Everyone should have a frittata in their cooking repertoire. It’s a wonderful brunch option or makes a quick light dinner. And once you know the basics, you can let your imagination run wild with combinations. Just don’t skimp on oiling your pan with whatever fat you are using, have your oven hot enough and you will have success. Leftovers can even make an un-sad desk lunch.

Asparagus and Mushroom Frittata with Goat Cheese

Yield: 4-6 servings with salad and bread

Ingredients

8 large eggs, preferably brown, cage free

1 pound of asparagus, trimmed and cut into thirds

8 ounces of mushrooms, sliced

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

3-4 ounces of fresh goat cheese

1 -2 Tablespoons fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, parsley – any one or a mixture)

2 Tablespoon of milk (any kind will do as long as it isn’t sweetened)

Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Generous 1/2 teaspoon crushed, dried oregano or thyme

EVOO for the pan plus 2 Tablespoons of butter OR all EVOO

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Pour 1 Tablespoon of EVOO and 2 Tablespoons of butter into a 10 inch no-stick oven-safe pan. (You can also use a well-seasoned cast iron pan.) Lightly saute the vegetables, including the garlic, until they just begin to soften and the asparagus turn bright green. The pan will be very full. That’s what you want. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and milk with a wire whisk until foamy. Add the salt, pepper and fresh herbs. Pour the vegetables into the eggs and mix through.
3. Oil the pan you used for the vegetables or spray it well with something like Pam. This should be the bottom and sides. Heat the pan on medium heat.
4. Pour the egg and vegetable mixture into the pan, just making sure that the vegetables are more or less evenly distributed. Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.
5. After 10 minutes, uncover the pan. The edges of the frittata will have begun to solidify but th ecenter will still be pretty liquidy. Scatter the goat cheese over the top. Place the pan, uncovered into the preheated oven. The frittata will puff up some and finish baking in the oven. It can take up to another 10 minutes but keep an eye on it since ovens are different.
   

   

   
6. Once the frittata looks finished, remove the pan from the oven and allow it to rest for 2 minutes. With a thin spatula, carefully loosen the frittata from the pan. If the pan was no-stick and well-oiled, it won’t even need that – just a good shake. Unmold the frittata onto a cutting board or serving tray and cut into quarters with a large, sharp knife.