Sweet Potato Frittata

I did say I wanted today to be a Vegetarian Day, right?  Here's to a beautiful start.   First of all I love frittatas.  I don't make them often, unfortunately.  They do take a while.  When I DO make a frittata it is typically packed full of veggies such as spinach, mushroom and leeks.  Red bell peppers, onions & spinach.  Red potatoes, green bell peppers & onions.  (I like color.)  Or whatever veggie I'm hankering for at the time.  But always with sliced tomato and a little swiss cheese on top.  That's a must.

So this morning the daughter and I cracked out the cast iron skillet, knife and cutting board and got to work making a masterpiece!

 

Sweet Potato Frittata

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil or butter

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into slices

1 red bell pepper, cut into slices

1 zucchini, cut into slices

1/4 cup chopped green onions

8-12 large eggs (seriously....see below)

Dried basil, to taste

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 large tomato, cut into slices

1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Before I begin, do you know how hard it was to remember the ingredients to write them down?   This isn't a science!  This is ART!  I need a nap now.

* A frittata must be made in a cast iron skillet because you have to cook it on the stove at first but then finish it in the oven.  It's kind of like a giant omelet, only you don't turn it and the veggies (or meat) are all mixed in with the eggs.  If you let it cook only on the stove, the bottom will burn and the middle will be raw.

I ran out of olive oil and refuse to cook with the evil vegetable oil in the cupboard.  But butter, blessed, pure, unsalted butter, is always in this house.  

1. Melt/Heat 2-3 tbsp of butter (or olive oil) in a cast iron skillet (see above!*)
2. Add the sliced sweet potatoes to the skillet and cook them on medium heat for approximately 8 minutes, turning often, until they are soft.  You should be able to easily cut them in half with a spatula.  They will also start to brown.
3. Add the red bell peppers, zucchini and green onions to the skillet and continue to stir until they are crisp-tender, approximately 4 minutes.
4. In a bowl, whisk 8 eggs vigorously.  You want lots of air in them to make them fluffy.  Add some basil, sea salt and black pepper, to taste, to the eggs and mix well.  Pour the eggs in the skillet.   Now on to why I said 8-12 eggs - if the veggies stick out of the top of the eggs, whisk more eggs (with more basil, salt & pepper) and add it to the top.  We ended up using 11 eggs.   You don't want them completely covered, but you want the veggies & eggs to be even.  
5. Lift the veggies underneath with a spatula so the egg will go under.
6. Place the sliced tomatoes on top of the egg & veggie mixture.
7. Sprinkle with swiss cheese.
8. Put a little more basil, sea salt & black pepper on top if you desire.
9. Cook on low heat for approximately 10 minutes.
10. With the oven rack in the middle, turn the oven to broil (hopefully you can do this...if not, skip to the next step) and place the skillet in the oven for 2-3 minutes until the top is brown.
11. Check to see if it is done (it won't be) - change the oven temperature to 375 F and change the rack to the top shelf.  Put the skillet back in and let it cook for approximately 5-8 minutes until the eggs are set.
12. Remove from oven, sprinkle with parsley.  Cut into wedges and enjoy!