My little sister is in town!!!! Shawnee is such a trooper. With all of the confusion that a move brings to little ones, not to mention all the newness of the holidays, my 3-year-old is having a TOUGH time figuring out her emotions. We have managed to have a few bright moments in the middle of the chaos, though, and I'm so glad Shawn got to stay with us for a couple of days (even if she doesn't share the sentiment! HA) One of my favorite moments from this weekend was breakfast on Sunday (which was immediately followed by a three-hour meltdown). BUT writing this recipe helps me remember the good parts before that meltdown and how much I always love cooking with my sis. It is such a privilege to live in a family of women who love food as much as me!
So, here it is -- the easiest Thanksgiving guest breakfast ever. It's quintessentially Fall, and makes an impressive and festive presentation despite its simplicity. People get a kick out of there being a little wine in the eggs--a trick I learned in Tamar Adler's Everlasting Meal (my favorite food book). I do hope you'll try this one this week. Let me know what you think!
I don't recommend blue cheese crumbles for this. If you're gonna go for it, do the real deal blue cheese. You'll thank me later, when you have a little cheese and to serve with dates and honey and the rest of that bottle of wine as a mid-day snack.
Butternut Squash Crusted Frittata with Blue Cheese and Crispy Kale
Serves 4 as a light breakfast or 2 as a meal at dinnertime
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
Smoked paprika
Ground nutmeg
Ground cumin
8 Extra large eggs
1/2 Cup heavy or cream (or whole milk, if that's what you have on hand)
2-3 Tbsp Vermouth (or any dry white wine you happen to have in the house)
4 Oz good blue cheese
1 Cup kale, torn into very small pieces
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375.
Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a 12 inch oven-proof frying pan on medium, and add the butternut squash cubes. Season with salt and pepper. If they start to get too brown before they're soft, add a little water to the pan and cover with a tight fitting lid to allow the squash to steam. This will help cook them through without letting them burn. When I made this recipe, I ended up using this steaming method 2 or three times before the squash was done.
Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the cream and vermouth (or wine), and season with salt and pepper.
Toss the tiny bits of kale with the remaining Tbsp of olive oil and the lemon juice, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and set aside.
When the squash is easily pierced with a fork, it's ready for the next step. You don't want it completely mushy or it'll fall apart. Just tender. Season the squash with the paprika, nutmeg and cumin and toss 1-2 more minutes just to toast them a little.
Turn the heat down to low and add in the eggs, whisking once more just before pouring them in. Add the blue cheese in little chunks, dotting the top of the eggs all over with cheesy goodness. Finally, evenly distribute the kale all over the eggs, some will sink. but some will poke out of the top a little. That part will get nice and crispy in the oven and add a pleasant, crunchy texture to the top of the frittata.
Put the pan into the oven for 12 minutes. Watch it closely at around the 10 minute mark. It's done when the eggs are just a tiny bit jiggly on top, in the middle. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a few minutes before serving.
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