Tomato Salad Topped Baked Spinach Frittata

This tomato salad topped baked spinach frittata is a delicious combination of richness from the eggs, ham and cheese and the sharp sweetness of the tomatoes with herbs. It makes a wonderful brunch, lunch or dinner dish!

Frittatas can be made on your stovetop in a skillet or baked in the oven. I created this one a while back when we were trying a low carb diet. I was craving quiche but crust was, of course, not on the plan. This frittata is basically a crustless quiche with a fancy Italian name.

You can adapt this recipe to use different cooked veggies or meat instead of the spinach and ham. Or change up the cheddar for your favorite semi-hard flavorful cheese. It’s all good.

Here’s a question for you: Am I the only one who buys ham that the family eats for two or three days and then abandons it? What do you do with it? I pop it in the freezer when it’s still in date and, while you cannot thaw it and still make decent sandwiches, it is perfect for quiche or omelets.

Tomato Salad Topped Baked Spinach Frittata

This recipe was inspired by a photo I saw in delicious.uk magazine for a ricotta tart. The mixed tomato salad that topped the tart was so pretty! Mine doesn’t have the green tomatoes because I couldn’t find any but I’m sure it is just as tasty.

Ingredients
For the frittata:
3 ounces or 85g sliced ham
2 ounces or 55g frozen spinach
4 large eggs
3/4 cup or 180ml cream
1/2 cup or 120ml milk
4 1/2 ounces or 125g sharp cheddar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
several good grinds of black pepper

To butter the baking dish or pan:
1 tablespoon butter

For baked topping:
2 oz or 57g sharp cheddar
Small handful green onion tops, chopped

For the herby salad:
1 lb or 450g mixed tomatoes, ripe but firm
Herbs of your choice  - I used a mix of flat-leaf parsley, tarragon and basil
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil
Drizzle white balsamic
Good pinch flaky sea salt
Few generous grinds of black pepper

Method
Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and liberally butter your 9 in or 23cm quiche pan or baking dish.

Fry the chopped ham in a nonstick pan until it dries out a little and gets some browned crispy place. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.

Thaw your spinach, then drain it and squeeze it as dry as possible.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream and milk. Stir in spinach and chopped basil.

 Next add the grated cheese, ham, sea salt and black pepper. Stir until well combined.

Pour the mixture into your buttered pan or dish.

Put it in the preheated oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 350°F. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until it is almost set.

Remove the frittata from the oven and sprinkle on the topping cheese and green onions.

Return the pan to the oven for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is browning and the frittata is set.

Meanwhile, slice your large tomato and set the slices on a paper towel to dry them a little. Halve the smaller tomatoes and mix them with the other salad ingredients.

When the frittata is baked, remove it from the oven and leave to cool for at least 15-20 minutes before topping it first with the sliced tomatoes.

 Finally, top with the dressed tomato salad.

Slice to serve. Enjoy!

This month my Baking Blogger friends are sharing recipes with herbs. Check out the delicious recipes below! Many thanks to our group organizer and host, Sue of Palatable Pastime for all of her behind-the-scenes work.

• Baked Spaghetti with Sausage and Meatballs from Palatable Pastime
• Ham and Herbed Potatoes Au Gratin from Making Miracles
• Herb Roasted Chickpeas from Cook with Renu
• Herbed Chicken with Charred Romaine Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• No Knead Herb Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Oven-Braised Rabbit with Herbed Dumplings from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Quiche Lorraine with Herbs from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Sage and Caramelized Onion Sourdough Bread from Caroline's Cooking
• Rosemary & Garlic Baked Potato With Sour Cream from Sneha's Recipe
• Tomato Salad Topped Baked Spinach Frittata from Food Lust People Love

Baking Bloggers is a friendly group of food bloggers who vote on a shared theme and then post recipes to fit that theme one the second Monday of each month. If you are a food blogger interested in joining in, inquire at our Baking Bloggers Facebook group. We'd be honored if you would join us in our baking adventures.

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Baked Duck Eggs #FoodieExtravaganza

Creamy and so dip-in-able, baked duck eggs are easy to make and a delight to eat. Pass the toast soldiers, please!

