The other evening at dinner after a viewing of Ken Loach’s new film, I Daniel Blake (a savage take on the cruelties of the benefits system in the UK–highly recommended), our friend, Melissa Fairbanks, said kind things about my blog.
She particularly enjoys the posts about cooking from found items rolling around in the crisper, she says–bits of cauliflower for instance.
Here is one such that includes bits of cauliflower and other tidbits!
You won’t necessarily have bits of cauliflower, broccoli and sweet potato hanging about in your fridge–but you may have other bits that it hadn’t occurred to you could be transformed into a delicious frittata for a tasty lunch.
SO….
In my case:
- 6 eggs–beaten
- Cooked cauliflower, broccoli and roasted sweet potato–cut into small bits
- 20z parmesan cheese–freshly grated
- salt and pepper
Fold the vegetables and cheese into the eggs.
Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a 10inch fry pan to hot– and pour in the frittata mix. (Choose a pan with the kind of handle that can go into the oven.)
Immediately turn the heat down to the lowest you can.
Cook for about 25 minutes–until firm with a little “looseness” left on top.
Heat the grill and slide the pan under for barely a minute to cook the top and brown a little.
We finished off left-over halves of stuffed red peppers with the slices of the frittata.
Must check the fridge for other goodies left over!
“The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for 30 years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.”
Calvin Trillin
Robin Ellis 
Leftovers concoctions have always been my favorite lunch and dinner meals!
Love your quote at the end. . .
Meredith found the great quote.
I can’t seem to reply in the comments place at the bottom of this post, but just wondering if you mean 2oz or 20oz of Parmesan!
Sent from my iPad
Two ounces! Twenty–a pound and half of cheese–would be overwhelming!
Yes, that “20z parmesan cheese–freshly grated” took me by surprise, too. Having a zero instead of an O was part of the problem, as well as the lack of space. But I quickly decided it had to be 2 oz.
I’d try to eat it, though! I love the toasted parmesan “chips” snacks.
Marina in San Jose
Really will have to try this. It would work too with left-over ratatouille.
That would be delicious. Perhaps drain the ratatouille a little first.
AS ALWAYS THANK YOU
Will definitely give this one a try. It just so happens I have brocelli, cauliflower and a sweet potato in the fridge so you have solved my dinner problem for tonight, thank you. Loved the comment about always eating leftovers in your home. Maybe your mum and dad secretly ate the main meal and you kids got the leftovers. I jest of course. We were war babies after all. My Dad called my mother’s efforts at dressing up leftovers as….. “I see we are having la scrappy ce soir” All the best and stroke the kitties for me Happy Thanksgiving to Metedith Rachel Sent from my iPad
>
Thanks, Rachel.
Fond memories of frittata and omelettes cooked by Bravehearts on the course last year! In general I think that most meals are better the second time around – our favourite suppers are cobbled together from leftovers. So much creativity in rissoles, vegetable cakes of all sorts, pasta sauces, gratins…all wonderful at this time of year! Lovely post as ever Robin!
Hi Rachel and thanks.
Quite agree–I grew up with left-overs but unlike Mr Trilling we always knew there’d been an original. Usually for Sunday lunch.
Always been a family favourite and never the same mixture!
Well, THAT answers the question of “So, what’s for supper?”
It looks delicious…….equally delicious (to read) is Calvin Trillen’s “Tummy Trilogy”. I highly recommend it.
Thanks for this Robin. We have only ever added cheese and ham to a frittata so will give veg a try. This looks very healthy. I’m going to use zero calorie spray too as a friend has recommended it. My hubby and I need to lose weight before Christmas!
Best wishes, Heidi
You could try a small leek–though it’s the same family.
There’s enough spice in there to make it worth trying without the onion.
What a real man you are Robin a great cool and still my favourite Ross Poldark.😉😉
Sunday nights my dad would have bubble & squeak with Branston pickle……the leftovers from sunday lunch ,fried up with crispy bits round the edge! If I was lucky and there was enough left I’d get some too. :-))
Robin, I have to say, this kind of frittata has become a staple in my house. I learned from one of your posts a few years ago how to make it and the endless varieties have been pouring out of me ever since. Such an easy meal, yet so good and so healthy. I had to laugh a bit, as I see you are not using all the pans you used in that original recipe. Thank you for the simplicity of many of your recipes. That seems to be my favorite way to cook these days….and definitely with lots of fruit and veggies.
Great Judy–so happy to hear this.
I’m told I use too many pans–so I respond!
Delightful, as always. Second the remarks about Calvin Trillin. When the New Yorker comes every week, I always look first to see if there’s a piece by him in it.
Left overs definitely bring out the “creative” in the kitchen.
Hi Robin.
Leftovers can be used in so many ways and a frittata is not one that had occurred to me.
Was Meredith a Chicago Cubs fans and is she enjoying the World Series victory?
Hi Marla,
I asked her yesterday whether it was the Cubs we saw when we watched a game some years ago. She thought it was the White Socks which was Stormy’s (her brother) team.
Not sure she follows either with the fervor of a real fan!
Sounds delightful – I usually have bits and bobs of veggies left after I’ve fixed something, so I shall have to try this. I usually toss all leftovers not fish into soup. In our house eggs were a luxury for Sunday breakfast so our “waste not want not” solution was soup, which my father called “cream of orts”.
Hey, I must’ve caught your brain-wave, yesterday! Did the same thing with our leftovers…Nothing great in the fridge, so this is always an easy fix (green beans, carrots, & onions…and Hidden Valley Ranch dressing)!!
We adore leftovers in this house, just not frittatas, so we’ll make do with omelets instead (twist our arms!).
I’m quite happy to bake a sweet potato dressed with a drizzle of EVOO and a good bit of shaved parmesan. There’s a Moroccan sweet potato recipe I adore–never understood why candy had to be added to sweet potatoes or yams. Spices, yes; butter, yes; but no marshmallows or pineapple, thank you.
I love this recipe and the simplicity of it all, I think I’ll be roasting a tray of veg over the weekend and this would be perfect for the leftovers. Frittata is always nice cold the next day too – so leftover leftovers 🙂
Delicious.
A wonderful suggestion. I don’t automatically think “frittata” and yet I always have bits! Excellent!