Saturday, May 8, 2010

Cheese and champignon omelette

Yes, eggs again!
Eggs are fast to prepare, moreover my hens seem to have decided that Spring is here (hens tend to produce less eggs during Winter), so I have many eggs!
This recipe is by far longer to explain than to prepare.

1 egg
1/2 tsp flour
2 tbsp milk
1 pinch salt

8 very small champignons
30 gr cheese (I used Asiago, but you can choose your favourite cheese that melts well: Emmenthaler, Gruyere, Cheddar...)
butter

Mix the flour with 1 tbsp of milk, making sure that there are no lumps. Add the rest of the milk, the egg and the salt and beat. Let rest.

Sautee the quartered champignons in a bit of butter adding a pinch of salt almost at the end and reserve. Cut the cheese thinly.

In the same pan that you used for the champignons add 1 tbsp of butter and let it melt until lightly brown. Add the egg mixture, making sure that it spreads evenly. Put the cheese and the champignons in a line in the centre of the omelette or cover half of it.
When the egg is slightly congealed fold the empty side(s) over the filling.

Eat hot. Enjoy! ...ups, I forgot taking a picture before eating it!

If you fancy a dessert, use the same recipe and fill with your favourite sweet filling.
My personal favourites are: apricot jam with a splash of Cointreau, orange marmelade or chocolate & rhum (cocoa powder, sugar & rhum or melted chocolate with rhum).

Friday, May 7, 2010

Pictureless frittatina della nonna Giulia

I'm working hard, I'm preparing for the season (at Valle Nuova, my organic country inn): collecting vegetables and cutting, jarring, freezing, collecting wild herbs and flowers and making liqueurs, cleaning, organizing, visiting my providers to buy salamis and cheeses, oil and wine... I'm not cooking, basically I eat salads, boiled vegetables and eggs.
Today I prepared the fastest and easyest frittata (kind of thick omelette) that is known in my house as Frittatina della nonna Giulia (granny Giulia small omelette, granny Giulia, being my great grandmother).

This is the recipe
for every egg that you're using add:
a half eggshell of milk
1 tbsp grated parmesan
1/2 pinch salt
1/2 pinch grated nutmeg
black pepper if you like it
butter

I use 2 eggs per person

Beat the ingredients (except the butter) and melt a bit of butter in a pan (1 or 2 tsp per person).
Add the beaten eggs, cover and let cook (very low heat with a screen under the pan).
You decide if you prefer the frittata to be very thin (and fast) or a bit thicker (let's say that 1 to 4 cm will do), the cooking time will depend on the thickness... the frittata is done when it puffs up a bit there's no liquid egg on the surface, do not overcook since the cheese in the frittata will form a brown bitterish bottom.
ENJOY!