Spinach, Bacon, Onion and Goat Cheese Frittata

This is another great brunch recipe. I have chosen a triple crème goat cheese Brie from Woolwich Dairy, which has a rich texture and a savory taste. It may be a bit salty for some, so I didn’t add much salt to the frittata. Goat cheese has a pungent smell and flavor, which is beautifully absorbed in this dish. I have added some smoky bacon, some sweet onions and some spinach with a hint of nutmeg.

Photography by Robert Demetrius

This is an easy and effortless meal to pull together.

For the bacon:

6 rashers of bacon, sliced in ¼ inch to ½ inch slices, about 7 ounces

1 teaspoon olive oil

For the onions:

2 large onions, cut in half and sliced into ¼ inch slices, 16 ounces

1 tablespoons olive oil

¼ teaspoon salt

For the spinach:

9 ounces spinach

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the egg mixture:

8 eggs

¼ cup of heavy cream

3 teaspoons thyme, chopped

a pinch of salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Topping of the frittata:

8.8 ounces Woolwich Dairy, Triple Crème Goat Cheese Brie, sliced into ½ inch slices

For this dish, we will need a skillet or pan that can be used on the stovetop, as well as in the oven. Please make sure that the skillet or pan isn’t too deep, about 2 ½ to 3 inches will do the trick. Once the egg mixture is added and put into the oven, it will rise beautifully and will need the space to expand.

You will be putting the skillet or pan on the middle shelf in the oven, so make sure that the rack above it isn’t too close. Once you have arranged the rack, if necessary, start pre-heating the oven to 425° Fahrenheit.

It would be much easier to have a nice big bowl by the stove, as you will be preparing the bacon, onions and spinach separately to start and then mixing them together at the end. Using a slotted cooking spoon would be best, as we will not be requiring any added juices in our dish, when we are putting it all together before baking.

We will start off by heating our the pan at a medium low heat, so that it’s nice and hot before adding 1 teaspoon olive oil and then the bacon that has been sliced in ¼ inch slices. Sauté the bacon for 5 minutes, until they are about to turn crispy and are nice and caramelized on the edges.

In the meantime, cut the 2 large onions in half and slice in ¼ inch slices and set aside until the bacon is finished.

Once the bacon is finished, after 5 minutes, remove the bacon bits from the pan and place in the big bowl. Make sure not to pour the bacon bits into the bowl, as we will be using some of the oil and fat left in the pan for the onions.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan, along with the leftover fat from the bacon before adding the sliced onions and ¼ teaspoon of salt. The salt brings out the sweetness in the onions, which will be welcomed as well as the smoky flavor of the bacon, which was done in the same pan. Stir the onions around so they don’t burn, for 8 minutes until they are translucent. As soon as the onions are done, remove from the pan with the slotted spoon and add to the bowl with the bacon.

Add another 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the pan, because by now, the onions have soaked up all the oil and we will need more to sauté the spinach.

As soon as the olive oil had been added, toss in the 9 ounces of spinach, ½ teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper and 1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Toss together for 2 minutes. The spinach will wilt pretty quickly and you will have a bit of juice in the pan from the bacon bits, onions and the liquid in the spinach. Using the slotted spoon, add the onions and bacon back in the pan and toss well together allowing some more of the liquid to evaporate for another 2 minutes. 

Then remove the mixture with the slotted spoon and place in the bowl again. Discard the lovely juice from the pan and place the pan back on the burner. At this point the pan should be void of all bits at the bottom and all the liquid is discarded. If necessary, take a paper towel and wipe the bottom of the pan ensuring that no moisture is on the bottom. If you wish, you can also wash out the pan and dry thoroughly before placing back on the burner.

Beat 8 eggs till well blended, adding ¼ cup of heavy cream, a pinch of salt and 3 teaspoons chopped thyme, making sure they are well incorporated into the beaten eggs. Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil in the pan swirling the pan around so that the olive oil is well distributed at the bottom of the pan before pouring in the egg mixture. Make sure the burner is at a medium low heat, because if it’s too high, the bottom will be pretty burnt before the rest is done. Let the egg mixture set for 4 minutes before adding the bacon, onion and spinach mixture, with a slotted spoon evenly around to the pan and letting it set at the same medium low heat for a further 5 minutes. The edges will start bubbling and you are able to run a spatula around the edge and it won’t stick to the pan.

While the eggs and the bacon, onion and spinach mixture are still in the pan, slice the Triple Crème Goat Cheese Brie into ½ inch slices. Make sure the cheese is nice and cold so that when you cut it, it doesn’t run. Place on top of the bacon onion and spinach mixture. 

