This is for mornings when you know the evening is bringing way too many calories and you’re hungry NOW. Or for nights when you have some green beans left that aren’t enough for a real meal or to share for dinner. Maybe it’ll do for that special time when your dogs are clamoring for egg yolks, as do mine on a regular basis. Especially when they’ve worked up a big appetite barking at the awesome buck in the front yard. Yes, this fellow was in our yard the other day. We have a herd of does that spends a lot of time in our neighborhood, but a huge buck isn’t quite such a regular visitor. I wish I’d gotten a better photo. You can imagine I couldn’t open the door to take the picture or the dogs would have been out in a flash. And bucks don’t always like dogs. (This was a much more pleasant animal experience than the encounter with the stinky dead mouse hiding between two blouses in my laundry room yesterday. True story.)
I hope you’re enjoying whatever’s outside your house or apartment in late fall, and if there’s nothing interesting right now, try this frittata, which is just an Italian word for an open-face omelet.
GARLIC-GREEN BEAN EGG WHITE FRITTATA WITH MUSHROOMS AND TOMATOES
serves 1
- 2 teaspoons olive oil or spray the pan
- 3 button mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 cup cooked green beans
- 4 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 3 egg whites beaten with a teaspoon of water
- Pinch each salt and pepper (can sub 1 teaspoon fresh herbs like basil or parsley for the salt, if necessary)
- Teaspoon grated Cheddar or Parmesan cheese for garnish, optional
Heat a 9 or 10-inch non-stick skillet with the oil or spray over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms; cook 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly, or until nearly tender.
Add beans and tomatoes; heat through, stirring. Add the garlic and cook a minute.
Drop egg whites evenly over the vegetables, let set 10 seconds or so. Sprinkle with a good pinch salt (or fresh herbs) and pepper. Stir and lift egg whites with a rubber spatula to allow uncooked portions down into the pan.
You can continue cooking and stirring until the frittata is done or you can lower heat, cover and cook until the whites are set. Flip pan over and turn frittata out onto a plate. Serve hot with cheese garnish, if desired.
Sing a new Advent or Hanukkah song, if one of those is your tradition–otherwise, just sing….
Alyce