Frittata

Gather Up:

• 8 fresh eggs
• 1 thick ham steak, about 12 oz, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 1 med sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 4 small scallions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
• 2~3 cups baby spinach
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• 1/4~1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4~1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp bacon grease or coconut oil (for cooking)

The last step of this recipe is a sort of “choose your own adventure,” so read through the whole thing at least once before you get started so you can decide which one you are going to do and be prepared ahead of time.  Get all of your ingredients cut up and separated into prep bowls.  The garlic and scallions are combined, since they’ll go into the pan at the same time.

Start out with a deep 10″ or 12″ pan over medium heat.  Melt the coconut oil or bacon grease, then place the sweet potatoes in.  Cover and cook for about 10 minutes until just tender, stirring occasionally.

Next, add in the scallions, garlic, and ham.  Cook another 5 minutes or so, turning occasionally, until the ham is fully heated and starting to brown a little.

This is where having a deep 12″ pan will help (mine is a not-so-deep 10″ pan).  Add in the spinach.  Try to stir it into the other ingredients without tossing things all over the stove top.  If that is a lost cause (it was for me), put the lid on directly over the spinach and let sit for about 2 minutes to get the spinach to wilt considerably.  Once wilted, it should be possible to stir it into everything else and let cook another minute or so, uncovered, to make sure it is fully wilted and the excess moisture is evaporated from the pan.

Whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, salt and pepper in a bowl large enough to hold them all.  Mix well so there are no strings of egg white in the mix, and so there is a little air whipped in as well.  Pour all over the vegetables in the pan, making sure to fill every void and nook.  Cook for about 5 minutes to “set” the eggs along the edges and bottom (it helps to lift a little with a spatula to make sure the eggs flow under everything).  Now comes the “choose your own adventure” part:

1. Finish in the same pan: Reduce the heat to low.  Place the lid on the pan (to trap in steam and heat) and continue cooking for about 10~15 minutes until the eggs have set throughout the entire dish (the top center will take the longest).
2. Finish in a second pan: Have a second, roughly equal-sized pan heating on another burner at medium-low heat with a little additional oil or grease in the pan.  When the eggs have set on the bottom of the first pan, turn the frittata over into the second pan and let finish cooking  for about 10 more minutes.  If you do this right – it will flip right into the other pan.  If you don’t – you’ll have a mess on your hands.  This is why a certain kitchen store sells a special (and over-priced) matched set of pans for this specific purpose (I suppose you could use them for other things when not making frittatas…maybe).
3. Finish in the oven: This is the “traditional” method.  Assuming you have started with an oven-safe pan (and have the oven pre-heated to 350 degrees), place the pan in the oven uncovered and bake for about 15~20 minutes or until the eggs have set.

When your adventure is over and everything is set, transfer to a serving plate and cut into wedges like a pie.  Serve up a slice and dig in.  Don’t be afraid to have seconds if you’ve got a really busy day ahead of you…and the leftovers are pretty good as well.