Monday 30 May 2016

Vegetable Frittata : Could Be Perfect For Family or Party Gatherings


Saimaa Miller writes, "the humble egg contains powerhouse nutrition. It is a fantastic source of protein (great for snacks when you’re on-the-go), vitamins B2, B12, A, D and E, minerals zinc and phosphorus, and trace elements iodine and selenium. They provide essential fatty acids to assist in hormone production, brain development and metabolic processes. Eggs are also one of the best sources of choline, an essential nutrient needed for metabolism, fat absorption and neurological function."

Here is her recipe for a vegetable frittata. Note of caution ...you will see it uses sweet potato, which although has fewer carbohydrates than the regular potatoes, still has carbohydrate in them (see article below). Some diabetics find blood sugar numbers are acceptable when eating this, but others still have an un-acceptable blood sugar spike ... so if you are unsure, than test is best i.e. please use your meter.

You may of course substitute sweet potato for swede, bell peppers, additional zucchini (courgette) ... 

However, if you would like to give this recipe a try here it is ...

Ingredients:
Olive oil
200g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1cm pieces

120g green beans, trimmed, halved

½ cup frozen peas
1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium zucchini, (courgette) halved lengthways, sliced thinly

1 medium tomato, chopped

2 tbsp parsley
½ cup rice/almond/oat milk

4 eggs, lightly whisked

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line base of a 20cm round or square cake pan.
2. Heat oil in large frying pan and cook sweet potato, stirring for 3-4 minutes or until slightly softened.
3. Add onion, zucchini, beans and peas and cook for 3 minutes until just tender.
4. Combine vegetable mixture, tomato, parsley and eggs in large bowl and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Stand 5 minutes before turning out.

You may need to use these measurement equivalent tables here


Sweet Potatoes

" The word 'potatoes' makes us shudder with the thought of weight gain and a truck load of fats, but that’s not the case with sweet potatoes. This humble root has numerous health benefits and can actually help you lose weight!

Carbohydrates
Sweet potatoes have a slightly lower carbohydrate content than regular potatoes. One medium potato contains 26 grams of carbohydrates, while one medium sweet potato contains 23 grams of carbohydrates.

Fibers
Sweet potatoes contain almost twice as much fiber as other types of potatoes. Contributing close to 7 grams of fiber per serving. The high fiber content gives them a ‘slow burning quality’. Which means their caloric energy is used more slowly and efficiently than a low-fiber carbohydrate.

Vitamins and Potassium
Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A and a good source of potassium and vitamin C, B6, riboflavin, copper, pantothetic acid and folic acid. A medium sweet potato has 28% more potassium than a banana.

Water Content
The high amount of water that is found in sweet potatoes helps you lose weight. Like fiber, water takes up a lot of room in your stomach. Therefore, eating foods that contain high amounts of water makes you feel full and will prevent overeating and snacking between meals.

Choosing the right one
Check for sweet potatoes with no cracks or bruises. Keep them in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place, and handle them with care. They should keep for about two weeks. Once cooked, sweet potatoes can be stored for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

They can be used in a wide variety of dishes, both savory and sweet, and pair well with cinnamon, honey, lime, ginger, coconut and nutmeg. Enjoy them in desserts, breads and muffins, puddings and custards and casseroles. They also take to Indian curries and vegetable side dishes quite well."

These above words, and more, here

I often find that crustless quiches and frittata's are great for family get-togethers, Sunday breakfast or tea, bank holiday weekends and similar ...

We try and bring a variety of recipe ideas to this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

22 comments:

  1. I like meatless stuff so this for me is a great recipe. Not sure you guys have the heat wave we're having but if yes, hope you're staying cool. Hugs and wishes for a great week.

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  2. That looks lovely. My family won't eat flans, quiches or frittatas so it's nice to have them at gatherings or parties when there's others to enjoy them with me.

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  3. Frittata is always a good go-to for that unexpected guest arrival :)

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  4. Hi Nikki (Sarah)
    There are many who do like a meatless alternative, and this certainly provides it.
    Parts of the UK have reached the low 20's C ... but certainly wouldn't call it a heatwave!

