Potato Series III: Frittata

My last recipe in this potato series is a simple frittata. 


A frittata is a Spanish omelette.  The frittata is by no means a gourmet meal like gnocchi, but it's filling, satisfying, and quick to make on a weeknight.  


It struck me the other day that almost every nation or culture has some kind of omelette, wherein leftovers and scraps from the past week are mixed and bound together by a few hearty eggs.  Take, for instance, the Chinese - we make egg foo yung.  We don't put cheese in the mix, but throw in whatever veggies and meats we need to use up.  The Japanese enjoy tamagoyaki, which is made of layers of cooked eggs.  The Dutch even have their own way of cooking their eggs.  So I guess we're really not all that different.  I wonder who came up with the idea first?


So here are some guidelines on how to make a spinach frittata.  It's a really flexible dish to make, so I don't feel that complete recipe is needed.


In an oven-proof skillet, saute minced onions, a tablespoon of paprika, and a couple cloves of minced garlic in some extra virgin olive oil. Toss in a couple handfuls of sliced potatoes, cover with a lid, and cook until the potato slices are softened.  Add a bit of water if the potato slices start to stick to the pan, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  In a bowl, beat together 3-4 eggs and pour into the pan.  Next, drop in a couple handfuls of fresh spinach leaves and chopped green onions. Finish cooking the frittata in a hot oven (350 degrees F), about 10 minutes.  Sprinkle over shredded cheese if you like in the last minute of cooking.  Cut into wedges and serve immediately.