Makes a lovely brunch or treat for Mom

Mmm...spinach feta frittata
Credit: jeffreyw on flickr / Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

One bowl, less mess

No frying pan required

I used to think frittatas would take too long to make.

Most recipes call for a fry pan to be used to first saute vegetables, then later to combine them with the egg mixture (in another fry pan) before it ends up being baked (in yet another pan) in the oven. And lastly, you are required to take it out of the oven, add cheese, and then broil it.

Blah.

That's too much work and too many pans to clean (for me). But then again, I'm a "staple your hem" kinda chick. Plus I don't want to make my man-servant work that hard.

Back in February, I wrote about Mardi Gras and included a gluten-free baked pancake recipe. I was surprised that many readers had never heard of a baked pancake before. What I love about that recipe is that there's very little effort required.

And so, I began to search for a one bowl, one pan frittata recipe. Finally I found it in a short 3 minute video (shown next) by Matt Johnson with Ontario Living in series called Recipe of the Month. Oh, and Matt looks like he'd definitely make an excellent man-servant.

How to make a healthy egg frittata

Recipe (and variations) follow this clip

One Bowl Mini Frittatas

Prep: 12 mins | Total: 25 - 29 mins

*Not only is this recipe easy, but the almond milk creates a more fluffy and light tasting frittata.
 
Ingredients:
2 sprays of extra-virgin olive oil (on baking pan)
8 eggs (organic, free-range)
1/2 cup almond milk*
2 tbsp. grated cheese (parmesan, cheddar, or swiss are lovely)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup asparagus with ends cut off (or chopped spinach)
a few pinches of sea salt & freshly ground pepper
Optional: cherry tomatoes (halved or quartered if large) or serve with ketchup (Matt likes ketchup)
 
Directions:
Ensure oven rack is adjusted (if need be) so that pan will be centered in your oven and preheat to 375 F (190 C). Spray a 12-muffin pan (or an 8" square baking pan) with extra-virgin olive oil.
 
In a large bowl, whisk 8 eggs together, then add remaining ingredients (almond milk, grated cheese, green onions, asparagus or spinach, salt, pepper, and optional cherry tomatoes). Combine well (using the same whisk).
 
Using a measuring cup or soup ladle, scoop out egg mixture and pour into prepared muffin tin or pan. Place in oven and bake for 10 - 15 minutes. Serve with ketchup, if desired.

Pure French Gray Sea Salt (unprocessed)

Coarse Gray Sea Salt From Guérande 3.3 Oz Grinder Bottle
Amazon Price: $5.74 Buy Now
(price as of Jun 15, 2014)
Sea salt from Guerande, France is considered the world's finest salt.[1] If you've ever had freshly ground pepper, you know that it tastes much better than flecks. Same holds true with sea salt - which is why I prefer the Brittany brand which has a grinding mechanism right in the lid.

Note: Sorry, I cannot correct the Amazon titles (in blue). Guerande has an accent aigu over the first "e" when it displays correctly.

How to taste test sea salt (or any salt)

Jenny's Twisted Tip - Sea Salt (only 33 seconds):

Sure, I've been served breakfast in bed

So I'll let you in on a few tips guys

You know those serving trays that come with the short legs that sit atop the mattress? Forget them, they suck.

Here's why:

1) The second she puts her palms on the bed to straighten herself up, the table gets unbalanced (and the coffee and juice spill).

2) As soon as your dog, cat, or child leans (or jumps) on the bed - same deal. The drinks spill or worse, food goes flying.

3) Nothing ruins breakfast in bed for a woman more than having to wash and clean bedding the same day. (And there's a good chance that she's going to be the one cleaning the mess).

4) As you can well imagine, the gent shown in the next video would've had his junk scalded had there been hot coffee on that serving tray.

5) If you are sans kids, you might have been hoping for a little after-breakfast romance (so don't chance it with some crappy serving tray).

Notice how at the 1:52 point, hot coffee

or juice would've spilled right on this guy's lap:

Here's the solution

and it doubles as a computer table too

Over Bed Table
Amazon Price: $84.99 $60.00 Buy Now
(price as of Jun 15, 2014)
I like this over-the-bed table the most since it's easy to put together, has a chrome-plated base for stability, and adjusts from 27.5" to 42" high. Another point: this table doesn't tilt or swivel (which makes me breathe a little easier). I once owned a cheap plastic U-table and the tilt adjustment notch broke (not good). I also use this as a computer table and it comes in handy for potting plants.

Lastly, get a thermal coffee carafe

If you're going to go to all that trouble and effort to make her breakfast in bed, the last thing you want to do is return to the kitchen to get more coffee.

A few years ago, I attended a conference out of town and was served a lovely breakfast with plenty of coffee sitting in a carafe on my tray. Oh, I was so impressed by that carafe full of coffee that I forget what my breakfast was now.

I mean, who has only one 6 oz. cup of coffee in the morning?

The brand name of the carafe began with a "Z" (that much I remembered) and fortunately I found the exact same one on Amazon (shown next).

Zojirushi Thermal Carafe

If romance is in the air, don't leave the room

Zojirushi Thermal Carafe
Amazon Price: $28.00 $26.74 Buy Now
(price as of Jun 15, 2014)
This bad boy has a vacuum glass liner. I prefer this type of carafe since there's no plastic or metallic taste to my coffee. You can even brew directly into it using a manual drip coffee filter cone. It holds 1 liter (or about 34 ounces). Keeps coffee (or other beverages) hot for at least 8 hours.