Kale and Cauliflower Frittata

 A frittata loaded with fresh vegetables, herbs, spices and a handful of shredded manchego make this a hearty yet light meal you can enjoy any time of the day, any day of the week.

If an addiction to eggs is a thing, I may have one. Much to the dismay of a former roommate, I cook eggs almost daily – boiled, fried, scrambled, you name it. From desserts to frittatas, eggs bind all great things together and they are a nutritional powerhouse to boot. They are the shrimp to my Bubba Gump.

Frittatas are basically big rustic omelettes. Unlike most quiches, frittatas are crustless and generally contain less (if any) milk or cream than their custardy French counterparts. They can be filled with just about any meat or vegetable, fresh or leftover, along with whatever herbs, spices and cheeses speak to you.

breakfast for dinner: a victimless crime

I make a lot of frittatas and this version is my current favorite. It is great for breakfast or brunch or on days when a light dinner is in order. Breakfast for dinner has always felt like breaking a rule with no consequence. It’s living on the edge, teacher’s pet style. You can easily make this a more substantial meal by serving it with crispy bacon and roasted potatoes (with lots of garlic and paprika if it’s up to me), or keep it to a simple green salad.

The original recipe called for a whole onion which I found a bit overpowering and that is coming from someone who loves onions. That being said, onions vary greatly in size so calling for one that is “small” or “medium” may not mean much. I use 1 cup thinly sliced onion which is about half of a baseball size onion and I keep my slices to about 1/4 inch. Precision isn’t as important as consistency here; uniformly cut vegetables cook uniformly. Cut the cauliflower florets into bite size pieces and really chop up the kale so you get all sorts of goodness in every bite.

I also increased the salt by 1/4 teaspoon. A quick word about salt – I’ll do an entire post on this someday but FYI, I use Morton coarse kosher salt for everything except baking recipes that call for a specific salt. Kosher salt crystals are less compact than iodized table salt so a pinch of kosher salt has less salt than a pinch of iodized salt. If you are using table salt to cook, be careful not to over-salt if the recipe calls for kosher salt. Salting as you go is the way to build layers of flavor but you can always add a little more at the end if you need to.

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Kale and Cauliflower Frittata

Loads of vegetables and a sprinkling of manchego create this hearty yet light frittata. Enjoy for breakfast or breakfast for dinner.

Adapted from Eating Well

Course Breakfast, brunch

Keyword breakfast, brunch, cauliflower, eggs, frittata, gluten free, kale, vegetarian

Prep Time 45 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4 generous slices

Author Shannon Zerzan

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion (from about 1/2 medium onion) -Cut the onion in half lengthwise through the root end then slice thinly crosswise
• 2 heaping cups cauliflower florets cut into bite-size pieces -Enough to cover the bottom of the skillet in a single layer
• 5 cups chopped kale
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 8 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup shredded manchego cheese

Instructions

1. Position rack in the upper third of the oven (about 6 inches from the broiler) and preheat broiler to high.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large cast iron skillet (mine is 10.25") over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. 

3. Add cauliflower and 1/4 cup water, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is just tender, about 6 minutes.

4. Add kale, garlic, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often until kale is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from heat.

5. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, smoked paprika, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the vegetable mixture to the egg mixture and stir gently to combine.  

6. Wipe the skillet clean then add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and return to medium heat. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and make sure the vegetables are evenly distributed. Top with shredded cheese, cover, and cook until the edges are set and the bottom is brown, 4 to 5 minutes.  

7. Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil 2 to 3 minutes until the top of the frittata is just cooked.

Recipe Notes

***If you have a severe gluten allergy or sensitivity or otherwise are serious about eliminating gluten from your diet, always check your labels carefully and buy certified gluten free products.