Huevos Rancheros

One of my favorite blogs is Smitten Kitchen - it's a cooking blog full of gorgeous photos (the photo above was taken right from her blog) and a variety of recipes, ranging from super-fancy to totally doable. In a word, it's just plain lovely. Sometimes, I just look this blog to get motivated to make dinner - the way that the author, Deb, approaches cooking as an art, as an expression of herself, is so inspiring. Always makes me want to whip something up.

Anyway, I thought I would share this now on Recipedia because I just made her Huevos Rancheros (again!). This is dinner is so crazy-easy, barely costs anything to make, and it is so yummy. Basically, ever since she published this on Smitten Kitchen, huevos rancheros have become my "I-don't-know-what-to-make" or "I-don't-feel-like-cooking" dinner. Here's the link: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/07/huevos-rancheros/

I hope you enjoy them as much I do!

Pizza Frittata

This is really yummy - I'd never made a frittata before, but it was surprisingly easy. For those who aren't familiar with them, it's basically a baked omelet. This one is really good with some garlic bread on the side. This recipe takes about a half hour from start to finish - it's also a good stand-by because it only needs a few ingredients (all of which are pretty inexpensive). Enjoy!

1 Tbsp. plus 4 tsp. olive oil
1 medium onion
6 large eggs plus 2 large egg whites
coarse salt
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 can (14.5 oz.) whole tomatoes with juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, heat 2 tsp. oil over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 2 Tbsp. water. Stir in onion and 3/4 cup mozzarella.
3. In the skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat. Add egg mixture; reduce heat to low, and cook until beginning to set around the edges, about 3 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven; bake until set, about 12 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tsp. oil in a saucepan over low heat. Cook garlic until soft, 2 minutes or so. Add tomatoes, parsley, and 1/4 tsp. salt; simmer, breaking up tomatoes with a spoon, about 5 minutes.
5. Spoon sauce over frittata; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese. Return to oven for a minute, until the cheese melts.

Note: If you're pressed for time, you can always skip step four (no need to buy garlic, tomatoes, or parsley) - just use 1 1/2 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce. Serves 4.