I would like to introduce you to... Mini Frittatas!!!

I couldn't decide what catagory to post this recipe in as it fills so many boxes. I decided on 'Cooking on a budget' as it really is a cheap dish, and budget dishes are also a lot more popular nowadays as most people seem to be trying to cut back in various ways - this is one of the more painless and enjoyable ways to cut back on the cost of your shopping bills!

I posted a recipe for standard frittata a while back but I was so impressed with this recipe that I thought I should share it with you all!

For those of you that don't know, a frittata is an egg dish, very similar to an omelette; it is actually sometimes referred to as a 'Spanish omelette'. If you would like to know more about the standard frittata you can see the recipe here... http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/recipes/healthy-recipes/11 60140/

I am a huge fan of the frittata and make them quite often; my son is diabetic, he is also very active and therefore constantly hungry, so carb free snacks (that he will actually eat!) are a must.

The mini frittata is actually baked rather than cooked in a frying/shallow pan. It is also a lot easier to make than the original, I don't think it's actually possible to go wrong with this recipe - short of falling asleep while the food is cooking! (I did that with a pizza once... Never attempt cook while drunk, people!).

Anyway, the recipe I found (in Easy Food magazine) called for:
4 eggs
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp milk
50g cheddar
40g parmesan
3 strips cooked bacon

However, from making frittatas before I know that you can substitute many of the ingredients, change the weights, and even omit some things. All you really need are eggs and some kind of cheese. You can then add whatever you like. I used eggs, milk, mozzarella, ham, mushrooms, and chives.

You can add anything really that will withstand a little heat. For example, cheese and onion are nice. I also made ham and tomato ones last week which they turned out very well; just make sure you only use the firm part and omit the pips and juice, as I imagine this might make it a little soggy!?

Also, I best mention... I used 4 eggs in my mix and used a small 6 cup muffin tray; I found that this was the perfect amount so if you have a standard 12 cup tray, obviously use double (8 eggs).

Instructions:

1) Grease a muffin/cupcake tray with butter, oil, or equivalent.

2) Crack eggs into a bowl/jug/anything you have handy. Stir well.

3) Chop other ingredients finely (grate cheese). As they are going in such a small tray they should be no more than 1 cm in length and width.

4) Pour all ingredients in to egg mixture and stir well.

5) Fill cups to ¾ full with mixture and bake in oven at 190C/gas mark 5 for 15-20 mins until golden.

Oven timings are also not that important as the original recipe actually called for 10-15 minutes. I find (I use a gas oven) that 15 mins is enough, but I prefer them a little more golden. You could even go to 25-30 mins to give a little crispness to the edges if you like.

Yes, that really is it! The result is soft, fluffy, cheesy, eggy cakes, that when combined with the other ingredients, makes for a delicious, filling treat that is ideal to eat at anytime.

You can then eat them straight away. Or, if they last that long (!), you can also put them in the fridge and eat them cold, which gives them a quiche like quality (I put them in my sons lunch box sometimes as an alternative to boring old sandwiches!).

The mini frittatas are so cute, and can be used in a variety of ways, here are some suggestions...
Between meal snacks
Cold, served with salad
Warm, served with chips, or something similar
Party finger food

There are probably more serving suggestions but they are the first ones that spring to mind. As you can see, they are easy to make, versatile, yummy, and cheap to make.

As they are made with eggs, they are quite filling; they are also carb free (there may be the odd carb depending on what you put in them) so they are great for diabetics and anyone on a low carb diet such as Atkins or South Beach.

Even people on low calorie diets can enjoy these, as the main component is egg; eggs are great for people trying to watch their weight as they only contain around 80 calories each, yet are very filling. I read once that people who eat eggs for breakfast tend to eat around 400 calories less throughout the day due to feeling fuller for longer.

To make the frittatas even healthier, I use 1 cal spray to grease the tray and use 1/3 fat cheese. These substitutions don't take away from the flavour at all, in fact you don't even notice the difference (even my son can't, and he is the fussiest eater I know!).

Frittatas are also very cheap to make. You can pick up a box of 15 eggs for around £1.50 in most supermarkets, a lump of cheese for a quid or so, then just chuck in anything you have lying around in the fridge or cupboard. They are great for using up leftovers as you don't need much of anything and quantities don't have to be exact, you can use as much or as little of anything as you like.

I actually found a video guide to making mini frittatas. I have to admit that I didn't actually view the full video, I just flicked to the end to see what they turned out like (mine actually look a lot nicer!). Although this will give an idea of what to expect...
http://www.videojug.com/webvideo/how-to-make-mini -frittatas.

I would advise everyone to try these, even just the once; they truly are a delicious snack and, if you are anything like me, you will become hooked! I now have a constant supply in my fridge - they never last more than a day, but as they are so easy to make it is no hassle to cook more.