Ham and Swiss Chard Frittata

A Frittata is an egg-based dish similar to an omelette or crustless quiche that is enriched with additional ingredients such as meats, cheeses, vegetables or pasta. It may also be flavored with herbs.

The Italian word frittata derives from fritta, the feminine past participle of “to fry” (friggere), and was originally a general term for cooking eggs in a skillet, anywhere on the spectrum from fried eggs through conventional omelettes, to an Italian version of the Spanish tortilla de patatas, made with fried potato. Outside Italy, frittata was seen as equivalent to “omelette” until at least the mid-1950s. In the last fifty years, “frittata” has become a term for a distinct variation that has been described as “Italy’s version of an open-face omelette”. When used in this sense there are four key differences from a conventional omelette:

1. There is always at least one optional ingredient in a frittata and such ingredients are combined with the beaten egg mixture while the eggs are still raw rather than being laid over the mostly-cooked egg mixture before it is folded, as in a conventional omelette. Eggs for frittata may be beaten vigorously to incorporate more air than traditional savory omelettes, to allow a deeper filling and a fluffier result.
2. The mixture is cooked over a very low heat, more slowly than an omelette, for at least 5 minutes, typically 15, until the underside is set but the top is still runny.
3. The partly cooked frittata is not folded to enclose its contents, like an omelette, but it is instead either turned over in full, or grilled briefly under an intensesalamander to set the top layer, or baked for around five minutes.
4. Unlike an omelette, which is generally served whole to a single diner, a frittata is usually divided into slices. It may be served hot or cold, accompanied by fresh salads, bread, beans, olives, etc.

This Ham and Swiss Chard frittata recipe is so satisfying and delicious, the fact it’s so good for you is just an added bonus. You can make this recipe using other greens such as arugula or spinach instead of swiss chard – or add in any leftover vegetables you prefer.

Ham and Swiss Chard Frittata

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 3 large pieces Ham, chopped
• 1 medium Onion, chopped
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, washed and stems removed, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 8 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until almost translucent. Stir in the ham and cook until heated through.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the Swiss chard. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the greens are wilted. Add the garlic, salt, pepper and pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute.

Pour in the eggs and cook stirring for about 5 minutes or until the eggs begin to set. Transfer all to a greased baking dish.

Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top and place dish under a preheated broiler, about 8 inches from the heat for 4-5 minutes or until the top is browned and the eggs are set. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving in wedges.

BBQ Chicken and Cheddar Omelet

In cuisine, an omelette (or omelet) is a dish made from beaten eggs quickly cooked with butter or oil in a frying pan, sometimes folded around a filling such as cheese, vegetables, meat, or some combination of the above. To obtain a fluffy texture, whole eggs or sometimes only egg whites are beaten with a small amount of milk, cream or water – the idea being to have “bubbles” of water vapor trapped within the rapidly cooked egg. Some home cooks add baking powder to produce a fluffier omelette; however, this ingredient is viewed unfavorably by traditionalists.

The omelette is a refined version of an ancient food. The French word omelette came into use during the mid-16th century, but the versions alumelle and alumete are employed by the Ménagier de Paris (II, 5) in 1393. Rabelais (Pantagruel, IV, 9) mentions an homelaicte d’oeufs, Olivier de Serres an amelette, François Pierre La Varenne’s Le cuisinier françois (1651) has aumelette, and the modern omelette appears in Cuisine bourgoise (1784).

According to the founding legend of the annual giant Easter omelette of Bessières, Haute-Garonne, when Napoleon Bonaparte and his army were traveling through southern France, they decided to rest for the night near the town of Bessières. Napoleon feasted on an omelette prepared by a local innkeeper that was such a culinary delight that he ordered the townspeople to gather all the eggs in the village and to prepare a huge omelette for his army the next day.

On March 19, 1994, the largest omelette (1,383 ft²) in the world at the time was made with 160,000 eggs in Yokohama, Japan, but it was subsequently overtaken by an omelette made by the Lung Association in Brockville Memorial Centre, Ontario, Canada on May 11, 2002 — it weighed 2.95 tons!

BBQ Chicken and Cheddar Omelette

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
• 1 Teaspoon BBQ Sauce
• ¼ Cup Rotisserie Chicken meat, shredded
• 3 Eggs
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• ¼ Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
• 1 Tablespoon Green Onions, sliced

Melt the butter into a non-stick skillet over medium high heat.

Add BBQ sauce to the chicken and mix well.

Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper until combined and frothy; add to pan.  Allow the eggs to cook for 1 minute.

Using a wooden spatula, carefully lift the cooked portions of the egg from the pan, allowing the runny portions to reach the heat–do not scramble.  Continue in this manner until no runny portion remains.  Generously arrange chicken, cheese, and green onions onto one side of the egg mixture.  Using a spatula, fold over the other side.  Continue to cook until cheese is melted.

Serve immediately.