I love duck eggs! First of all, their yolks are much bigger than a regular chicken egg and everyone knows that the best part of any egg is the yolk. It’s where most of the flavor resides, not to mention a lion’s share of the nutrients and protein. The white part of a duck egg, or albumen to give it its correct name, is clear and bright, without the slight yellow tinge found in chicken eggs.

Varying in color depending on the breed, duck eggshells are a bit thicker and sturdier than chicken eggs. I suggest cracking them into a small bowl rather than straight into the ramekins to make sure you don’t get any hard shell in your dish.

Duck eggs can be challenging to find in normal US grocery stores but if you are fortunate enough to have farmers’ markets in your area, I’ve found them to be a reliable source. My local Whole Foods also carries duck eggs so if you have one nearby, you might want to check there. They are more expensive than chicken eggs, but still affordable as a main course for breakfast.

When I do come across them, baking is my favorite way to serve them. With just a little cream and butter, the delicious duck egg shines, definitely the star of your breakfast or brunch.

Baked Duck Eggs

This is an easy and delicious way to prepare breakfast for a crowd! If you don’t have duck eggs, chicken eggs can be substituted. Just adjust the cooking time downwards by a couple of minutes because smaller eggs will take less time to cook.

Ingredients per person
1-2 teaspoons butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 duck egg
salt
black pepper

For serving:
Hot buttered toast

Equipment: 4-5 in or 10-12cm shallow ramekins

Method
Set a rack in the middle of your oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F or 190°C. Boil a kettle or pot of water then turn it off.

Generously butter the inside of the ramekins. Add in the cream with a pinch of salt and a couple of grinds of black pepper.  Crack your eggs one at a time, into a small bowl, transferring each to a ramekin.

My second egg surprised me by having double yolks of different colors. How does that even happen?!

Sprinkle the eggs with just a touch more salt and pepper.

Place all the ramekins in a high-sided baking pan. Once the oven has preheated, put the pan in the oven and carefully pour in the hot water till it comes halfway up the ramekins.

Close the oven door and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the eggs are just set but the yolks are still runny. Start testing at 12 minutes by gently jiggling the pan. The whites should be firm but the yolks should wiggle slightly. If the yolks move too much, keep baking and testing.

This is a matter of preference and some may like their yolks softer or harder. For me, the joy is dipping my toast into a very soft yolk.

Carefully remove the pan from the oven and then remove the ramekins from the pan. Serve with toast for dipping.

Enjoy!

This month my Foodie Extravaganza friends are sharing breakfast recipes in celebration of National Breakfast Month. Check them out below. Many thanks to our host, Sue of Palatable Pastime.

• Baked Duck Eggs from Food Lust People Love
• Banana Pancakes from Palatable Pastime
• Changua (Colombian Egg and Milk Soup) from Tara's Multicultural Table
• Chorizo and Egg Breakfast Tacos from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Hot Breakfast: Baked Cinnamon & Apple Oatmeal from Hardly A Goddess
• Mushroom and Swiss Frittata from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Saffron Oats & Egg Omelette from Sneha's Recipe
• Sheepherder’s Breakfast from Making Miracles

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays by cooking and baking together with the same ingredient or theme each month.

Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board!

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Shrimp and Poached Egg Stew #FishFridayFoodies

This rich shrimp and poached egg stew is a traditional dish from southern Louisiana so, of course, it starts with a roux and the holy trinity of onion, bell pepper and celery. It is thick and delicious and, if seasoned with ample cayenne, as spicy as God intended it should be.

When my mom was growing up, this was a dish that was on regular rotation on Fridays especially during Lent, the 40 days leading up to Easter, when meat could not be eaten by the Roman Catholic faithful.

They didn’t call it shrimp and poached egg stew. In my grandmother’s house it was simply shrimp stew or Papa Tom’s stew, because it was a recipe her own father, my great-grandfather used to make. He was quite the cook apparently. I shared another family favorite of Papa Tom’s a few years ago, his chicken spaghetti, that also starts with a roux. It has the richest sauce and we love it!

For the very first time, a couple of days back, I searched the interwebs for shrimp and egg stew and I was surprised by how many recipes turned up. Most were from southern Louisiana, except a couple called North Carolina style shrimp stew in which eggs should be poached, certainly, but they also contained potatoes and were more of a clear broth, without a roux. Many of the Louisiana recipes were for shrimp stew with hard-boiled eggs. Interesting.

