Springtime Frittata & Citrus Salad

A Frittata & Citrus Salad To Celebrate Spring

♥ It’s the lovely month of May, when springtime has finally begun to settle in. Birds are singing, flowers are sprouting, and there’s a lightness in the air  ♥  And today I was in the mood for something as fresh and light as spring, which has taken so long to arrive!

Serve the frittata, cut in wedges, with the fresh citrus salad or a green salad if you prefer.

I had a nice selection of green vegetables and fresh herbs on hand, and some small, cooked new potatoes left over from dinner the night before. These ingredients, and a large box of pretty, juicy, and very sweet Jaffa Clementines I’d purchase two days ago, inspired my springtime brunch!

Fresh mint is a beautiful dark green and has a lovely, warm, yet fresh, cool taste.

I like to have colour and texture contrasts in a meal, and so I made a sunny, Asian-inspired salad, using Clementines and fresh mint. A simple dressing of Tamari soy sauce, sesame oil, and freshly ground pepper to add a slight contrast to the sweetness of the fruit was the perfect complement to the frittata I decided to prepare. Delicious and very fresh ♥

This meal would make a nice, light brunch for Mother’s Day this weekend. * (see my Notes below for some ideas).  Although the recipe below is for two servings, it can easily be doubled. Why not start by serving a fresh cocktail in champagne flutes, such as a mimosa (you can replace the champagne or sparkling wine by a little soda water and a teaspoon of honey if you want a non-alcoholic version).  Finish with a light, elegant dessert such as a fresh fruit Pavlova or one of my fresh Fruit Curd Meringue Gateaux  ♥

A Springtime Frittata & Clementine Mint Salad

(Serves 2)

For the Frittata:

This simple Clementine salad is pretty and so fresh!

For the Citrus Salad:

• Prep everything as described before starting (refer to Notes below).
• In a large, oven proof, heavy bottomed non-stick pan, heat 15 ml of the oil over medium heat.
• Once the pan and the oil are very hot, add the potatoes, sweet pepper, courgette, spring onions, and the garlic clove. Sauté 10 – 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden.  Note: Do not stir too much or too soon, otherwise the water released by the vegetables will end up steaming them! If the vegetables seem to be sticking to your pan, add a little extra olive oil.

Sautéeing the vegetables for the frittata until golden.

• Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, add the eggs, Tamari sauce, and freshly ground pepper and beat well (do not add salt!). Add the parsley and beat.
• Once the vegetables are golden, pour in the well-beaten, seasoned eggs.
• Using your hands, distribute the chopped sun-dried tomatoes over the eggs. Allow to cook a few minutes until the edges start to set.
• Turn the oven, or a large toaster-oven, on to Broil.
• Lift the edges of the frittata, tilting the frying pan slightly to allow a little of the uncooked egg to flow underneath. Continue around the edges in three or four places, lower the heat to med-low, and continue cooking a few more minutes (the centre of the eggs will remain uncooked on top).
• Carefully lift the frittata with a large spatula. Once it’s golden, place the frying pan under the broil element to finish cooking the eggs to your preferred degree of doneness.
• Meanwhile, blend the Tamari sauce, sesame oil, and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper with a small whisk or a fork. Toss with the Clementines. Add the fresh mint and toss gently.
• Separate the salad into small bowls, and sprinkle with the toasted almonds. Garnish with a small sprig of fresh mint, or a few leaves.
• Slip the frittata onto a warm plate, and cut into portions with a sharp knife. Arrange the portions on large warm plates, and serve with the Clementine salad.

Notes ♥

* You can use many other vegetables in a frittata. If you don’t have new potatoes, use a large potato instead. You could substitute the remaining vegetables with a mixture of sweet red, yellow, or orange peppers, mushrooms, celery, very thinly sliced carrots, sliced baby corn, green beans, or whatever other vegetables you fancy. Just use similar quantities. You can also use different fresh herbs and seasonings. Try using cilantro, oregano, dill, tarragon, or whatever pleases you.

§ Use a quality Japanese, naturally brewed Tamari soy sauce.

Both recipes can be doubled. Use an extra large frying pan to cook the frittata, and if your pan is not oven proof, cover the handle with thick aluminum foil.

A nice wine to accompany this dish would be a South African, Chilean, or French Sauvignon Blanc, or an Italian Pinot Grigio, which is very dry and light.