Queens Eats: Brunch with Spinach and Mushroom Frittata

Other than ham, nothing says Easter quite like brunch.

Rather than battling the crowds flocking to the nearest breakfast eatery for overpriced eggs benedict, I decided to make a brunch spread this year fit for a king. Or, given this is Queens Eats, should I say queen?

Anyway, this easy and delicious smorgasbord is easy to make any time of year—no need to wait for the Easter bunny’s arrival to give these treats a try.

The menu consists of a spinach and mushroom frittata, accompanied by baby-roasted potatoes, fruit salad and, since we had extra champagne on hand, Bellinis. Make this before heading to your holiday service, and the hour (in Catholicism, at least) goes a whole lot faster.

I’ve included the recipe for the frittata, courtesy of the New York Times, below. For the fruit salad, I sliced up two kiwi, one half carton of strawberries and a half container of blueberries, which comfortably served three. Feel free to use any fruits of your choosing. I purchased a handful of baby potatoes, sliced into quarters, then drizzled with parsley and olive oil and baked on 350 F for 20-30 minutes or until brown and crisp.

To make the Bellini or its closely related cousin, a mimosa, simply pour equal parts peach nectar into a champagne flute for a Bellini or orange juice for a mimosa and top with champagne.

Spinach & Mushroom Frittata (Source: New York Times’ Recipes for Health)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 10 ounce bag pre-sliced mushrooms

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced

1 6-ounce bag baby spinach, rinsed

8 eggs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan (optional) (Note: I used half a log of goat cheese instead)

2 tablespoons low-fat milk

Directions

1. Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy 10 or 12-inch nonstick skillet and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring or tossing often, until they begin to sweat and soften, three to five minutes. Add salt, pepper and the garlic and stir together until the garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the spinach, a handful at a thyme and stir until wilted. Turn up the heat and let any excess liquid evaporate from the pan, then remove from the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning.

2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl (you can do this while the mushrooms are cooking). Stir in salt and pepper to taste, the milk, and the mushroom and spinach mixture. Add the Parmesan if desired.

3. Heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat in the skillet until it feels hot when you hold your hand about one inch above it. Drop a bit of egg into the pan and if it sizzles and cooks at once, the pan is ready. Pour in the egg mixture, scraping all of it in with a rubber spatula. Swirl the pan to distribute the eggs and filling evenly over the surface.

Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with the spatula in your other hand to let the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking. Once a few layers of egg have cooked turn the heat down to low, cover (use a pizza pan if you don’t have a lid that will fit your skillet) and cook 10 minutes, shaking the pan gently every once in a while. From time to time remove the lid and loosen the bottom of the omelet with a spatula, tilting the pan, so that the bottom doesn’t burn. It will, however, turn golden. The eggs should be just about set though there will be a layer on the top that is not.

4. Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Uncover the pan and place under the broiler, not too close to the heat, for one to two minutes, until the top sets, watching very carefully to make sure the top doesn’t burn (at most, it should brown very slightly and puff under the broiler). Remove from the heat, shake the pan to make sure the frittata isn’t sticking and allow it to cool for at least five minutes and for up to 15 minutes. It can be a little runny in the middle if you like it that way. Loosen the edges with a spatula. Carefully slide from the pan onto a large round platter. Cut into wedges. Serve hot, warm, room temperature, or cold.

Yield: Serves six

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