When I told my mother that other people made this dish, that it seemed to be a Cajun thing, she said, “Well, they must have known, Papa Tom.” This dish is one I also thought to be peculiar to our family. She also said that my grandmother would be proud by how mine turned out. Made my day.

Shrimp and Poached Egg Stew

You can, of course, leave the eggs out and you’ll still have a divine shrimp stew, but I encourage you to give it a try Papa Tom’s way. Eggs are relatively inexpensive and shrimp are not. They are a delicious way to add protein and stretch the budget.

Ingredients
1/2 cup or 120ml canola or other light oil
1 cup or 125g flour
1 large onion
1 green bell pepper
4-5 stalks celery
1/4 cup or 45g tomato paste
4 cups or 946ml shrimp or fish stock or water with stock cubes to create equivalent
Sea salt
Black pepper
Cayenne
Good handful of green onion tops
Good handful of flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 lbs or 675g fresh or frozen shrimp, weight already peeled and cleaned
6-8 fresh eggs

To serve:
Cooked white rice

Method
Peel and finely chop your onions, bell pepper and celery.

Put your oil and flour into a heavy bottomed pot and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or other heat-resistant stirring implement, like a silicone spatula. Once all the flour lumps have been dissolved, turn the fire on medium and cook, stirring frequently at first and then constantly as the roux begins to dark.

Cook and stir until your roux is about the color of an old copper penny.  (For sequential photos of the roux as it darkens, follow this link.)

Add in the chopped vegetables in all at once and stir well to mix.  The mixture will be quite stiff.

Cook the vegetables for about five minutes, stirring all the time, and then add in the tomato paste.

Stir to incorporate the tomato paste and then add in the fish stock or water and stock cubes.  Stir or whisk to combine.

Bring to the boil and then simmer, covered, for at least one hour or until you are about 20 minutes from serving your stew. Check the level periodically, and add more water if it is getting too thick for stew.

Meanwhile season your shrimp with salt, black pepper and cayenne.

When you are about 20 minutes from serving, turn up the heat on your stew until it is gently boiling again and add the shrimp to the pot.  Turn the heat down again and stir ever so gently. Check the seasoning and add salt and cayenne as needed.

Stir in the green onion tops, reserving just a little for the finished stew.

Turn the heat off so the stew stops bubbling. Crack each egg into a small bowl or cup then gently slip each into the stew.

Turn the heat back on low and cover the pot. Leave to cook until the eggs are done to your liking. My mom likes them hard cooked, so I left mine for about 14 minutes. Normally poached eggs in water take a much shorter time, but somehow in the thick sauce they take longer. After the normal 5 minutes, the whites were still completely clear! I am sure there is some thermodynamic reason but I don’t know it. Use your own judgement on this. According to some of the recipes I found, some people like the yolk still runny in shrimp stew.

Serve over hot cooked rice. We also add extra hot sauce to each bowl at the table.

Enjoy!

This month my Fish Friday Foodie friends are all sharing seafood stews and soups from around the world. I didn't go far from home for this one but still felt it was unusual enough, and from a different enough culture from middle America, to qualify. Many thanks to our host, Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla from Check out the other warming recipes our group is sharing.

• Bacalhoada (Portuguese Salt Cod Stew) by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Broget Fish Soup (Broget Fiskesuppe) by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Caldo de Camaron (Mexican Shrimp Soup) by Palatable Pastime
• Cullen Skink by Caroline's Cooking
• Moqueca - Brazilian Fish Stew by Making Miracles
• Portuguese Fish Stew - Caldeirada de Peixe by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Provencal Seafood Bisque by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Shrimp and Poached Egg Stew by Food Lust People Love
• Quick Tom Yum Goong by Sneha's Recipe

Would you like to join Fish Friday Foodies? We post and share new seafood/fish recipes on the third Friday of the month. To join our group please email Wendy at wendyklik1517 (at) gmail.com. Visit our Facebook page and Pinterest page for more wonderful fish and seafood recipe ideas.

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Mini Fruit-topped Pavlovas #BakingBloggers

These mini fruit-topped pavlovas are the perfect dessert for a dinner party or potluck.  The meringue bases can be made ahead of time then all you need to do is whip the cream and pop the fruit on top. They are so easy but look impressive.

