I have introduced my husband Randy to many different foods over the nine years we have known each other.  In some ways, I feel like I have introduced him to food period.  Randy has always been athletic and so he has always viewed food as fuel.  Before he met me, he had some crazy calculation for the protein to carb to vegetable ratio so that he could just keep moving without bonking.  It had very little to do with taste.  There was a lot of tuna, chicken, rice, and salsa in his life.  Occasionally a vegetable or two.

Then along comes me.  Vegetarian.  Loves to eat.  Loves to dine out.  Loves to talk about food.  Loves to research restaurants in far away cities.  Loves to obsess about each and every upcoming meal.  I’ve got to hand it to the guy – he has made a huge effort to embrace the obsession.  He tries new restaurants with me.  He enthusiastically eats everything that I cook, even the most aggressively vegetarian food (he is a carnivore).  He has opened his mind up to food that he thought he hated.  And I have converted him.  Peas, lentils, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and tofu used to be on the black list.  He eats all of them now.  (Brussels sprouts are still dicey and cauliflower only if it is roasted.  But still, progress.)  The only dislike he holds on to is beets.  And I can live with that for now.

But before I pat myself on the back too heartily, there are foods he has brought into my life for which I am eternally grateful.  It is hard for me to believe, but I had never tasted Pho (the Vietnamese rice noodle soup) before a trip we took to Vancover together.  Now Pho is a large part of our family’s life.  He also reawakened my love for Mexican food, spicy food in general, and he made me embrace onions.

I still don’t like raw onions, but I do love them in all other ways.  Especially caramelized onions.  I have been cooking up lots of them lately.  I love them in these tarts, and in a quick and easy appetizer that I will share here shortly.  When my brother and sister-in-law came for brunch yesterday, I knew I wanted to make this frittata.  I’m not sure why so much time has gone by since my last go-around with this lovely dish but I guess that’s what happens in a busy kitchen.

Now, you might be wondering – are those eggs brown?  Did she overcook the frittata?  We all know that overcooked eggs are one of the worst things about brunches in restaurants, right?  Let me reassure you.  That brown top is actually balsamic vinegar that has been cooked down so that it is syrupy and sweet, and then brushed over the top of the frittata.  Not an A+  in the looks department but definitely in the taste department.

Want another Frittata?  Check out this one.

Frittata with Caramelized Onions, Goat Cheese, and Sage
Adapted from Fields of Greens
Serves 6

2 tbsp. olive oil
3 medium onions, quartered and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
8 eggs
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated, about 1/3 cup
1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage
3 ounces mild creamy goat cheese, crumbled
3 tbsp. Reduced Balsamic Vinegar (method follows)

Preheat oven to 325ºF.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet; add the onions, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Sauté the onions over medium heat for about 10 minutes to release their juices.  Add the garlic; continue to cook over medium heat for about 40 minutes, gently scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to keep the onions from sticking as they caramelize.  Transfer the onions to a bowl and set aside to cool.  (DT: These can be made days in advance.  Put in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl.  Stir in the onions along with the Parmesan and sage.  In a 9-inch sauté pan with an ovenproof handle, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil to just below the smoking point.  Swirl the oil around the sides of the pan to coat it.  Turn the heat down to low, then immediately pour the frittata mixture into the pan.  The eggs will sizzle from the heat.  Crumble in the goat cheese and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, until the sides begin to set; transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the frittata is golden and firm.

Loosen the frittata gently with a rubber spatula; the bottom will tend to stick to the pan.  Place a plate over the pan, flip it over, and turn the frittata out.  Brush the bottom and sides with the vinegar and cut into wedges.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

For the balsamic vinegar, heat 6 tablespoons of vinegar in a small saucepan and cook down gently until it is reduced by half.  If you want to have some of these amazing taste treat on hand, just make extra and store it in the refrigerator.  This process goes quickly, so watch your pot carefully.

Recently I was reading about how to give credit to a cookbook or magazine when you are writing a post about it.  It seems that if you have made a few changes, you say “Adapted from…”.  If you have made more than 3 changes and they are substantial, you say “Inspired by…”.  Any more than that and you can call the recipe your own.

