Spring Frittata : Gluten Free : Low Carb

 

Spring frittata with asparagus, peas, wild garlic and goats' cheese

Yum, I do enjoy frittatas. How about a deep baked omelette made with whatever’s best in season. I like a combination of veg, herbs and cheese, whether that’s ricotta, goats cheese, Parmesan or mozzarella. Serve simply with a green salad, or as part of a larger meal with some bread, cured meats and cheeses 

Ingredients

Serves 6 - 8

250g/9oz leek, quartered lengthways and finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
large bunch of asparagus, sliced into small rounds, tips kept whole
200g/7oz frozen peas
60g/2¼oz wild garlic or spinach
8 (free-range) eggs
4 tbsp double (heavy) cream
35g/1¼oz Parmesan, grated
2 lemons, zest only (though you may like to squeeze a little lemon juice to serve)
butter, for greasing
120g/4½oz soft goats' cheese or ricotta
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve (optional)
sprinkle of fresh mint, wild garlic, or dill, to garnish
olive oil, to garnish
squeeze lemon juice

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
2. In a heavy based frying pan, gently fry the leek in a generous amount of olive oil until softened (you don't want any colour here so keep the temperature fairly low and take your time).
3. Season with salt, then add the asparagus and peas. Cook for a couple of minutes, then turn off the heat. Roughly chop the wild garlic (or a large handful of spinach), add to the pan and stir until it wilts.
4. In a large mixing bowl, mix the eggs, cream and Parmesan. Season generously with salt and pepper and mix really well until thoroughly combined. Then pour into the vegetable mixture from the pan, add the lemon zest and mix together.
5. To bake you need a deep-sided ovenproof pan, that is not too large (about 23cm/9in diameter and 7cm/2¾in deep). A smaller deep frying pan would also work well, as would a deep 20cm/8in or 23cm/9in round cake tin (though you should line the base with baking paper). Butter your chosen dish generously, rubbing the sides and base liberally, this stops the frittata sticking.
6. Pour the frittata mixture into the prepared pan or tin and dot with the goats' cheese or ricotta. Making sure that each slice will have a good chunk of cheese. Bake for around 20–25 minutes, depending on your oven and thickness of pan this will vary. To test, pull it out of the oven and give the pan a wobble, you can easily tell if its still liquid or not, it should be set but with a slight wobble (don’t cook until it's set like a rock).
7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Turn out by flipping onto a chopping board, then again flip onto a plate, to have it cheese side up.
8. Serve as it is or with a sprinkle of fresh mint, wild garlic, or dill. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, squeeze of lemon and crack of black pepper. Enjoy!

Each serving provides

14.4g protein, 4.4g carbohydrate (of which 3.1g sugars), 14.2g fat (of which 5.6g saturates), 2.7g fibre and 0.53g salt.

Recipe tips

i) Frittatas are as delicious hot and melting from the oven as they are cold on a long walk. You can make them throughout the year, pumpkin in winter, tomato and courgette in summer and in spring you have a wealth of options. I think once you get the very simple technique, it’s a great recipe to play with and use up whatever veg and cheese you have available.
ii) If you are using spinach instead of wild garlic, another herb is great here. You could add a handful of chopped fresh dill, some mint, even both together... and how about baking frittata’s with sage leaves brushed with olive oil on top.

From idea seen here

For readers who may like a Vegan Frittata ... have a look here

You will find a variety of recipe ideas within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. Always take account of your personal circumstances, needs, illnesses and medication you may be taking. Any allergies, or underlying health issues must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan