Spinach and Feta Fritata, Fertile Chickens and Block Parties

Hi everyone and please click on the title of this post to read more. First, a few announcements:
There will be the groundbreaking ceremony and “milk and cookies” themed party at the Universal Access Playground this Saturday from 1-3 in Montclair to celebrate the park that Parents Who Rock helped build. We are so proud! Also, there will be a drive to get bone marrow donors at the Little Y in Montclair this Saturday for a very sick little boy so please sign up to be tested at 10AM. Lastly, there will be a Parents Who Rock performance at Nishuane’s Mayfair to benefit the school. Check out www.parentswhorock.com

Well, back to cooking. You know it is the beginning of summer when my old block has its yearly bike-a-thon-pot-luck- party. We are always flattered to be invited back, being the traitors that we were to move (our family grew out of the house-what can I say?!).

I decided to take the opportunity to keep my eight year old away from Hannah Montana and enlist her help in the kitchen instead. We made a tasty fritata to bring as our contribution and while cooking together (she cracked and beat the eggs, a perfectly age appropriate task for her that she loves) we were able to actually engage in a civilized discussion about chicken fertility (see video below) and why people always “oo” and “ahhh” on laughing shows (sitcoms) when someone takes off their shirt. Both were important topics that might not have come up had we not had this mother-daughter-no-pressure-time together, working on a project.

The fritata, by the way, was on my mind because of a book I am reading called Cooking and Screaming. I went to see the author, Adrienne Kane, at a reading last week where she demonstrated making a pea and mint fritata . I highly recommend this book which is her memoir discussing how food and cooking helped her with recovery from a brain hemmorage that she experienced at the age of 21. Here is a link to the book if you are interested:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1416587977/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid;=3533999985&ref;=pd_sl_54kr8rybbe_b

The following is my Spinach and Feta fritata recipe that helped me avoid a TV filled afternoon with my daughter. The family that cooks together, laughs together, talks together and brings healthy fritatas to block parties together where there are cute babies…..

Spinach and Feta Fritata:

12 eggs
1 chopped onion
2 cups chopped fresh spinach or approx. 3/4 cup thawed and thoroughly drained frozen spinach
1 tsp salt (i/2 in egg mixture, 1/2 when cooking spinach)
ground pepper-10 grinds
3/4 lb french feta cheese, regular feta cheese or any other cheese you like
olive oil or canola oil spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat 12 eggs thoroughly and beat in 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.

Crumble up feta cheese or grate other cheese you are using and set aside in a bowl.

In a large cast iron skillet, or any other ovenroof skillet, heat pan over low to medium heat. When hot , spray with olive or canola oil and saute onions until wilted, translucent and starting to brown at the edges. Keep stirring. Then add spinach and stir until spinach is wilted. Add 1/2 tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper or 1/8 tsp pepper.

With onions and spinach kept in the pan, pour in the beaten eggs. Let sit a minute or two and then lightly pull in the edges letting the raw eggs seep to the edges of the pan. Keep doing this until the eggs are about halfway cooked. When still a bit raw on top, add the crumbled or grated cheese to the top and place the whole pan in the oven on the top rack.

Let cook for about 5 minutes until cheese is melted and the fritata puffs up a bit and looks cooked. Remove from oven and slice into pie like pieces.

Helpful Tip: If you are transporting the fritata, put skillet in a pizza box or on top of an old cardboard box in the recycling bin. It will protect your car from getting seared by the pan…

http://www.youtube.com/get_player