Potato Asparagus Frittata

What did everyone give up for Lent this year? I'm not Catholic, but like the challenge of giving something up every year that is sometimes a temptation in my everyday life. So the results for this year? I'm giving up salting my food once it is plated (unless using salt while actually cooking a meal), eating after dinner (the nightly glass of chocolate milk is going away for awhile), and drinking wine (Andy gave it up as well as Ironman training is beginning, so I figured I would just go along on this one). 3 things this year. So far, so good on all 3 fronts. I did accidentally take a bite of Andy's cut up apple, that we apparently salts?? Who salts a cut-up apple? I will dismiss that slight hiccup, and continue on. I will admit that not salting the boiled cabbage, potatoes, and carrots last night was really hard, and not as tasty, but I survived the meal experience sans the salt.

Yesterday, I was in Starbucks at about 3:15. With the amount of people that were out in the city for St. Patrick's Day, Andy and I were both surprised at how quiet the Starbucks was for a Saturday afternoon. A 3:15 coffee hour is way late for my normal schedule. My coffee time is usually between 12:15 and 12:45, and never straying too far from that gap. Creature of habit? Yes. After starting the morning at Fleet Feet Sports yesterday for the Soldier Field 10 Kickoff with our DetermiNation team, and a good 3200 yards swimming in the pool, followed by some polenta/chickpeas/marinara for lunch, somehow it was already mid-afternoon. Because of my late coffee hour, I was rewarded with a treat in the Starbucks line. Apparently, this weekend, if you get coffee between the hours of 2-5, you get two free samples of their newest pastry selections that they are rolling out. I disregarded the fact that Andy had given up sweets for Lent, and I happily accepted the barista's offer to choose my snacks.

Now usually, this wouldn't be something I would jump at the opportunity for, as sweet treats aren't necessarily my thing. However, after swimming 2 miles in the pool, I seem to be constantly hungry for just about anything, so I was willing to give them a try. Last Tuesday, I swam in the morning, came home, ate breakfast, got to work, and by 9 o'clock I was already craving my lunch that I had brought in the fridge. Hungry for your lunch at 9am is never a good way to start your morning. I went with the red velvet mini whoopie pie and the mini lemon square. I can't remember what my other options were. My thoughts after trying a bite of each? Eh. Not all that exciting in my mind. Both options were overly sweet and didn't necessarily taste homemade. I didn't finish either. So while I love Starbucks, and love that they are trying something new, I didn't have an overwhelming response of enthusiasm from my first go-round with this.

Breakfast for dinner. It's quite a concept. I could actually eat breakfast at any meal throughout the day. Ironically, I just finished having a bowl of cereal, Kashi Go Lean for anyone who is wondering, and a chopped up banana for lunch. I can eat eggs for any meal of the day, and I find that breakfast foods are always on hand and they are relatively easy to prepare. Oatmeal is another key staple for various meals throughout the week. We always had breakfast for dinner at least one night a week when growing up. It usually rotated between Aunt Jemima's pancakes on the griddle, sometimes with blueberries, french toast, waffles on a waffle iron that looks like it is from the 70's, and omelettes. I love all of these options. I'm bringing back the breakfast for dinner trend, or trying to at least. While challah french toast would definitely qualify as a breakfast for dinner meal, this potato asparagus frittata recipe is more up my alley.

A frittata is really easy to make actually. I sauteed the diced up potato in the skillet, added some asparagus and cherry tomatoes, added the eggs to let it set on the stove, and then finished it in the broiler to cook all the way through. Not only is it a cheap, protein filled meal, but it also is a blank canvas for whatever you might have in your refrigerator. There was plenty of leftover frittata and I was a little worried as to whether or not it would keep for lunch, and it definitely did. It tasted good both cold and heated up as leftovers. Frittatas will definitely be on my weekly recipe list - especially in the vegetarian world - when eggs make great proteins for meals.

Potato Asparagus Frittata

adapted from The New York Times

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2 red potatoes

1 pound asparagus, trimmed

Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil or butter

1/2 onion, chopped

6 eggs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Microwave the potatoes in a microwave safe bowl until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Once cool, dice the potatoes, and saute them in the pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Remove from heat and cool. Put the asparagus in the saute pan and saute until tender with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Remove from heat. Add the onion in the same skillet, with salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until soft.

Add the asparagus back to the pan. Add the cherry tomatoes. Turn the heat to low. Preheat the oven to 400. Beat the eggs with some salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the Parmesan. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Cook, undisturbed, until the mixture is nearly firm, about 15 minutes.

Nestle the potatoes into the top of the frittata. Finish it in the oven until it is set. Serve warm or at room temperature. Top with remaining asparagus and tomatoes, if you have any.