Kale Frittata with Millet Crust

With my undying love for eggs it is quite the mystery as to why I don’t make frittatas more often.  I mean, it has been at least a year—or more—since my last.  I guess I just don’t plan ahead.  When I want eggs, I want them now!

But this is worth planning for.

This millet crust was a total stab in the dark.  I knew once cooked it could be packed down into a pan and would possibly hold together.  But would it really not fall apart?

Answer: YES!

There were a few millet crumbs here and there but pretty much the same you’d have with any crust.

It sort of blew me away, but maybe you already knew it could do this?

I will no doubt eat this entire pan before Chris ever lays his hands on it.  I’m already 3 slices in and he still has no idea it exists.  I even put it on the main shelf in the fridge, plain as day.  But am I going to announce to the world that I made it?  Probably not…

While it may seem like a heavy dish with tons of eggs and a thick crust, it only adds up to 1 egg per slice and just over 1/3 cup of millet.  It also packs 1/2 cup of kale per slice! The perfect accompaniment to a large salad or eaten alongside a smoothie for breakfast.  Whatever floats your boat. 

Print this!

Kale Frittata with Millet Crust

gluten-free // inspired by baby spinach frittata with sweet potato crust from the Sprouted Kitchen cookbook

for the millet:

• 1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 cup uncooked millet, rinsed + drained
• 1 cup low/no sodium veggie broth
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt + pepper

*If using a full sodium veggie broth you may want to reduce salt content to 1/4 teaspoon.

1. Heat a pot over medium and add 1/2 tablespoon oil.
2. Once hot, add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds until just starting to brown.
3. Add in the millet and stir frequently for about 3 minutes until it starts to toast.
4. Add in the veggie broth, water, salt, and pepper, then stir and bring to a boil over med-high.
5. Once boiling, stir once then cover and reduce heat to simmer, cooking for 15-20min until the liquid has been absorbed from the top. Avoid overcooking and drying out the millet.  Do not stir while cooking.
6. Towards the end of the cook time preheat your oven to 350*F and grease a 9-10” pie pan or cast iron skillet.
7. Once the millet is finished, fluff with a fork and place 2 1/2 – 3 cups in the pan.
8. Spread around with a flexible silicone spatula and push about 3/4” up the sides. Be sure to pack the millet down firmly. You want about 1/4” thickness on the bottom and sides. Add more millet if needed.
9. Gently brush with a light coating of melted coconut oil.  About 1/2 tablespoon melted.
10. Bake for 10-12 minutes until just starting to brown.

for the kale egg bake:

• 8 large eggs
• 1/3 cup full fat ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk or 2% milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt + pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons minced shallot
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped sage
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
• 4 cups chopped lacinato/dinosaur kale, rinsed
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan [optional]

1. While the crust is baking, whisk together the eggs in a large mixing bowl.
2. Whisk in the ricotta, milk, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined.  Set aside.
3. In a large pan, heat the oil over medium.
4. Once hot, add the shallot and stir for 1-3 minutes until light golden brown.
5. Add in the garlic, sage, and rosemary, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds.
6. Stir the kale in and let cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly wilted.  Remove from the heat.
7. Whisk into the egg mixture then pour into the baked crust.
8. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes, depending on your pan size.  I used a 10” pan and it took 33 minutes.  Bake until just set.  Give the pan a little jiggle to test and check every 1-2 minutes after 30min of baking to ensure it doesn’t overcook. 
9. Turn your oven to broil on high then sprinkle the top with the parmesan cheese.  Broil on the top rack until melted and starting to bubble.  Watch closely.
10. Let cool for 5-10 minutes then cut into 8 pieces with a serrated knife and serve with a small spatula.  Top with salt, pepper, and/or hot sauce if desired. 
11. Let cool completely before storing covered in the fridge. 

notes: Feel free to sub in other herbs instead of sage + rosemary.  1 tablespoon of basil and 1/2 teaspoon of thyme would also work well.

Two more slices are about to disappear. 

Enjoy + happy weekend!

Ashley

rosemary red wine marinara sauce + garlic oregano pizza sauce {gifts in jars}

Remember how excited I was yesterday?

Well you lovely people just made me even more excited.  Thanks for all of the great feedback.  The jarring of foodie gifts will continue!

While sweets are fine + dandy, I personally cannot survive on them alone.  So today, we have something savory.

Something you are going to have a hard time giving away.

Something you will eat by the spoonful.

Actually, make that 2 somethings.

While you could easily gift the sauce in a jar and call it a day, it would also be fun to create more of a complete package and still keep things affordable and fun.

Idea #1

• marinara sauce
• box of pasta [repackaged in a jar if desired – don’t forget to include the instructions!]
• bottle of wine [50 wines under $20]
• store bought or homemade loaf of fresh bread

Idea #2

• pizza sauce
• fresh pizza dough or if gluten-free check for packaged crust mixes[ie: Bob’s Red Mill]
• fresh mozzarella cheese
• fresh basil

Like yesterday, the packaging was simple and took just minutes to put together.  Instead of burlap, I simplified things today and used a brown paper grocery bag.

