Some flavours are just meant to be together. They are the marriages that have stood the test of time. Combinations such as tomatoes and basil, bananas and peanut butter, apples and cinnamon, strawberries and cream. They are always there for you, and you know they will always just WORK.
Being someone who grew up by the Mediterranean, I am predisposed to be partial to the union of zucchini, tomato, feta or goat’s cheese and fragrant oregano. (Eggplant is also often a member of this mouth-watering team, like in this veggie bake, but I chose to leave it out in this particular application). These simple, fresh and vibrant flavours, to me, scream of the ocean breeze, the warm weather and the familiarity of that beautiful region I spent most of my life around.
I have already spoken in detail about all the reasons I love frittatas in my Pumpkin Frittata post, so I won’t go into that again. I’m gonna keep this short and just leave you with the photos and recipe (*GASP*, I know! Who AM I?).
Let me just tell you that it is pretty great to get home after a long and exhausting day and be able to put together this incredibly satisfying, affordable, delicious, healthy and nearly effortless meal in a mere 30-40 minutes (most of which is oven time). It is also pretty great to take leftovers to work the next day (if you somehow manage to have any). Obviously, this also works wonderfully as a savoury breakfast, perfect for feeding a crowd.
Overall greatness right here, in its simplest and most gratifying forms.
Mediterranean Vegetable Frittata
Ingredients
- 8 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 small zucchini, ends trimmed, cut into 1cm bite-size pieces (unpeeled)
- 1 small red capsicum (sweet pepper), cut into bite-size pieces
- 150 g cherry tomatoes plus extra on-the-vine for presentation, optional
- 1 long red chilli, deseeded & finely sliced optional
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves or 1 tsp. dried
- 80-100 g feta cheese (or goats cheese), crumbled
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F)
- In a bowl, crack the eggs and add the milk, season with salt & pepper and whisk thoroughly. Set aside.
- Add half the oil (about 1.5 tbsp.) to an oven-proof pan (preferably a cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the zucchini and sauté for about 4-6 minutes, until nicely browned. (The zucchini will still be firm and just partly cooked, as it will continue to cook in the oven). Remove the zucchini to a plate, set aside.
- Add the rest of the oil to the pan, and add the capsicum and the tomatoes. Sauté for 4 minutes until the tomatoes are beginning to burst and peppers are getting some colour on them, then add the chilli (if using). Cook for a minute more, then return the zucchini to the pan and season the mixture well. Sprinkle on the oregano, then pour in the egg mixture. Crumble the feta cheese on top evenly and place the vine cherry tomatoes in the center (if using).
- Cook for just 2-3 minutes till the bottom begins to set, then transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes until just set. Turn on the oven's broiler to brown the top for about 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes
- If you don’t own a cast iron skillet or a stainless steel oven-proof pan, you can just cook the veggies in a regular non stick pan and then transfer them with the egg mixture to a greased baking dish or cake pan that has been left to preheat in the oven for a good 10-15 minutes or so, so that it is nice and hot when you pour your ingredients in. This will help the cooking process to continue seamlessly and not take ages in the oven.
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Feel free to add more or less vegetables or aromatics like onion and garlic, or change up the herbs/cheese as you like.