Once done, it’s ready to be placed into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes until beautifully brown. The frittata would have risen to the edge of the pan and is ready to be enjoyed. Voilà. This is another wonderful dish. Just be careful not to burn your tongue, as it’s pretty hot when just taken out of the oven. Serves 6 persons.

This recipe is so satisfying that it is also a great lunch idea. Add a nice green tossed salad with a vinaigrette and some crusty bread and you are well on your way.

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Baked Eggs, Sunday Style Just for One

Why not treat yourself to a Sunday morning breakfast during the week? Go for it, you are worth it.
This breakfast dish makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside with the very first bite. It has so many heartwarming elements. You get the creaminess from the egg, the buttery taste of the cream, the smoked hickory, sugar cured bacon gives it a smoky sweet flavor, the mushrooms lend an earthy yet meaty flavor and texture, the slowly caramelized onions offer a sweetness and then the lemony thyme bits, the mild yet fresh onion flavor of the scallions and the garlicky flavor of the chives, all in one bite.

Photography by Heaven on Hearth

Here are all the ingredients you will need:
2 eggs
2 oz. bacon, or 1 rasher, sliced in ¼ inch thick slices
2 oz. onions, about ¼ medium size onion, sliced then cut in half
2 oz. mushrooms (1 oz. cremini mushrooms, 1 oz. white mushrooms) finely sliced. You can use all white mushrooms if you prefer or just use what you have on hand. Please don’t use canned or bottled mushrooms because the dish will get very watery and will also have a rubbery texture, which you really don’t want.
½ ounce scallion (1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon) chopped
½ teaspoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon and ½ teaspoon chives
1 ½ tablespoons on heavy cream
pinch of pepper

Preparing all the ingredients beforehand makes it so much easier to put together but don’t sweat it if you don’t, it’s actually quite easy and can be done pretty quickly in between the stages.

Photography by Heaven on Hearth

Use a non-stick skillet for this. Just turn the burner to a medium low heat. This will also depend on your burner of course, but lower is better for this dish. Heat the skillet until the bottom of the pan is toasty warm. You can check it by just placing your palm about 1 ½ inches above the bottom of the skillet. Just don’t touch it…or else! Once you feel that warmth on your palm, you know the pan is heating and it’s time for you to throw in the bacon. Keep your spatula at hand since you will want to move it around in the skillet every now and then. Sauté the bacon for about 2 minutes, not much longer. You will notice that the bacon is not getting crispy, but don’t worry, we really don’t want it to start getting crispy at this point.

Bacon, Onion and Mushroom Mixture

While the bacon is gently sizzling away, slice the onions in the mean time. Add the onions and sauté with the bacon for another 3 minutes. The bacon is now getting a nice color, the fat is melting nicely and the onions are becoming translucent.
Start slicing the mushrooms, while the bacon and onions are being sautéed. If you have already bought sliced mushrooms, just run your knife through them again so that they are a bit finer and smaller in size. If using whole mushrooms, cut in half then slice finely.
Now, add the mushrooms and mix evenly through the skillet for a further 3 ½ - 4 minutes. Once that is done, you will realize that the bacon is nice and crispy, the onions have started to caramelize and the mushrooms have absorbed all the yummy oils and flavor of the bacon and onions. Do not add any salt. The bacon is already a bit salty, but if you add salt to the mushrooms, it will bring out the water and we are not looking for a saucy consistency with this dish. It is however okay to add some pepper if you wish. Sometimes, if I am feeling fiery, I will add a pinch of dried pepper flakes to give it a nice kick. Chop the herbs and set aside until needed. So, now with this mixture done, I turn the oven on to low broil while putting the final dish together, so that the oven is nicely heated before putting in the ramekin. Make sure that the tray is about 5 inches below the heat of the broiler.

Just before going into the oven

Put the mixture in an 8 ounce ramekin. There will be no need to butter the ramekin, because there is enough fat in the mixture, so it wont stick on the dish when finished. Make sure all sides are covered with the mixture, sort of cupping on to the ramekin.
Crack two eggs in bowl, just to make sure that they are good, then gently pour into the ramekin. If a yolk breaks, no need to worry, it will still be good. Sprinkle the herbs on top of the eggs and then finally add the cream. Put the ramekin on top of a baking dish, just so that it doesn’t tip over in the oven, in between the spaces of the rack. That could get pretty messy. Once placed in the oven, broil on low for about 6 – 7 minutes. You should get a nice firm egg white and soft yolks underneath. Season with salt and pepper if you wish.

Baked Eggs, Sunday Style Just for One

Voilà! If you are going to have this dish first thing in the morning, serve with toast, but if you are making it more around lunchtime, add a tossed green salad and some Italian bread and butter. Enjoy.

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