by Heather Johansen
By nature, I am a planner so when it comes to cooking, I always plan for leftovers. I work full
time in an office downtown and bringing in my own lunch helps me avoid eating questionable
food court fare, saves me some money and allows me to make the healthiest choices. I often like
to have breakfast ready to go as well. Simply heating something up saves me time in the morning
so I don’t have to do much thinking at 6:00 am before I’ve had coffee! Preparing a frittata on
Sunday morning is a perfect solution.
A frittata is similar to an omelette. The cooking process starts on the stovetop but then it’s baked
in the oven until set. It is completely customizable; you can add as much vegetables or cheese as
you want. You can even add fruits, like apples or berries, beans, lentils, meat or chopped nuts.
It’s an easy dish that lends itself to experimentation. Frittatas are good any time of the day…
breakfast, lunch or dinner!
For this week’s frittata, I used a few shortcuts to make my morning prep a little bit easier. I
purchased a delicious black olive tapenade from Angela’s Olives. I was able to sample the
chunky paste at their booth and thought the simple mixture of black olives, sundried tomatoes
and garlic created such a huge flavour. The savoury saltiness would pair perfectly with eggs. I
could have taken the time to roast my own artichokes & red peppers but instead, I used jarred red
peppers and bought some freshly roasted artichokes from Community Natural Foods’ Chinook
Station location. The artichokes are simply roasted in olive oil and sprinkled with fresh parsley.
The goat cheese is optional here but its creamy texture is a nice complement to the vegetables.
I used Noble Meadows goat cheese, available at the Broxburn booth, because it is one of my
absolute favourites.
On to the recipe! This frittata would be a great addition to a Sunday brunch but works well as a
quick weeknight dinner. It heats up wonderfully and its Mediterranean flavour will be enjoyed
by all.
Black Olive, Artichoke and Roasted Red Pepper Frittata
Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients:
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 leek, chopped (white & light green parts only)
• ¼ c black olive tapenade + more for serving
• ½ c roasted artichoke hearts
• ½ c jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
• ¼ c soft goat cheese
• 6 large eggs
• ½ cup egg whites (or 2 additional whole eggs)
• Black pepper, to taste
• Arugula & cherry tomatoes, for serving
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F.
Heat olive oil in an oven proof skillet on medium heat (I use a cast iron skillet for frittatas).
Swirl the oil to coat the bottom and sides. Sauté the leek for 4 minutes, until lightly browned and
softened. Add the artichoke hearts and sauté for 1 more minute. Turn heat to medium-low.
Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, ¼ cup of tapenade and roasted red pepper. Pour the egg
mixture into the skillet. Mix it with the leek & artichokes using a rubber spatula, then dollop the
goat cheese around. Allow the eggs to set on the bottom (1-2 minutes) then transfer to the oven.
Bake for 12 minutes, and then finish the frittata under the broiler for 4 minutes. Test, using a
fork or toothpick, to ensure there are no liquid portions remaining. Allow the frittata to cool for
at least 10 minutes before cutting it into four or six equal pieces. Top each piece with ~1 tbsp of
tapenade and a few grinds of fresh black pepper.
Serve with a simple arugula salad, dressed with olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper and
cherry tomatoes.
Enjoy!
