Monday 15 June 2015

Flash in the Pans!

Frittata Semplice alla Ricotta, Bietola Saltata in Padella & Peperone Caramellato
Simple Ricotta Frittata, Pan-Fried Chard & Caramelized Red Pepper

 

A small, colorful, tasty and easy to make meal was just what I needed at the end of a typical Monday at the office! Something to take my mind off things, to put a smile back on my face... And something that wouldn't stress me out preparing it! I have enough stress at work, just like everyone else!

So a simple frittata it was, with a couple of added extras to make it into a real meal... And simple as they were, the combination of these 3 ingredients was what made them special.


 

It is not just pretty, it is a great blend of flavors as well as colors! A mild and relatively simple frittata, slightly bitter chard leaves and slightly sweet peppers... This absolutely satisfies the taste buds as well as the appetite!

 
 
I had a couple of handfuls of tender chard leaves left over from the other night... and I was not afraid to use them! So, to put them to good use, I added 2 eggs, 1 spring onion, 1 sweet red pepper and 1 heaped tablespoon of fresh ricotta and 1 tablespoon of bread crumbs to my list if ingredients. Salt, pepper and a little nutmeg for seasoning, a little olive oil for frying... And a good meal was had by all! Well, by lil' ol' me all by my lonesome to be precise ... so obviously, it is easy enough to scale-up the ingredients should you need to prepare this for more people.

 

I do love spices and I use them often in my recipes... But at the same time, more often than not, I love to make the most of the flavor that each ingredient brings and combine them to their best effect... That to me is the art of cooking! Be it an extravagant... or an extravagantly simple meal like this!

 

Cut the pepper into long strips and the chard into larger pieces (it will shrink down considerably when cooked!) and dice the onion finely... and you are already almost half way there!

 

For the frittata, simply stir together the eggs with the ricotta, bread crumbs and a good pinch of the green tips of the spring onion. Season with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg.

 

The pepper also can sizzle away gently in just a little oil, with simply salt and plenty of black pepper for seasoning. After around 10 minutes of cooking on a moderate flame, add a good pinch of sugar, reduce the heat and let it sit and soften and become delicious, whilst you take care of the chard.


 

Pop the chard, wet as it is, into your frying pan, add a drizzle of oil on top and put on the lid. After just 2-3 minutes or so, your pan fly of greens will have reduced down considerably in size! Now, add the remaining finely chopped onion and stir-fry together, with a pinch of salt and pepper and a hint of nutmeg for seasoning.

 

Now you can pop your frittata under the broiler for the final 1-2 minutes, to finish it off... And once it is all set and has a little color... You are ready to serve everything up!

 

First the chard... And doesn't it look good!?!

 

And then those beautiful, glossy and wonderful, juicy strips of sweet pepper... Mmm!!!

 
 
It may be "poor people's" or "peasant" food... But it made me a supper that was fit for a king, I'd say! And definitely more than good enough for me!

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