Broccoli & Pepper Jack Frittata

Frittatas are the answer. As long as you have eggs, frittatas will solve your problems. All you have to do is trust in the way of the frittata.

When I want to feed a crowd, I make a frittata. When I want to use up all of the almost-at-the-end-of-their-life veggies in the fridge, I make a frittata. When I am feeling extra organized and want to make a breakfast we can eat all week, I make a frittata. 

Heck, when the fridge is looking really bleak and I have to get dinner on the table, what is always there as a fall back? Good old frittata. 

I make a frittata at least once a week, because you really can just put whatever you have on hand in a pan and fill in the cracks with egg. 

This particular frittata calls for broccoli, a bit of bell pepper, potatoes, and pepper jack cheese (plenty of pepper jack!). It's simple, but it's killer. It's the kind of frittata I would serve to guests (I use fresh veggies for the guests, of course ... not those wilting veggies I mentioned earlier, of course! 😝) 

And you know me, impatient as always: frittata comes together quickly, too!

Broccoli & Pepper Jack Frittata

Published September 19, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 9   |    Total Time: 50 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets  
• 1 medium Yukon Gold potato  
• 1 red bell pepper  
• 1/4 white onion  
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic  
• 6 eggs  
• 1/4 cup milk of choice  
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt  
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil  
• 3/4 cup shredded pepper jack

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish with 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Set aside.
2. Dice the potato into bite-sized cubes, chop the broccoli into bite sized pieces, and dice the onion and bell pepper.
3. Heat remaining tablespoon coconut oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Once the oil is hot, add potatoes, broccoli, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender. The onion should be softened. Scrape veggies into the prepared baking dish.
4. Sprinkle ½ cup cheese over vegetables.
5. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk of choice, black pepper and salt. Pour over vegetable mixture. Place in oven, bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top, and bake for 5 minutes more. Remove from oven. Eggs should be set. Allow to cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Roasted Corn & Chicken Salad with Avocado

In my neck of the woods, the mountains seem to tower over you and the city in a way that makes both feel small. Driving towards them I often wonder what it was like to be a pioneer, venturing across the plains in a covered wagon and then (then!) laying eyes on the towering Rockies ahead. What a mixture of thoughts they must've had: awestruck by the peaks, worried about the journey ahead. And just imagine how many sunsets they watched, day after day moving no more than 15 or 20 miles ahead of where they started. What a life that was. 

You would never know it from my participation in history classes, but one of my favorite things to ponder is what happened "way back when". When I consider why I am so intrigued by history, two things stick out at me.

First, I think of the afternoons my mom and I used to spend hopping from antique store to antique store. How proud I was when I bought my first antique! In proper Caitlin-fashion, it was a kitchen supply: a silver tray with matching silver glasses, meant for serving aperitifs (though in grade school I'm sure I just thought they kid sized glasses). 

But I also get hung up on something, and this is reason number two: I don't know my heritage. On my mom's side, there are guesses but nothing is fact. On my dad's side, everything has been over simplified. I want to know the details! As a teen I spent an absurd amount of time looking up surnames and piecing together random tidbits of information.  What I think I know is that most of my ancestors are Native American--something I quite enjoy thinking about. The original tenders of this very land I stand on now. But of course, this is just what I think I know. 

What doesn't escape my wandering thoughts is the history of food: What did my ancestors eat? (As hunters and gathers, when did they first eat traditional crops, like corn?) What did ancient corn taste like? (Certainly not like the corn used in this dish) Did people like jalapeños when they first tasted them? How did they ever figure out how to ferment cacao pods and create xocoatl? 

Oh how I could ponder for hours on hours! Have you ever seeked answers like these? Have you taken any DNA test to learn more? Which one? What did you think? I have been debating taking one, just to satisfy my curiosity. 

Roasted Corn & Chicken Salad with Avocado

Published July 6, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

   |     Print This Recipe

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 pound chicken, diced to bite-sized pieces
• 1 summer squash, diced
• 1/2 of a medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves or garlic, minced
• 3 cobs of corn, with the kernels sliced off and the cobs discarded
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• Dash salt & pepper
• Dash cumin 
• Dash paprika 
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced 
• 1 avocado, diced
• 2 cups baby arugula (or chopped kale, or both) 
• 1 jalapeño, sliced
• 1/4 cup queso fresco or feta, crumbled

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil over medium heat until the oil glistens. Add the chicken, searing on one side. When the chicken pieces are browned on the bottom, flip and cook them on the other side until browned. Use a slotted spoon to move the chicken to a plate and set aside.
2. Add diced summer squash, onion, minced garlic, corn, and red bell pepper to the pan. Sauté until the summer squash is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken back to the pan, and stir to combine. Stir in the salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and cilantro.
3. To serve: lay the arugula on a serving dish in an even layer. Top with the chicken corn mixture. Then, arrange diced avocado and sliced jalapeño on top. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Greek Cauliflower Rice with Feta and Olives

The food processor. It is tucked away high in a cupboard above our fridge, behind mixing bowls. Getting the food processor out means getting out my folding kitchen stool, clearing off the top of the fridge (this is actually a chore, with the amount of stuff we keep up there), and pulling 4 pieces down from three separate shelves (the base, the bowl, the lid, and any blades or attachments). And that's just to get the thing out: don't get me started on dishwashing. 😒

I avoid it. Need a half-cup of shredded cheese? I'll grate it by hand. You'd like those radishes sliced thin? Give me the chopping knife. But some times, on really rare occasions, it's worth it. Like when making almond flour pie crust. Or when making a really, really big batch of pesto, or shredding cauliflower into rice. 

Cauliflower rice isn't a regular menu item around here (we will just eat regular old rice) but the summer sun has me in the mood for light dishes. And you know how dearly I love cauliflower, so it has to be no surprise to you that I'm up for one more way to eat it. And, hey, here's a pro tip: if you hate getting your fancy food processor out as much as I do, you can buy cauliflower, pre-riced at Trader Joe's and the stuff is pretty good. Sure you don't get to see your pretty head of cauliflower in it's full and beautiful form before it gets shredded, but you do save about 20 minutes when all is said and the dish are washed, and I think that's worth it, especially on a week night. 

Something else I've been in the mood for? Feta cheese. It's has been finding it's way into all sorts of meals around here lately: everything-but-the-kitchen-sink salads, breakfast omelettes, burger tops, and sautés. The Costco-sized container lasted us not but a week, but still, enough time to make this Greek-inspired cauliflower dish a few times. 

What happens when you find yourself a Costco-sized container of feta and an easy-peasy way to make cauliflower rice? Well, why don't you just make this recipe to find out 😉

Greek Cauliflower Rice with Feta and Olives

Published June 22, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 large shallot, diced
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 pound cauliflower, riced or shredded in food processor (you can buy it pre-shredded at Trader Joe’s in the produce section)
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives (kalamata is great, but any black olive with do)
• 1/3 cup minced parsley, plus more for garnish
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. When the oil glistens, add the diced shallot. Sauté until transparent.
2. Add the cauliflower rice to the pan. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow the cauliflower to brown a bit, and then remove from heat. Stir in the parsley, olives, and feta, and season with salt & pepper to taste. Garnish with extra parsley if desired. Serve warm.