Saturday, December 18, 2010

Alton Brown's Squash Frittata

Nick and I love the show Good Eats, featuring our favorite Food Network star Alton Brown. The reason we like it so much is because he doesn't just cook, but he teaches us about food science. It's truly an educational and entertaining thirty minutes. Speaking of food science, have you seen the show Brew Masters? It's a show all about one of my favorite brews; Dogfish Head Beer. It's one of the most interesting shows I've ever watched. If I hadn't gone into dietetics, I would have chosen food science as my major. I really think it's fascinating, especially when the knowledge is used to create something healthy and delicious!





Ok, so anyway, after watching Alton make frittata on his squash episode, which aired earlier in the fall, Nick and I both knew we had to try it. I found it online after the show but when I went to make it of course I couldn't find it online anywhere! I did manage to find a different frittata recipe by Alton Brown, which can be found here. The recipe below is a slightly modified version (of course!).


Alton Brown's Squash Frittata

Ingredients

1 pound yellow squash, sliced about 1/8 inch thick
1 T EVOO
1 T chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 t salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
6 large eggs
(** Want to make this recipe lighter? Use egg beaters! 1.5 cups of egg beaters would equal 6 large eggs**)

1/2 cup reduced fat ricotta cheese
1/2 ounce parmesan cheese



Directions

1. Heat the oven to the high broil setting and place the rack 3-4 inches from the broiler.

2. Gab a medium bowl and toss the squash slices with the oil, rosemary, nutmeg, and pepper. Lay the coated squash in a single layer on a baking pan, which has been lined with foil.

3. Broil until the squash is golden brown on one side (~4 minutes)

4. Whisk the eggs, ricotta, and parmesan together in a medium mixing bowl. Put the browned squash in an oven-safe nonstick saute pan (~ 10 inches wide). Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the squash and use a spatula to make sure some of the mixture gets under the squash.

5. Cook without stirring until the egg mixture starts to harden on the sides and set on the top (~4 minutes). Put the pan under the broiler until the frittata is nice and brown on the top (**watch carefully!! I burned mine the first time!!**).

6. Take out of oven and scoop onto a baking sheet to cool for several minutes.


Nick and I had his mom and sister over for dinner on this particular night. We served the frittata with some good red wine and a side spinach salad.


Alton, you never fail to impress me. My new year's resolution (well, one of them) is to get through more of his recipes from his cookbook I received for Christmas last year. So far I think I've make three things. Yikes.


QUESTION: Have you ever made frittata? Have you ever tried any recipes from Alton Brown?

25 comments :

  1. No and no to your questions...this makes me think I might need to change this! Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Eric and I watch Good Eats and Brew Masters haha. I think Eric was on a hunt to get dogfish but I forgot if he said he succeeded in that hunt or not haha.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love Good Eats too. The science behind everything is always fascinating, and the recipes are always good eats! I've been meaning to catch Brew Masters forever now! I really want to check it out. I just had a chance to try Dogfish Head's world beer. Pretty flavorful.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love Good Eats too. The science behind everything is always fascinating, and the recipes are always good eats! I've been meaning to catch Brew Masters forever now! I really want to check it out. I just had a chance to try Dogfish Head's world beer. Pretty flavorful.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I grew up eating fritatta's! As an Italian they were staples for bruch after church on Sunday's when I was a kid. My favourtie one that Mom makes has onions, green peppers and homemade salami. Drool!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I made a frittata just last weekend - love frittatas! Yours looks like it turned out amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love frittatas - haven't made them in a long time but so good!

    So many options of toppings!

    ReplyDelete
  8. okay i hate to say this but alton brown is my least favorite person on the food network. ugh i know i'm sorry haha but i AM bookmarking this recipe because i have a ridiculous amount of yellow squash in the pantry that needs to be used asap! damn i wish alton brown wasn't good haha

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hubby just told me about the show "Brew Masters!" He only saw a few minutes but loved it!