    Keep cool and enjoy your week

    All the best Jan

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  5. Hello Jo
    'Flans, quiches or frittatas' are such a welcome addition at gatherings aren't they.
    I love vegetables like broccoli, courgettes, asparagus in them, (well I actually love so many different vegetables) in fact I'm spoilt for choice for some great tasting veggies!

    Hope your Bank Holiday Weekend is going well.

    All the best Jan

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  6. Hi Grace
    I so agree with you "Frittata is always a good go-to for that unexpected guest arrival :)"
    The great thing about Frittata's is that almost whatever you have in the fridge or kitchen cupboard may be used ...vegetable speaking of course!

    Have a great week

    All the best Jan

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  7. This would be great for a family get-together. My son and I love sweet potatoes, hubby not so much. I have them in the fridge right now. Thank you Jan :)

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  8. Looks good, I make the Spanish version, a Tortilla.

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  9. Hello, this veggie frittata sounds easy and delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    Happy Monday, enjoy your new week ahead!

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  10. We make a frittata very similar to this one and enjoy it for lunch on the patio at this time of year. Sweet potatoes are standard vegetables for us and I can't think of better French fries than the sweet potato rosemary fries we grill in the oven. Gives a whole new meaning to fish and chips!

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  11. Always have similar on the table for family gatherings and this looks a very nice recipe.

    Thanks

    Jane:)

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  12. Yummy recipe. I've never used sweet potato in a frittata before but I'll definitely try this one for a quiet Sunday brunch.

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  13. Hello Denise
    These can be so good for family gatherings, I like to mix the different quiches, Frittata's etc, so there is a good choice for everyone.

    All the best Jan

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  14. Hi Janet (Mac 'n' Janet)
    This is a nice recipe ... I think the Spanish Tortilla uses the regular potato doesn't it.
    There are so many great recipe ideas for us to choose our favourites, and what suits our lifestyle, dietary choices etc.
    But food is to be enjoyed and shared ...especially with family and friends!

    All the best Jan

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  15. Hello Eileen
    This Frittata recipe is a great 'veggie' alternative and is usually very well received at family gatherings ...

    I hope you've had a good Memorial weekend, good wishes for the new week ahead

    All the best Jan

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  16. Hi David
    Oh, those 'sweet potato rosemary fries that you grill in the oven' sound amazing. I can almost taste them!
    Isn't it good to be able to sit out on the patio in the warmer months ...

    Good wishes for the new week ahead.

    All the best Jan

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  17. Hello Jane
    "Always have similar on the table for family gatherings and this looks a very nice recipe."
    Yes, there are many lovely recipe ideas for this type of dish, and families usually love them, especially at Bank Holiday Times ...

    I do hope you have had a lovely bank holiday weekend.

    All the best Jan

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  18. Hi 'NC'
    Yes, this recipe is ideal for a "quiet Sunday brunch" - hope you may enjoy it soon!

    Good wishes for the coming week ahead.

    All the best Jan

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  19. I would suggest 200 g carrots that have about the same calories but twice the fiber and half the sugar, a lot less starch in carrots to turn to glucose (almost zero in carrots and 13 grams in sweet potatoes), 20X the Vit A IU and RAE over sweet potatoes, and 15X the alpha and beta carotenes in carrots over sweet potatoes. A lot of the other nutrients go back and forth between the two but the calories are almost the same in the two foods. I always sub carrots for sweet potatoes and have absolutely NO problems with my blood sugars and they taste every bit as sweet as sweet potatoes with any rise in blood glucose because they have NO starch to convert to glucose.

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  20. Hello Judith
    Many thanks for your comments and suggestions here.
    These sort of Frittata's are so good and easy to do aren't they, and there are so many ways to change / enhance the recipe to suit each of us.

    Hope you have a good week ahead ...

    All the best Jan

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  21. This is such a great recipe! Thanks for sharing it. I hope you've had a lovely start to the week!

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  22. Hi Martha
    This is a very nice recipe idea, pleased that you liked it to.
    The weeks come and go around so quickly don't they .... but this one has started well, thank you.

    Enjoy your week

    All the best Jan

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