Who owns bragging rights to the creation of pavlova is a hotly contested subject between Australians and New Zealanders so sometimes it’s fun to bring it up if you have a few at your gathering. The best part is that once you’ve let them vie for ownership for a while, you can flummox them all with more current research.

Dr. Andrew Paul Wood, a New Zealander, and Australian Annabelle Utrech have traced the origins of pavlova as we know it back to the German-speaking Habsburgs who made a certain dessert, a confection of meringue and cream and fruit, that they had “borrowed” from Spain. They named it Spanische Windtorte, which translates to wind pie. Apt for a light and fluffy meringue, don't you think?

German immigrants brought that recipe and its cousin the schaum torte or foam cake to the United States, which eventually evolved into a recipe called Forgotten Cake. It was quite popular in the 1940s, and was so called because meringue is put into a hot oven, which is then turned off and is left for at least eight hours. Forgotten cakes were originally served with a fruit filling and cream on top, but eventually busy housewives started just topping them with cream and then fresh fruit. Much like the traditional pavlova.

So how did the recipe make its way to our friends in the southern hemisphere? Wood and Utrech discovered that an American cornstarch company began importing their product to New Zealand in the 1890s, with a pavlova-type recipe on the package. So it’s really sort of American, by way of Germany and Spain.

Mini Fruit-topped Pavlovas 

No matter how it got there, pavlova is still a quintessential Australian or New Zealand dessert. A traditional fruit topping down under is passion fruit pulp but you can use whatever fruit you have on hand. Serve the mini fruit-topped pavlovas shortly after topping them as the cream will soften the meringues.

Ingredients for 4 dozen mini pavs
4 large egg whites
1 pinch salt
1 cup or 225g caster sugar (I used golden caster sugar.)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white vinegar

To serve:
1 3/4 cups or 414ml whipping cream
Selection of fresh fruit - I used 7 oz or 200g raspberries, 2 small mangoes and two kiwi fruit.

You will need 4 baking sheets, lined with parchment or silicone liners and a piping bag with a large hole tip.

Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Whisk the egg whites with the salt until they're holding firm peaks but are not stiff.

Gently add in the sugar a spoonful at time, still beating, until you've got a bowl full of shiny, thick meringue. There should be no grittiness left when you rub the meringue between your thumb and finger.

Use a sieve or sifter to sprinkle in the cornstarch, add the vanilla and vinegar, then gently fold to combine.

If you are using parchment paper without guidelines, you can use permanent marker or pencil to draw small circles as guide. Mine are about 2 inches or 5cm wide. Turn the paper over so you will be adding the meringue on the clean side.

Put the meringue in a piping bag with a large tip. Start in the middle of your circles and pipe a solid base, finishing with one more circle of meringue on top of the very outside of the base.

Put the first two pans into the oven, turn it down to 300°F or 150°C and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the meringues in for another 20 minutes, then take them out of the oven and put them in a cool dry place.

Once the first batch is out, preheat your oven again to 350°F or 180°C and repeat the process with the last two pans.

When you are ready to assemble the bite-sized pavlovas, whip the cream into soft peaks and peel and cut your fruit, if necessary. Small fruit, like raspberries, can be left whole.

Spoon a couple of teaspoons into the meringues then top with fruit.

Enjoy!

This month my Baking Blogger friends are sharing their favorite recipes with summer berries. Many thanks to our host Sue of Palatable Pastime for her behind the scenes work and this fun theme. Check out all the tasty berry recipes below.

• Bora Berry Tart by Sneha's Recipe
• Lattice Top Blackberry Pie by Palatable Pastime
• Brownie Berry Dessert Pizza by Simply Inspired Meals
• Make-Ahead Mixed Berries Baked Oatmeal by Hardly A Goddess
• Mini Fruit-topped Pavlovas by Food Lust People Love
• Mixed Berry Bubbly Pies by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Mixed Berry Cheese Danish by Cookaholic Wife
• No Churn Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream by Caroline's Cooking
• Roasted Blackberry-Cherry Tomato Chutney on Venison Medallions by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Strawberry Crisp with Pepita & Chia Seed Topping by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Strawberry Shortcake Bars by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Strawberry Shortcake Cookies by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Vegan Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake by The Baking Fairy

Baking Bloggers is a friendly group of food bloggers who vote on a shared theme and then post recipes to fit that theme one the second Monday of each month. If you are a food blogger interested in joining in, inquire at our Baking Bloggers Facebook group. We'd be honored if you would join us in our baking adventures.

