Over the weekend I slipped away for a wonderful little brunch with some fabulous ladies from the congregation where we worship.  I knew there would be plenty of pastries, muffins and cheesy quiches that I really didn’t need, so I wanted to prepare something that was fairly healthy, low-carb, as well as tasty to carry along to share.

After flipping through a few magazines for ideas, I found a fabulous recipe for a Swiss Chard and Garlic Frittata that seemed to fit the occasion perfectly.  It sounded delicious so I headed to the kitchen where I ignored the recipe totally, pulling out spinach, mushrooms, bacon, onions and eggs to create my own frittata.

A Frittata is a lovely Italian dish that are egg-based, crustless and similar to an omelette. Because you whisk your eggs together so well, they fluff up more than an omelette and make a pretty dish to share!  Most frittata’s do contain cheese, but since I was looking to create a healthier version I opted to leave out the cheese.

It turned out to be absolutely delicious, so I wanted to share the recipe before I forgot it.  You never know when you might need a quick and easy breakfast frittata.

INGREDIENTS:

6 whole eggs

12 egg whites

6-8 slices of cooked nitrate free bacon

2 cups baby spinach leaves

1/2 Large vidalia onion, diced

3/4 cup mushrooms, chopped

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Pink Himalayan Salt & Fresh Ground black pepper for tasting

Coconut Oil cooking spray

Fresh parsley for garnishing

ASSEMBLING THE FRITTATA

There are several little steps to assembling the frittata, but they really are quick and easy.  Put your bacon on to cook, and while it is cooking, steam you 2 cups of spinach leaves.  I just added a couple of tablespoons of water to a pan and covered the leaves to wilt, maybe three to four minutes.

After steaming, remove the spinach from the pan of water and drain on paper towels; removing as much of the excess liquid as possible.

In another skillet, melt 1-2 Tablespoons of the unsalted butter and sauté the onions; adding the garlic after a minute.  Sauté the mix until the onions are translucent, then add the mushrooms.

Finally, add the spinach to your sauté, allowing just a minute for your flavors to mesh.  Season with just a little pink Himalayan salt and black pepper.

Using a 11 x 8 casserole dish that you have sprayed with coconut oil, spread the sautéed mixture evenly across the bottom of the pan, crumbling the bacon over the top.

Whisk together your 6 whole eggs and 12 egg whites and pour evenly over the vegetables.

Bake at 350º for 8-10 minutes until the eggs are set.  Be careful not to over cook as you will have a chewy, rubbery dish that is not very good.

Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and cut to serve.

I don’t know about you, but when I make a healthy dish to share I am always so concerned whether or not people liked it.  This was apparently a hit as the casserole pan came home totally empty.  The flavors paired well together, and truly, it was a perfect for a Saturday brunch.

I’m editing this to link up with My Mom’s Junk recipe party … hence the old photo of me heading off to my junior prom in 1989 in honor of my own daughter who just attended her Junior Prom over the weekend.

Good grief could those sleeves have been any puffier and the bow any bigger?!!

Have a great week!