I can’t believe I watched the whole thing!!!!  Stayed up til the bitter end of the Super Bowl (or “The American Football Super Bowl” as referred to here), including post-game.  In the UK.  Till 3:30am.  Being a bit bleary-eyed and sleep-deprived (we didn’t have the post-Super Bowl snow day that most of the US mid-west and east coast got), coupled with the fact that David is out of town so it’s just me and the girls, my dinner plans are not at their most inspired.  Plus my Tesco grocery delivery doesn’t arrive until tomorrow, so the cupboards and fridge are pretty bare bones.

But dinner isn’t going to make itself, so it’ll be a Frittata Night.  Frittata Nights = no meal planned, not a lot of time, not a lot of food in the pantry, still want to feed my family something healthy and not resort to Domino’s delivery.

All you truly need to make Frittata Nights happen are eggs, milk and ideally an onion and some garlic.  The rest is up to you.  That’s what I love about master recipes like this frittata:  they show you the basic technique and amounts, but you add in what you particularly like or have on hand.   Tonight I’m throwing in feta cheese, potato, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and basil.  In particular, leftover veggies from the night before make for a nice frittata – so don’t throw those bits away.  Frittatas for dinner can be accompanied by a green salad.  If you’re making it for breakfast or brunch, serve it with toast.

Here are some other favorite combos:

• potato, bacon, kale and sharp cheddar
• broccoli, tomato, feta and parsley
• asparagus, mushroom and gruyere
• tuna, arugula/rocket, olives and parmesan
• peas, red pepper, ham and mild cheddar or colby jack

Have fun experimenting and know that if you have a hectic day without a lot of time to cook or shop, you can always make it a Frittata Night.

Frittata (serves 4)

Note: This is a master frittata recipe that you can adapt to any tastes or ingredients – it is very forgiving.  It’s best if you include a cheese as one of the ingredients as it gives a flavor boost and ensure it doesn’t taste dry.  See favorite ingredient combos above.

10 eggs

1/2 cup (120 ml) milk

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup (75 grams) chopped onion (about 1/2 of a medium-sized onion)

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 1/2 cups (600 ml) filling – diced vegetables, shredded cheese, diced cooked meat

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Preheat oven to broiler setting.  Whisk eggs, milk and a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium-sized bowl.  If using cheese, stir into the egg mixture (I usually add about a 1/2 cup cheese).  Set aside.

In a 10″nonstick, oven-safe skillet, heat the olive oil and onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  When onions begin to get translucent, after about 5 minutes, add garlic and cook for 1 minute, closely monitoring heat to avoid browning.  Add any vegetables, starting with those that take longer to soften (i.e. potatoes, carrots).  Cook over medium heat, adding any additional vegetables and/or meat, until softened and warmed through.

Increase heat to medium-high.  Add egg mixture and stir.  Once the bottom is beginning to set (you can tell by lifting up the side with a spatula),  go around the side of the skillet with a spatula, lifting the sides, allowing the uncooked egg mixture to flow under.  Continue doing this until the frittata is mostly cooked, but the top is still wet. Remove skillet from stove and place in the oven under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, until the top is lightly browned.  Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes.

Place a large plate (must be larger than the skillet) atop the skillet.  Holding it firmly in place against the skillet, flip the skillet over and set plate on counter top.  Gently ease the frittata out of the skillet – it should slip quite easily onto the plate; if not, help it out with a spatula.  Cut into wedges and serve.