    I like Alton Brown's show but haven't seen it in a long time (probably because we didn't have cable for a long time...). I don't think I have ever made one of his recipes, but I've learned lots of "food stuff" from him over the years.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Frittata's are one of my favorite breakfast dishes to make. Besides the fact that they taste great, everyone is always so impressed by it but they are pretty easy to make!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I think Alton Brown's show is entertaining and informative at the same time. Its been a very long time since I have actually made a frittata. I have not tried any of AB's recipes!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ahh, thanks for the spelling correction! Definitely important!
    As for Tofurkeys....I've got to say, I'm surprised by how many people say they eat them. I'm NOT a fan. I'd rather substitute meat with a veggie pot pie or braised seitan, or something more appetizing!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I've never made frittata which is surprising because I love eggs! I'm gonna have to try this recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love eggs! This recipe looks like something I'll be making in the very near future... yum! :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Gina,
    Thank you for your good wishes! Here's the recipe for the Poached Pears with Chocolate Sauce.

    •4 1 1/4 cups water
    •1/4 cup granulated sugar
    •Grated rind and juice of ½ lemon
    •1 cinnamon stick
    •2 fresh, ripe pears
    •2 Tbsp. chocolate syrup
    •2 Tbsp. dried cherries or dried cranberries (optional)


    Directions
    1.In large saucepan, combine water, sugar, lemon rind, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
    2.Peel, halve and core pears. Add pears to boiling syrup. (Pears should be covered in liquid; if not, double the amount of poaching liquid or poach in batches.) Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently 15-20 minutes until pears almost tender.
    3.Remove from heat and let cool in liquid. Drain pears thoroughly and pat dry on paper towels. Place halves on individual plates.
    4.Drizzle with chocolate syrup and sprinkle with dried cherries or cranberries. Serve at room temperature.

    Also, I hope you, Nick and your families have a Merry Christmas and Blessed Holidays, too. I wished we lived closer so that we could get together and go out togeher too. That would be awesome, as well.

    If you are interested, I have a
    "10-Christmas Cookies" e-book available for 99cents at my Medical Nutrition Therapy Store if you or your readers are interested. The address is: http://stores.anthonyjsepe.com/storefront.bok The cookies range from traditional sugar, soft sugar to chocolate lace and pineapple chews and, many more!

    Again, thank you and Merry Christmas to you !!
    Anthony :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. At my school, we can take a brewing class as a nutrition elective. Unfortunately, we don't get to actually make beer! They should open it up to only 21+ instead.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I made frittata once and loved it. it's simple, nutritious and delicious. I like Good Eats too, I like how he explains everything with detail and with scientific reasons. hahaha... I guess I like to know the deep explanation of everything, including cooking. :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I thought I commented on this post, weird. I must have dreamed that I had :) I've never made frittata and for no good reason - I love the stuff, and Alton's looks fabulous! Have a good week, Gina...breathe! I know it's a crazy one for you!

    ReplyDelete
  19. My answer is yes to both of those questions. I even thought about a frittata this coming week, but I think I will wait until maybe the next week. I wish we got the food network here. We get some shows, but they air on AFN so it is just what the military has access to.

    Thanks for your comments on the holiday pictures. It was kind of a silly on of me and Ryan, but the lady kept trying to take pictures and the camera would not work and then we would move and the darn camera would take a picture. Has that ever happened to you? It made for some funny pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I would marry Alton Brown if he was single....and living in Germany. I just watched the episode on popping corn and laughed and learned, and loved it. Last week, I made a fritatta with leeks, apricot and goat cheese.

    ReplyDelete
  21. made mini-frittata once which I baked in a muffin pan, which is great for kids (recipe in my blog). And hubby and I love love Alton Brown and always try his recipes! He's really creative--and we do record his show LOL! Even if we modify the recipe, we use the technique... I wish my food science class and professor back in college were that fun!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I've never made frittata but love the price point and protein value for eggs! great idea here
    Katherine

    ReplyDelete
  23. Check out http://form5artisan.blogspot.com/ She's a food scientist who has dessert recipes and explains the science behind it.

    ReplyDelete
  24. My answer is no to both questions! I love fritata but I'm too intimidated to make it- something about it seems to complicated to me. I do love Alton though- he's so smart.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Yes I've tried the baked Mac and cheese, turns out great every time perfect

    ReplyDelete