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Potato Chip Crust Savory Cheesecake #FoodieExtravaganza

This crunchy potato chip crust savory cheesecake makes a great main course for Sunday brunch or a light dinner.  It’s also pretty fabulous cold in a packed lunch the next day, if you are lucky enough to have leftovers.

This month my Foodie Extravaganza group is celebrating potato chips in anticipation of National Potato Chip Day, which is March 14. Our wonderful host Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories encouraged us to make a dish, sweet or savory, that includes potato chips or to make our own homemade potato chips.

I’ve adapted this recipe from a Warm Roquefort Cheesecake created by the great Delia Smith so I’ve kept “cheesecake” in the title, but I must confess that it strikes me more as a quiche than a cheesecake. The texture is light and definitely more on the eggy side. In fact, my husband came through the door after work, as it sat on the wire rack cooling and said, “Ohh, quiche for dinner.” “I know, right?” I had to reply.

Delia, Delia, Delia. Never mind. You are still one of my idols.

Potato Chip Crust Savory Cheesecake

I have made a couple of savory cheesecakes before and loved them. Both were appetizers, the first a Shrimp Cheesecake with Herbs and Spices,  the second a Savory Zucchini Cheesecake, baked in a Bundt pan. That’s why this recipe so appealed to me. Plus, I love blue cheese.

Ingredients
For the crust:
4 oz or 115g low salt potato chips
1 oz or 25g butter, melted and cooled

For the filling:
3 large eggs
3/4 cup or 200g full fat ricotta or cottage cheese
2/3 cup or 165g fromage frais (or sub full fat plain Greek yogurt)
3 spring onions, white and green parts, finely sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 oz  or 175g blue cheese (I used a Fourme d”Ambert AOP.)

Method
Preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C and line the bottom of a 9 in or 23cm round tart pan with baking parchment.

Put your potato chips in a thick plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them. Pour the crumbed chips into a small bowl with the melted butter and mix well.

Tip the mixture into your prepared pan and use your clean hands or the back of a spoon to spread it out over the bottom and ever so slightly up the sides of the tart pan. Press it down to compact it.

N.B. If your tart pan has a removable bottom, it would be wise to set it in another larger pan before you put it in the oven.

Bake the potato chip crust in the preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. You want a nice golden crust.

While that’s baking, you can get on with the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta, fromage frais, spring onion and salt with a few good grinds of black pepper.

Don’t forget to keep checking the crust. When it is ready, remove it from the oven and set aside to cool. Turn the oven temperature down to 350°F or 180°C.

Crumble the blue cheese with a fork and fold it into the egg mixture.

Carefully pour the filling into the tart pan and sprinkle a few more grinds of black pepper to the top, if desired.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the outside is set and the middle is just the slightest bit jiggly. It will firm up more as it cools.

Leave to cool for about 15-20 minutes. Delia serves her savory cheesecake aka quiche with poached pears but I wanted a little crunch to go along with mine. I made a small salad of fresh pears with walnuts and dried cranberries dressed with a maple syrup vinaigrette. You can find that recipe right here.

Delia is absolutely spot on about pears and blue cheese. They go together so nicely.

Slice and enjoy!

And make sure you check out all the other lovely potato chip recipes we have for you today. Many thanks to our host Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories.

• A College Throwback + Potato Chip-Crusted Chocolate Tart from Culinary Adventures from Camilla
• Baked BBQ Potato Chip Crusted Pork Chops from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• How to Make Homemade Sun Dried Potato Chips from Sneha's Recipe
• Potato Chip and Roasted Cashew Cookies from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Potato Chip Crusted Salt and Vinegar Baked Cod from Palatable Pastime
• Potato Chip Crust Savory Cheesecake from Food Lust People Love
• Pretzel and Potato Chip Cookies with Butterscotch Frosting from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Salty-Sweet Potato Chip Cookies from Hardly a Goddess
• The Potato Chip Sandwich from Our Good Life

Foodie Extravaganza celebrates obscure food holidays, and we all post recipes using the same ingredient. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you!

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