An Eggs-cellent idea — perfect for your summer menu by Erika Reardon

Let’s welcome our favorite Surf City caterer, Erika Reardon, as she writes about FOOD for our blog every Tuesday!  Take it away, Erika.

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Think Humpty Dumpty for your summer cooking!  Eggs are much more then they are cracked up to be in the culinary world.   Think way beyond scrambled and over easy.  First let’s get the current skinny on eggs.

There is nutrition in that shell.  Eggs are neat packages of high-quality protein, along with 13 essential vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, folate, and iron. They also contain all of the essential amino acids our bodies need.   The yolk is the major source of an egg’s vitamins and minerals. However, it’s also the main source of cholesterol.

Eating up to one egg a day has no substantial impact on the risk of heart disease or stroke for people with normal blood cholesterol levels, find Harvard researchers.  The American Heart Association nutrition committee recommends rather than avoiding eggs, consumers can now include more eggs in their diets if they limit other foods containing dietary cholesterol.  Dietary cholesterol is found in animal foods and products like egg.  By contrast, plant foods do not contain cholesterol.

Remember that old ad campaign…  The Incredible Edible Egg!  Go ahead and use this versatile food in your menus this summer!

(Source: Annie Graves)

I’d like to share with you this delicious recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine’s May 2011 issue.  I like to purchase the ingredients from our Farmer’s Market. This is one of my current faves.

Onion Frittata                                    

Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings                 

Original by David Downie

Cook’s Notes: 

You must use a non-stick skillet that is oven safe for this dish.

Have all the ingredients prepared before you begin sautéing the onions.

8 large eggs

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

6 large fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

6 large fresh sage leaves, minced

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup thinly sliced onion

1/3 cup whole-milk ricotta OR herbed goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Whisk first 8 ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside.

Heat oil in a medium ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add onion; sauté until soft, about 6 minutes.

Reduce heat to low.

Stir in egg mixture.

Spoon dollops of ricotta evenly over.

Cook on stove top, until frittata begins to set, about 2 minutes.

Place pan and all in oven

Bake until just set, 7-9 minutes.

CAREFULLY REMOVE HOT PAN from oven

Slide the frittata onto a platter.

Cut into wedges; serve hot or at room temperature