How to Make a Frittata

They're coming! With Memorial Day around the corner, friends and relatives are packing their cars and heading to -- your house. Most house guests are out at lunchtime, so that leaves breakfast and dinner. Dinner can be barbecue, after all it's summer. But even if you take your guests out to dinner, you still have to make breakfast.

Enter the frittata -- a versatile breakfast/brunch egg dish that you can make while talking about Aunt Edna's allergies and giving directions to places you've never been.

Shopping List for the Frittata

eggs
olive oil
mushrooms
onion
garlic powder
salt
pepper

Shopping List for Things to Serve with the Frittata

breakfast meat (bacon or sausages)
butter
bread for toast (buy a fancy local jam to go with it)
or breakfast breads (muffins, coffeecake, etc.) fruit for a fruit salad (can be made the night before)


Before you begin the frittata, there are a couple of extra steps I recommend for your general sanity.
1. Make coffee or tea (or both). Put out sugar, milk, and mugs where your guests will see them so they can help themselves. They'll think you did it for them, but I know you were the last to bed and the first one up -- you need your jolt of caffeine.

2. Set the table. The coffee is perking. You're still groggy. Perfect time to set the table.

3. Place a basket of breakfast breads where your guests can find them. At least one person will nosh on them before breakfast.

4. Start the breakfast meats.

5. Take the fruit salad out of the fridge to come to room temperature.

And now -- the frittata.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
1 cup diced mushrooms
6 eggs (about 1 1/2 cups of eggs)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium/low heat. Swirl it around a couple of times to coat the sides of the pan. (Note: I do NOT use a nonstick pan for this.)
3. Add the onions and let cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Stir occasionally. If they threaten to burn, turn the heat down.
4. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft, about two minutes. Stir occasionally. (If you're experimenting, and you're a huge fan of herbs, this would be the time to add them.)
5. Meanwhile, add the salt, garlic powder, and pepper to the eggs and whisk together. (I like to use a Pyrex bowl that can go straight into the dishwasher.
6. Give the pan a good shake to distribute the mushrooms and onions evenly. Pour the seasoned eggs over the mushrooms and onions. Do NOT stir. Watch the eggs. After two to three minutes, you should see that the bottom is becoming firm.
7. Place the pan in the oven. You now have six to seven minutes to find the sock your dog stole from Uncle Elmo while he was sleeping.
8. After six to seven minutes, use a POTHOLDER to remove from oven and serve. It will deflate a little bit, but that's okay. For ease of serving, run a knife around the edge to loosen it and serve with a spatula or pie server.

I love this recipe because it's so simple. If you don't like mushrooms or onions, use spinach, leftover asparagus, ham, cheese, shallots, or peppers. I think this is one of those recipes where less is more. Don't overload with too many additions. Keep it simple and it will turn out great every time.

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Krista Davis is the nationally bestselling author of the Domestic Diva Mystery series. The first in the series, The Diva Runs Out of Thyme was nominated for an Agatha award. The second book, The Diva Takes the Cake, will be available in bookstores on June 2nd. This time the divas take on a wedding. Sophie Winston has her hands full dealing with her bridezilla sister, Hannah. But when the groom's ex-wife is found hanging from a pergola, Sophie has bigger problems that she ever expected.

Visit Krista at her website http://divamysteries.com/ and her blog at http://thedivadishes.blogspot.com/ .