My Inspiration
Did you know you can make anything into a frittata? ANYTHING, I tell you!
It’s so flippin’ easy to make frittata…even when you flip it out of the pan after baking it. Easy! You’ll be impressed how much flavor and familiarity comes out of this recipe. Leeks are a thing of the past for most home cooks today, but here you’ll find they really shine with yukon potatoes, eggs from pastured hens, and delicate sprigs of fresh dill. And the best part about all frittatas?!? Well…the best part comes in layers…
You can put anything in a frittata (I know, I already said that)
You can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner
It’s so delicious room temperature AND cold! This is a fact people: frittata is arguably better when it’s NOT warm. I don’t know why, I just know it’s true.
Longevity Tips
Butter, from grass-fed cows
Butter is making a comeback! People are starting to realize that fats originating in nature, with the least amount of processing, are the healthiest fats there will ever be. Butter, from grass-fed cows, is rich in important vitamins and amino acids that optimize our brain-function and can even protect us from heart disease! It’s important to understand that there is a huge difference from grass-fed butter to conventional butter because when the cows eat grass, they convert those plant nutrients into nutrients that are essential for humans!
Just look at the color difference…grass-fed butter is yellow, and conventional butter is white. The former gets its rich color from the beta-carotene (vitamin A) content, Grass-fed butter is available at almost every grocery store now, so it’s time to make the switch. Look out for brands like Kerrygold, Organic Valley (pasture-raised), Anchor, and Vital Farms. Want to learn more about the benefits of grass-fed butter? I love this article by Authority Nutrition.
Eggs, from pasture-raised hens
Have you noticed that there are new egg cartons popping up on the grocery store shelves, and they are nearly twice the price of standard eggs? If you haven’t joined the bandwagon yet, you’re probably looking at those fancy eggs like “there’s no way I’m payin’ $7 for a carton of eggs!”. An egg from a hen that lives outdoors, under the sun, and able to roam in the soil, eating grubs and bugs galore; that’s a completely different food than a conventional egg! Conventional hens live in a chicken’s nightmare, barely seeing sunlight, eating an unnatural diet full of GMO’s and highly toxic pesticides, and don’t ever get to eat insects (chickens are not vegetarians!). Night and day results in that egg’s nutrition content.
I’ll tell you what I tell my M6M challengers: eggs are one of nature’s most complete foods and the best priced animal protein you can find!
Think about it: if you get 3-4 meals out of one carton of eggs, that is only a max of $3.50 per meal…I don’t think we can get pastured/organic/nutritious MEAT for $3.50 a person, can we? Nope. So $7 a carton is only expensive if you compare it to conventional eggs (have you SEEN the videos or photos of how these chickens are raised? Despicable. But this isn’t an argument on ethics; this is about nutrition). If you compare it to other animal proteins, $7 a carton is a STEAL! So I challenge you:
Pick up that $7 egg carton that says “Pasture-Raised”, and even Non-GMO verified, and place it in your cart. When you get home, feel the integrity of the shells when you crack them, and know that you’re blessed to have such a nutritious food at such a fair price. And feel good about feeding yourself and your family a food that is how nature truly intended it to be.
OR
Go all out, and start raising your own hens! I know. That’s crazy. And I’m crazy, because that’s what I did.
Organic Potatoes
Purchase organic potatoes whenever you can find them. Potatoes are one of the most pesticide-laden crops that we consume. (Interestingly enough, it’s not as important to buy organic sweet potatoes as it is for organic potatoes.)
Resistant Starch
A term used to describe starchy foods that resist breaking down in the stomach, thus encouraging good gut bacteria, and improving blood sugar levels. Potatoes can be a form of resistant starch if they are COOLED after cooking, and not reheated passed 130 degrees farhenheit. This is perfect for frittata because frittata is delicious cold or room temperature. Learn more about resistant starch and the many forms in this article by Mark Sisson, Author of Primal Blueprint.
Healthy Mayo
Let’s step up our Mayo game. If you’re gonna make the dipping sauce in this recipe, you should stay away from standard supermarket mayo that is made with canola or soybean oil; even if they have olive oil on the label (they are trying to trick you). Either make some homemade mayo with avocado oil (macadamia nut oil works, as well as light olive oil), or it’s time to get your hands on some quality goods and be grateful that nutritious mayo is finally on the shelves! These are the three brands I recommend:
It’s Time to Cook
Sometimes I choose to make my frittatas in a larger pan because then you get a thinner frittata. The thinner the frittata, the faster it cooks, and the more the ingredients will shine. For this recipe I slice up some leeks and yukon potatoes, sauté them in grass-fed butter, and then I pour some whisked eggs (from pasture-raised chickens) over the top. I thoughtfully tuck in some dill sprigs, because not only does it look beautiful, but the dill tastes better when you taste it in bursts…rather than dill in every single bite. So, leave your sprigs whole! Trust me.
