Paleo and Dirty Dishes!: Surprise Eggs

"Surprise Eggs" - Frittata

I have really enjoyed eating healthy, real foods and getting all of the yucky grains out of my diet. The Paleo way of eating has become a new lifestyle choice that has totally changed my life. Feeling so much better, having extra energy, and losing weight is something that I thought would never happen to me. I love the fact that with this new lifestyle change we are adding many fun and interesting new vegetables in to our diet. I am amazed by the fact that my husband is eating asparagus, artichokes, spinach, all different kinds of squash, and avocados, things he swore to me that he would never eat. One example is the avocado. He hated them! Now he loves them and almost requires them at every meal. See, it's important to keep trying new things. You never know when it might just hit your taste buds the right way and you magically grow to love it.

One of the easiest ways to add extra veggies into your diet is by adding it to your breakfast every morning. It doesn't matter if you scramble your eggs and add in some vegetables; make a hash and serve a fried egg on top; or make a frittata, getting those extra vegetables will help you thru out the day. I have noticed that when I eat a really healthy serving of vegetables in the mornings, I'm less prone to snack in between meals.

One of my husbands favorite things for me to make him in the morning is a frittata. A frittata is just a really fancy word for a quiche without the crust. My husband calls it "surprise eggs"! The surprise comes because every time I make the "surprise eggs" its different because of the different ingredients I use. This is because I usually throw whatever leftovers I have in the fridge into the eggs. One day I may have spinach and chicken on hand! Another day I may fry up some bacon, add some squash and, tomatoes to the eggs or one day it may just be all veggies. But really, these "surprise eggs" are so delicious, so versatile, and so easy to make. You can eat a frittata or "surprise eggs" for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or even dinner. You even can eat a slice of the egg pie on the go.

The different ingredient possibilities for a frittata or "surprise eggs" are endless. When you are cleaning out that fridge don't forget to add in some of that extra protein you have in there. Be creative. Try and come up with some uniquely different combinations. Pulled pork and eggs, ummm I think so! Mushrooms and leftover steak, oh wow! Sweet Potato and breakfast sausage is another combination that is amazing. You can layer the sliced cooked sweet potato on the bottom of the pie pan and use the sweet potatoes as somewhat of a crust and then add your eggs and other vegetables to the pan. Sometimes, if I really want to surprise my hubby, I will sneak in a new vegetable that we have never tried before into the "surprise eggs"! Surprise, new vegetable introduced into our diet and he wasn't even aware! This is also a good way to get your kids to get more vegetables. Hide them in the "egg surprise" and call it an egg pie. What kid doesn't love pie?

I love watching my husbands face as I place a slice of the "surprise eggs" on his plate! That silly slow grin that forms on his face as he sees all the different goodies in his "surprise eggs" just waiting to be gobbled up. He never knows what I will put in there, I think that is why he loves this dish so much. I sure do love making him smile!

When I cleaned out the fridge this morning, this is what I found:

pork chop - grilled
butternut squash - roasted
chayote squash - raw
sautéed onions, bell pepper, and jalapeño - leftover from lettuce tacos
tomatoes - sliced
avocado - whole
asparagus - grilled and then cut up
salsa verde

You will need eggs. This will depend on how many people you would like for the frittata to feed. We usually will use 8 eggs into one regular pie pan. We usually have a couple of slices left over for dinner or breakfast the next day.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease (with the oil of your choice) either a cast iron skillet or a glass pie plate.
In a large bowl mix up your eggs - I use an immersion blender, it seems to make them more fluffy.
Stir in any emergency protein that you have in your fridge - that means any protein that you have left over or made ahead of time for the week.
Add in your vegetables - I use the precooked ones I have left over in the fridge or I use whatever raw ones I have in the fridge - be creative.
Stir everything together in the bowl and pour into the prepared baking dish. Salt and pepper to taste.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is set. If your frittata is getting too brown but hasn't quite set yet, turn down your oven 25 degrees and cook in 5 minute increments.
Take out and serve in pie shaped wedges with some paleo salsa, avocado, or hey whatever you like can be piled on top. We don't do dairy anymore, but cheese on top is amazing. My tummy just doesn't think it's amazing anymore!