Keeley's Kale and Potato Frittata

Keeley's Kale and Potato Frittata

A frittata can be described as an Italian omelette. But, there's no folding involved so it's totally easy to make. Take some eggs, some meat and/or veg and some cheese, and you've got the makings for a frittata. Hey, you may have even made one already without knowing what it was. Frittata is a delicious way to start the day, to feature at brunch, or to make a quick supper when you're really busy and really hungry.

This particular frittata is the creation of my daughter Keeley. Basically, she took what we had on hand to make this. You can easily do the same. You can add some cooked meats (ham or spicy sausage are tasty in frittatas), switch out the kale and potato for some spinach or broccoli or peppers or whatever other veggie bits you might have to use in the refrigerator, and use your favourite cheese in place of the cheddar.

Keeley’s Kale and Potato Frittata

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp garlic, minced

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 cup potatoes, cooked and cubed

1 bunch (about 2-3 cups) kale, washed, dried and chopped

8 eggs, lightly beaten

1 to 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

Kale pile-up

In a large frying pan on medium heat, add olive oil, garlic and onion. Sauté until onions are softened.

Add potatoes and fry until they are warmed through. If you are using meat, add it now and cook until it also warmed through.

Add kale and sauté, stirring frequently, until it’s wilted.

Adding the eggs

Pour eggs over the vegetable mixture and stir to combine ingredients. Cover pan and let cook until eggs are almost done. You may want to lift the lid and give the eggs a stir once or twice while they are cooking. It’s not a must do, but will get things cooking a little faster and depending on your pan, it may prevent sticking.

When the eggs are almost cooked through, sprinkle on the cheese. Cover again for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.

Serve at once.

Makes 4 hearty servings.

Printable Recipe for Keeley's Kale and Potato Frittata

The Whole Beet and Nothing But the Beet

Roasted Beetroot with Sauteed Beet Greens

“…The beet is the ancient ancestor of the autumn moon, bearded, buried, all but fozzilized; the dark green sails of the grounded moon-boat stitched with veins of primordial plasma; the kite string that once connected the moon to the Earth now a muddy whisker drilling desperately for rubies.”

- Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume

Tom Robbins, one of my all-time favourite writers, brings the lesson of the beet wonderfully alive in his novel Jitterbug Perfume. I love his imagination, his wordplay, and his unique appreciation of myth, humanity and vegetables. But, this is a blog for sharing recipes and not book reviews, so back to the beets.

I enjoy the whole beet and, when I am fortunate enough to get fresh whole beets, here is how I prepare them. One vegetable gives you two side dishes. Basically, the beetroots are roasted, which makes them sweeter and easier to peel, and the greens are sautéed. In the photographs here, I used both red and golden beets, because I was lucky enough to find them at a farmer’s market. Whatever their colour, beets are delicious, but I must admit having the two colours made for a more interesting plate.

Two Side Beets

Preheat oven to 350º F.

1 or 2 bunches of beets with greens (about 10-12 whole beets)

4 tbsp olive oil, divided into 2 tbsp and 2 tbsp

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp chopped onion

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp red wine vinegar or 2 tbsp melted butter

Slice the beet greens

Wash the roots and the greens of the beets thoroughly. Remove the greens and give them another rinse. Remove any large stems, tear the leaves or cut them into strips, and set them aside. Do not peel or cut the beetroots; leave them whole.

Toss beets in olive oil before roasting

In a baking dish or roaster, place the beetroots and toss them with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Use more olive oil, if needed, to cover all the beetroots. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until you can easily cut through the largest beet. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. If you want, you can peel the beetroots now.

Peel beets, if desired, after roasting

Beet greens cooked until tender

When the roasted beets are almost done, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for a minute or two. Add the greens. Cook, stirring frequently, until the greens are wilted and tender. Season the greens with salt and pepper.

To serve: Place the greens on a platter. Cut the beetroots into slices or wedges and arrange on the greens. Drizzle the beets with red wine vinegar or butter. Serve immediately.

Printable Recipe for Two Side Beets

Fall Back

Summer is past. Autumn is here, and I can’t believe it’s almost two months since my last post. 

During that time, I’ve been busy with many things in the kitchen – like making pickles, jams, marmalade, baking breads, and, as always, the day-to-day preparation of meals for my husband and I, and some special meals for family and friends. I have also had the pleasure of spending many enjoyable hours with my little grandson whose favourite activities currently include helping with the vacuuming, brushing his teeth, splashing around in the dog’s water bowl, and doing laps around the kitchen island while laughing wildly, preferably while being chased by his dog, his Mom, his Nana or all three. It’s all been a lot of fun.

Outside, the golden leaves are beginning to carpet the faded green lawn. The geese sound their annual farewell as they stream south together, and it’s time for me to get back to my blog. I have about a half dozen recipes ready to share with you. Hope you will be inspired to try one or two. As always, thank you for reading.