Last week Friday I skipped the gym and headed out early to get some work done at a coffee shop. While I normally object to going to huge chains when there are so many great independent spots available in a place like NYC, I had a free reward expiring soon (in two days!) at Starbucks, so I ended up there. After all, NY is expensive, so getting to enjoy a drink for free was an especially nice luxury.
My veggies to be sautéed.
I love mornings, and without a doubt consider them the most productive (or potentially productive) part of my day. You can work out, read, do work, do school stuff, prep meals, or do just about anything – but then you feel really great, because by ten or eleven a.m. you already feel like you’ve accomplished something! Anyways, I had a lot of random stuff I wanted to work on – an intriguing book I’ve been reading (The New Jim Crow – I’m not done yet, but look out for a blog post about it coming up sometime soon) I wanted to journal about, some studying, some work stuff, some application stuff, and some reading for fun. And while I find mornings my most productive time, I find mornings especially productive and especially enjoyable when they are spent at a coffee shop – whether cute and independent, or big-chain Starbucks.
After ordering a triple mocha frappe with half a banana and a scoop of matcha blended in (you have to take advantage of the free reward for all its worth!), I sat down to work. I decided the first Starbucks was too noisy, so I ended up heading to a different one after about an hour, where I continued working for another hour or so. Then I headed off to my actual job/internship, feeling pretty decent about what I’d accomplished in my day so far.
After a rather long day at work and my sugary start to the morning, I was ready for a good dinner. Working from my farmer’s market picks of kale and tomatoes, as well as my supermarket supplementary selections of eggs, a pepper and some mushrooms, I decided to make a frittata! I hadn’t ever made one before, so I was a tad nervous, and quite excited.
See recipe below for details. Basically, I chopped up a bunch of vegetable – kale, peppers, and mushrooms – sautéed those with garlic and basil, add that to a mixture of beaten eggs, and cooked it up into a frittata! Not too challenging, and delicious – both warm and fresh that evening, and cold for lunch the next day. And so pretty and colorful!
- 1 Orange Pepper (other colors are also acceptable)
- 1 Bunch (about 6 oz) of Kale
- 2 Mushrooms
- 4-6 Basil Leaves
- 2 Cloves of Garlic
- Olive Oil
- 6 Eggs (Or 8 if you like a larger preponderance of egg)
- 1 Tomato
- Milk (optional)
- Garlic Salt
- Chop Pepper and Kale (or tear kale with your fingers)
- Slice mushrooms and shred basil leaves
- Mince garlic
- Put all in a pan, drizzle with olive oil, and saute for several minutes (about 5). Set aside.
- Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Add milk if desired. Chop and add tomato. Then add vegetable mixture you just sautéed. Sprinkle with garlic salt as desired.
- Get a new pan or clean and dry the one you just used.
- Put a TB or two of olive oil in pan, and heat on the stove. Drop a little egg in the pan as a test – if it sizzles and cooks right away, pour the rest in (if not wait a minute). Distribute egg mixture evenly by tilting/shaking the pan; lift edges of mixture with a spatula. Turn heat to low, cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes, shaking the pan now and then, and loosening/checking the bottom of the frittata periodically (don’t let it get too brown).
- Heat the broiler.
- Uncover the pan and place under the broiler for 1-3 minutes. Watch carefully so the top doesn’t burn!
- Remove. If the top still doesn’t look done, you can also flip the frittata and cook on the stove for a little bit longer.
- Loosen the edges and slide or flip into a platter.
- Cut into wedges and enjoy – hot or cold!
Adapted from Spinach and Red Pepper Frittata Recipe from cooking.nytimes.com.
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