“THE Frittata”

Fresh out of the oven. (photo by Brian)

Tonight’s recipe:

Asparagus Goat Cheese Frittata

Source:

Market Vegetarian by Ross Dobson

Difficulty: Easy. 

The Quote:

“Who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner?” - Brian

Natalie's handiwork before cooking. (photo by Brian)

The Process:

This one is pretty straightforward. You’ll cook the asparagus, corn and onion in a little butter until they’re al dente. Put the mixture to the side in a bowl. Wipe out the pan and return it back to the burner on medium high heat.

Ok, pause that for a second. Go over to the vegetable bowl. Add 8 beaten eggs to the vegetable mixture and lightly toss in the bowl. Add salt and pepper.

Alright, now back to the hot pan. Coat the bottom of the pan with butter and heat until little bubbles start to form. Pour in the mixture of vegetables and eggs, but do not stir. As the egg starts to sit, sprinkle on goat cheese. Let cook for about 8 minutes. The egg will start to pull away from the side of the pan.

While the frittata mix is setting up, preheat the broiler to high. Once the 8 minutes of so has passed, place the whole pan holding the frittata into the broiler. The mix will still be a little wet on the top.

Let the mix in broiler for about two to three minutes, or until the mix is slightly firm. Remove from the oven, and if you’re feeling adventurous, sprinkle on a favorite fresh herb like dill (recommended by Market Fresh), rosemary or cilantro (both of which Natalie has used to great success). Enjoy!

Watch out: Sometimes we cook by the book. Other times, we cook with what we have. One day, we swapped the scallions prescribed by the recipe for a yellow onion, which we had on hand. Because the yellow onion has more water, we had to leave the mixture under the broiler for a minute or so longer than usual.

Accompaniment: We usually eat this one on it’s own. It makes a good leftover, too.    

Deliciousness Rating: 9.0

Happiness is a wedge of egg and cheese. (photo by Brian)

 

In the Kitchen with Natalie and B: Momma’s Shepherd’s Pie vs. The Highland Games

In the Kitchen with Natalie and B: Momma’s Shepherd’s Pie vs. The Highland Games: Meat. Mashed potatoes. Cheese. What else could you want? (photo by Brian D. Sabin) Tonight’s recipe: Shepherd’s Pie Source...

Momma’s Shepherd’s Pie vs. The Highland Games

Meat. Mashed potatoes. Cheese. What else could you want? (photo by Brian D. Sabin)

Tonight’s recipe:

Shepherd’s Pie

Source:

Brian’s Mom.

Difficulty: So easy, Brian can do it.

The Quote:

“These Scotsmen got nothin’ on my momma’s pie. NOTHIN’!” - Brian

The Process:

So last weekend the annual Celtic Classic and Highland Games rolled into Bethlehem for three days of caber-tossing, kilt-wearing, and other good clean Scottish-Irish fun.

During the festival, we stopped at one of the many food tents for a dinner of Irish Stew and Shepherd’s Pie. The pie, it was good, but Brian talked a lot of smack about how his family’s recipe was WAY better. It was time for him to put his mashed potatoes on the table and prove it.

The recipe

*1 Pillsbury pie crust or frozen pie shell

*1 lb. lean ground beef

*1 can, cream of mushroom soup

*1/2 cup milk

*1 Small sweet onion, chopped (optional)

*1 cup frozen peas

*Mild Cheddar or Colby Cheese

*4 servings Mashed Potatoes

(Choose your own adventure about how to make them: Potato buds, Bob Evans Microwaveable Mashed Potatoes, or – if you’re really ambitious – homemade.)

Step 1: Prepare and heat the pie-shell according to its directions.

Step 2: Brown the ground beef and chopped onion. Drain off any fat.

Step 3: Add the mushroom soup, then pour in the milk a little at a time until you get a good, saucy consistency. Add the peas and heat through.

Step 4: Pour the mixture into your cooked pie shell. Spread evenly. Cover with a good-sized layer of cheese. Then spoon mashed potatoes overtop the entire mixture.

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Step 5: Place this delicious calorie bomb into the oven and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and melted. Bonus points if your mashed potatoes have golden brown tips.

Step 6: Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Step 7: Enjoy!

Watch out: The recipe is deceptively simple, but does require some time management – especially if you’re going to make your own mashed potatoes. Even if you’re just mixing up some potato buds, it can be a little challenging to make the potatoes, heat the pie shell, and cook up the meat mixture all at once.

Accompaniment: This thing is filling. If you can eat anything else along with it, you, sir, are a machine.   

Deliciousness Rating: 8.5