I think those “rules” are fair and I adhere to them.  What do you do when you take a recipe that you have made before and completely change it, but you still have to credit the original recipe for giving you an idea in the first place?  I think I’ll call it “With many thanks to…”

We had some family and some friends over for brunch today.  For me, brunch = potatoes.  If I am going out for brunch I will order an egg dish so I can have potatoes and if I am making brunch at home, I stick with egg dishes so I have an excuse to make a huge pan of roasted potatoes.  My original intention was to make a scrambled egg dish with poblanos and cilantro and served with a warm tomato salsa of sorts.  As our invite list grew longer, I realized I didn’t want to be chained to the stove turning out dishes of scrambled eggs for people.  Enter the grits frittata.

I know, grits frittata?  That is what I mean when I say I have to give credit to the original recipe for the idea because I would certainly never think of putting the two together.  But long ago, I made this grits frittata and it was insanely good.  It also fed a lot of people (I made a special note in my book saying so).  A dish like this is so company friendly because you assemble it and then it bakes in the oven with no more effort needed from you.  You can also roast those beloved potatoes in the oven while the frittata cooks.

Because I already had poblano chiles, cilantro, and cotija on hand from my previous recipe idea, I decided to change the recipe up quite a bit.  I put it in a larger pan, added more eggs, used breadcrumbs instead of Parmesan cheese to line the springform pan.  In short, I made it my own.  I paired it with a warm sauce which just put the whole thing over the edge.  Grits purists may scoff and frittata purists may scoff, but that’s fine.  More for me.

One Year Ago:  What do you know?  Another frittata!  Frittata with Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Basil

Grits Frittata
With many thanks to Food and Wine
Serves 8-10

This frittata bakes for a long time in the oven so be sure to plan accordingly.

3 tbsp. butter, divided
1 bunch scallions, sliced
2 large poblano chiles, stems, seeds and membranes removed, diced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 large bunch spinach, washed well and spun dry, leaves torn into 2 inch pieces
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 cups instant grits
6 cups water
Salt
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 8 oz package Cotija cheese, crumbled (or substitute equal amount of Monterey Jack, grated)
Freshly ground black pepper

Butter a 10 inch springform pan and dust with breadcrumbs so the whole surface has a light coating.  Preheat the oven to 350°F with the rack in the topmost position.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 2 tablespoons of the butter then add the scallions and poblano chiles.  Sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the ground cumin, stir well, then add the spinach in batches, mixing it in and allowing it to wilt before adding the next bunch.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the cilantro for the tomato sauce, then add the rest to the spinach mixture.  Cook until wilted.  If the mixture is very wet, allow to cook for a few minutes longer to remove most of the moisture.  Set aside.  (This part can be made one day ahead.  Allow to cool to room temperature and then cover and refrigerate.)

Fill a large pot with the 6 cups of water and a large pinch of salt then bring to a boil.  In a slow steady stream, add the grits.  Stir well, turn the heat to medium-low, and cover the pot.  Allow to cook, stirring occasionally for 6-8 minutes.  Pour the grits out into a large bowl and allow them to cool to warm.  Stir in the spinach mixture, all but a small handful of the cheese, the eggs and a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Stir to mix well.

Pour the grits mixture into the prepared springform pan.  Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and brush over the surface.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and place in the oven.  Bake for an hour and 15 minutes.  If the frittata is still very jiggly in the middle, allow to bake for another 15 minutes.  Add more time as necessary so that it is just slightly jiggly.  Remove the frittata from the oven and allow to sit for 15 minutes.  Carefully remove springform ring.  Cut into slices and serve with the warmed tomato salsa.

Warm Tomato Salsa
Makes enough for Grits Frittata

2 tbsp. butter
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 14-ounce cans petite diced tomatoes
1 tsp. chile powder
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onions.  Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the chile powder and then the tomatoes with their juices.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes with the heat turned to low.  Add the cilantro and stir well to combine.  (Can be made one day ahead.  Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate.)