• First, I crumpled up a large piece of the bag for 1-2 minutes until it was soft and wrinkled. 
• Then, I smoothed it out and tore it into semi-straight strips. 
• I wrapped it around the jars and secured it with a piece of scotch tape (hot glue would also work).
• Next, I placed a small piece of tape on the tag and stuck it to the brown paper.
• Lastly, I tied the string around the jar multiple times and left enough to double knot in the back and then trimmed the ends.

Now, as far as the recipes go?

I’ve been making variations for both of these recipes for years now.  They never, ever fail me.  It seems so easy to grab a jar of sauce at the store, but how often are you disappointed?  For me that would be almost always.

I think you are going to really appreciate the simplicity of these recipes.  I jazzed up the marinara sauce with a little red wine today.  This is something my dad has been asking me to try for awhile.  So, this one’s for you, dad!!

We always have a box of wine around [Bota Box all the way!] and I finally felt like giving it a try.  Totally worth it.  I also had a large sprig of rosemary hanging around and threw that in as well.  The wine and rosemary worked together better than I expected.

Print this!

Sauce in Jars 

vegan, gluten-free

Rosemary + Red Wine Marinara Sauce

yields ~20oz or 2 1/2 cups // adapted from simple red sauce 

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons diced shallot
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup red wine [I used a Cabernet Sauvignon]
• 28oz whole peeled tomatoes, drain 1/2 cup
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1-2 teaspoons sucanat [or pure cane sugar]
• salt + pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Once hot, add the shallot and cook for about 3-5 minutes until golden brown.  Stir frequently.
3. Add the garlic and rosemary and stir for 30 seconds.
4. Slowly pour in the wine and increase the heat slightly.
5. Let simmer for about 5 minutes until the liquid is reduced by about half.
6. Slowly pour in the tomatoes [less 1/2 cup liquid] and tomato paste and stir until well combined.
7. Break apart the tomatoes by mashing them with a large wooden spoon, or a potato masher.
8. Add in 1 teaspoon of sucanat and salt + pepper. I used about 1/2 teaspoon each of s+p.
9. Bring to a boil uncovered and then reduce heat to simmer for about 10 minutes.  Stir occasionally.
10. Using an immersion blender, blend slightly in the pot to break up the tomatoes a bit more.  If you want a smoother consistency, blend longer.
11. Let simmer for another 10-15 minutes until thickened.  Stir occasionally.
12. Taste and add more salt/pepper/sucanat if desired. The flavors will develop more as it sits.
13. Take off the heat when desired consistency is reached.
14. Let cool to room temperature, then place in jars and refrigerate for about 1 week.

Garlic Oregano Pizza Sauce

yields ~16 oz, or 2 cups

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 24-28oz can/jar strained tomatoes
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1-2 teaspoons sucanat [or pure cane sugar]
• salt + pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Once hot, add the oregano, garlic and parsley and stir constantly for 30 seconds – 1 minute until the garlic starts to brown.
3. Carefully pour in the strained tomatoes (it will spatter) and stir in the tomato paste.
4. Add in 1 teaspoon of sucanat and salt + pepper.  I used about 1/2 teaspoon of each.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Taste and add more salt/pepper/sucanat if desired.  The flavors will develop more as it sits.
7. Take off the heat when desired consistency is reached.
8. Let cool to room temperature, then place in jars and refrigerate for about 1 week.

notes:

• To freeze: Be sure the sauce has fully cooled to room temperature and then placed in the fridge until cold.  Pour into the jar leaving at least 3/4” of space from the top to account for liquid expansion.  Place in the freezer with no lid and let freeze.  Once frozen, place a small piece of saran directly on the sauce and then secure with a lid.  Thaw in the fridge and reheat in a pot over medium.  *Use caution when freezing liquids as the jars can burst if filled all the way.  These tips will help ensure that doesn’t happen! 
• Using strained tomatoes for the pizza sauce will result in the best sauce consistency and no need to use an immersion blender to smooth out.  The jar I used was 24oz but most large cans are 28oz, which should work fine for this recipe as well.
• If you want a smooth marinara sauce, thoroughly blend with an immersion blender or stand blender.
• Double the marinara sauce ingredients if you want a full 32oz jar [pretty standard size] plus some leftover.
• If you don’t want your sauce as thick let it simmer with the lid on so less liquid evaporates. 

I’ve also made the sauce in our slow cooker, which worked perfectly.

I ate at least 1/2 cup of sauce straight from a spoon today and then another cupful over dinner.  I guess I just gifted myself!  Oops.

Ashley

If you want to share a gift in a jar that you’re making this year, please feel free to do so! Either tweet or instagram the photo to @edibleASH with the hashtag: #giftsinjars  Or, email the photo and your name to at: edibleperspective AT gmail DOT com