The only thing that could take this frittata to the next level is a creamy, mustard dipping sauce. The sauce is only two ingredients; whole grain deli mustard, and primal mayo (I use water to thin it out). You truly won’t know which part you like better; the frittata or the sauce!
Have you ever worked with leeks before? They lend fantastic onion flavor that’s very mild and versatile. Here are a few photos to show you how I sliced them.
Confession:
I never used leeks or fresh dill until culinary school.
I am in love with both.
I really just have to say that dried dill is useless for everything besides ranch dressing, and even then I would prefer fresh. Dried dill can be intense, while the subtle flavor and versatility of fresh dill is impressive and exciting! I want to put sprigs of dill on everything!
Tag me in your frittata photos and tell me how much you love it…
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- 3 Tablespoons BUTTER from grass-fed cows
- 2-3 medium LEEKS
- 2 Organic YUKON POTATOES (see notes for substitutions)
- FINE SEA SALT (or Himalayan Salt)
- 8 EGGS, from pasture-raised hens
- Handful of FRESH DILL Sprigs
- 2 Tablespoons STONEGROUND DELI MUSTARD
- 2 Tablespoons NUTRITIOUS MAYO (see suggestions/photos in blog post)
- 1 Tablespoon WATER
- Set oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit
- Wash the outside of your leeks, then cut off the ends where the green starts getting darker. Save the greens to make stock (even just leeks and water makes a decent veggie stock). Now, slice the leeks in half, lengthwise. Keep the root intact (see photos below this recipe). Wash the leeks now by rinsing between the layers, but keeping each half in tact. SLICE THE LEEKS INTO HALF MOON SHAPES.
- Wash your potatoes, slice them in half lengthwise. Slice each half lengthwise again. Now SLICE THE POTATOES INTO 1/4 INCH OR THINNER little triangles.
- Using a non-stick 12 inch skillet, or largest you have, HEAT 3 TABLESPOONS OF GRASS-FED BUTTER in the pan over MEDIUM heat.
- Once the butter is melted, ADD YOUR LEEKS and cook them for 2 minutes; stirring occasionally.
- ADD THE POTATOES, and cook for another 2 minutes; stirring occasionally. If your butter is UN-salted, then add 1/2 teaspoon of fine SEA SALT with the potatoes.
- ADD 1 TABLESPOON OF WATER to the pan, turn the heat to LOW, and COVER the pan with a tight fitting lid. Let the veggies STEAM FOR 3 MINUTES.
- Meanwhile, WHISK TOGETHER 8 EGGS along with 1/2 teaspoon each of fine SEA SALT AND PEPPER.
- Remove the cover and STIR THE VEGGIES. Let it COOK 1 MORE MINUTE UNCOVERED so the water evaporates. TASTE a potato to be sure it’s soft, and check if it needs more salt.
- SLOWLY POUR YOUR WHISKED EGGS over the entire pan, and scoot the veggies around a little to encourage the eggs to reach all the crevices.
- Now, PLACE DILL SPRIGS spaced out along the top of the egg, TUCKING THEM UNDER so the egg coats the dill. Turn off the heat.
- TRANSFER YOUR FRITTATA TO THE OVEN, and set a timer for 10 MINUTES if you used a 12-inch pan (12-15 minutes for a smaller pan).
- Mix together your DIPPING SAUCE INGREDIENTS using a whisk or fork.
- Your frittata is done when you can push on the center and it’s firm.
- Slice it into triangles once your frittata has cooled. Enjoy this at room temperature or even cold! Dip in the sauce or spread the sauce on top.
- To avoid slicing your non-stick pan, or overcooking your frittata while it is "cooling down" in the hot pan, you want to flip your frittata out of the pan. First, use a butter knife to check that the frittata is not stuck to the pan around the edges. Next, take a dinner plate and place it face down on top of your frittata. Place one hand on top of the plate, and one hand on the pan handle...flip while holding firmly onto the plate and keeping the pan and plate close together! Your frittata should easily release onto the plate. Now allow it to cool for easy slicing (and delicious frittata)
- Potato Substitutions: Use cauliflower in place of potato. 1-2 cups of small florets, prepare as instructed (cooking time when steaming may increase to 5 minutes).
- Resistant Starch: A term used to describe starchy foods that resist breaking down in the stomach, improve blood sugar, encourage good gut bacteria and more. Potatoes can be a form of resistant starch if they are COOLED after cooking, and not reheated passed 130 degrees farhenheit. This is perfect for frittata because frittata is delicious cold or room temperature. Learn more about resistant starch in the post above, under Longevity Tips.
