Frittata! Courgette Artichoke Feta Frittata! And Tofu! (???)

Southwest 6 to gale 8, occasionally severe gale 9 at first, decreasing 5 later.

Rough or very rough, becoming moderate.

Squally showers.

Good, occasionally moderate.

Frittata is a scrambled egg pretending to be an omelette. Basically you pour scrambled eggs in a pan and let them set on low temperature. You do nothing. Just watch them set.

So what is the real difference? Omelettes demand either the addition of water or milk (depending on the school of thought) and a fast and quick cooking (not negotiable!), scrambled eggs rely mainly on their own but can have cream included and need scrambling in the pan, plus low temperature. Frittata needs medium temperature to start with, no water or cream or milk, and you don’t add the other ingredients in the pan, you add them to the raw egg and only then everything goes into the pan. Like the Spanish omelette.

But this is only your canvas; you can add to the egg mixture whatever you like. Roasted peppers, grilled aubergines, asparagus, tomatoes, smoked salmon, leftover grilled bacon, spinach, ham, cooked and sliced potatoes. I guess you can add cooked pasta to it as well. There is no stopping you. Once I added the vegetables from a leftover curry, which was not quite enough for a portion, to it.

I managed to get some grilled artichoke hearts from the deli in my supermarket. They are normally expensive but when the pot gets empty, they reduce them. So I paid only £ 1 for them. Nice start, but not quite enough. Asparagus was sold in bunches so they are out, a small courgette it is then. Eggs and feta I had, and mint and oregano is growing on my windowsill.

Nothing scares the bejesus out of your average meat- eater than the word Tofu.
I can understand it a bit. If you only think of Tofu as a substitute, you need some serious knowledge as how to get it right. But in Asia Tofu is not only a substitute, it is also used as addition. Together with meat.

Probably the best known recipe is Mapo doufu, which pairs ground pork with Tofu.

Once you ate it, you might start to think of Tofu in different terms.

So, why should you incorporate a bit more Tofu into your diet?
Very easy: less calories and less saturated fat.  Take feta with around 260kcal per 100gr. Tofu has 75kcal for the same amount. If you substitute half of your feta with tofu, you saved 100kcal. I promise you will hardly notice a change in taste and the texture will be even a bit better. You can substitute Tofu for many cheeses, just reduce you cheese amount bit by bit, while increasing your Tofu, until you come to your personal “enough” point. You might find that you are one day quite happy to go 100% Tofu, especially in egg dishes. You save calories and saturated fat without thinking about it and without the feeling: “Blast, that is boring diet food”.

Come on, give it a go, trust me in this one. I will start with a small change; after all I like my feta too.

Courgette Artichoke Feta Frittata

1 small courgette

2 large eggs (I used duck eggs)

1 sprig of fresh oregano

1 sprig of fresh mint

3 small chargrilled artichokes

50 grams of feta cheese

25 grams of firm tofu

salt and pepper to taste

Pul Biber for sprinkling

Grate your courgette and sprinkle it with a bit of salt. Let it drain in a colander, preferable in a muslin (cheesecloth). If you don’t have one, go tomorrow to your local pharmacy and explain what you are after. They are called  muslin (or Calico) arm slings or arm supports, like this, and are bigger and cheaper than from a specialist food store. You will need it for quite a few things.

If all fails, raid your Dad`s old first aid kit in the car. Older kits (and the luxury versions) have them. Chances are high that they are anyway so old that they are useless in an emergency, but nevertheless, do replace it.

Anyway, let the courgette dry out a bit and whisk the egg in a bowl. Add finely cubed feta and Tofu to it, a few leaves of fresh oregano and finely chopped fresh mint, slice the artichokes and add them to the mixture. As to the Pul Biber: I like it nicely spiced, so I add it directly to the eggs, if you are not sure, sprinkle it over the finished Frittata after you tried it on a small corner. Now squeeze as much liquid out as possible from your courgette and add it to the mixture.

Heat a bit of olive oil in a small pan (one which has a lid), but don’t let it get too hot. You just want it a bit warm, so when you add the mixture to it, it will gently start to fry it after half a minute. Turn the heat slightly down and do nothing. It will cook for about 5-7 minutes and then you see that it puffs up slightly, the bottom part is already solid and the top still a bit liquid. Put a lid on and turn the head off. Wait for 2 more minutes, lift the lid, if it is done, serve, if not let it rest another two minutes under the lid.

Verdict:

Lovely.  Just about right in regards to portion size and taste.

And I wave over the sea to a friend whom I had in mind while cooking that dish.