy expenditure, endocrine regulation, inflammation, and insulin resistance. So we challenge you to get into the habit of adding leafy green veggies to your daily diet, and notice what happens to your energy levels, your complexion, and your waistline. So eat some kale and get in some sunlight and decrease your risk of osteoporosis, issues with your teeth, blood and heart.
Remember it's not about depriving yourself of delicious food, it's about being mindful of your choices, portion sizes, and coming up with healthier alternatives that are just as good if not better. Thus, our mission is to not only guide you to improving your physical health but also create a healthy mindset. So many don't believe you can eat healthy, tasty food and feel great. The goal with the recipes shared on this blog is to provide access to simple, really delicious, and satisfying meals. NOT to deprive yourself!
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