If you joined us on our 50th anniversary golden bus tour last year, you’ll have seen our brilliant chef, Sal, keeping everyone entertained and well fed during the live cooking demonstrations.
Well, Sal’s back – this time cooking from her sister’s home, where she’s been socially distancing since the start of lockdown – with a series of special ‘cook-in’ recipe videos, as filmed by her nieces on their mobile phones!
As we’re all trying to shop less and make money go further, Sal’s videos help us to make the most of whatever Free Food we’ve already got in our cupboards, fridges and freezers. We’ve had a classic spag bol, a vegetarian chilli and an easy chicken curry – and this week we’ve got a Slimming World-friendly lunch idea.
On the menu this week is her ‘anything goes’ frittata. Sal tells us more…
“As its name suggests, this recipe was born from wanting to use up the contents of my fridge. I love how flexible it is – you can add the basic whisked egg base to just about anything! I’ve made a potato and onion version, using sliced leftover potatoes, and I’ve made one to use up all the uneaten veg from our Sunday roast. Both were really simple and delicious.
Using roasted veg like peppers, courgettes and red onions, with a bit of basil if you have it, makes a mean Mediterranean frittata. You could even make an ‘English breakfast’ version using bacon medallions (removing any visible fat), cherry tomatoes, sliced mushrooms and Slimming World sausages.
Frozen veg also works really well and is great for getting that Free Food goodness between trips to the supermarket. You can use frozen peppers, onions, sweetcorn, peas or spinach – or all of the above – in this recipe. Now you see why it’s called ‘anything goes’!
The fact that it can be enjoyed hot or cold is another big bonus. I’ve been serving this up with salad a couple of times a week. It’s perfect as we’re all working from home in this house, so if someone is on a call they can grab a slice when they’re ready. It would be ideal for a busy key worker to take into work, or to have waiting for them after their shift.”
Sal’s top frittata tips
- Ensure the mint sauce has no added sugar to keep this recipe Free.
- To get even more Free Food into the frittata, add some grated carrot. Grated veg cooks faster than diced, so it’s ideal for a quick lunch.
- Spray the sides (not just the bottom) of your pan with low-calorie cooking spray to ensure that the frittata comes out easily.
- Cook over a low to medium heat to slowly and evenly cook the egg.
- The frittata is cooked when it comes away from the sides and when it feels firm to the touch in the middle.
- If you prefer your frittata cold, remove it from the heat while it’s still slightly soft in the middle. It will continue to cook as it cools.
- You can make an Asian frittata by cooking up a stir-fry pack, adding in the eggs with some soy sauce and oyster sauce to taste, and finishing with a sprinkle of coriander (if you have it).
- Fancy something other than salad on the side? Mix canned sweetcorn, chopped red chilli to taste (or chilli flakes), chopped fresh mint and a squeeze of lime juice to make a spicy sweetcorn salsa.
Sal’s ‘anything goes’ frittata
Serves 4
FREE
Ready in 40 minutes
Vegetarian
What you need:
8 large eggs
1 tbsp no-added-sugar mint sauce
1 tsp dried chives
1 tsp dried parsley
1 onion, chopped
3 frozen spinach nests
100g frozen peas
1 courgette, grated
½ jar of roasted peppers in brine, drained and chopped
low-calorie cooking spray
*Pregnant women, the elderly, babies and toddlers are advised to eat eggs showing the British Lion stamp if eating raw or partially cooked eggs.
What you do:
Preheat your oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6.
1. Mix the eggs together with the mint sauce, dried chives and parsley, season lightly and whisk together with a fork.
2. Place a deep non-stick frying pan (approx 20cm/8in diameter) with an ovenproof handle over a medium heat and add the onion, spinach and frozen peas. Cook until the spinach and peas have defrosted (about 5 mins), stirring occasionally.
3. Add the courgette and roasted peppers. Warm through, then remove the veg from the pan and keep warm.
4. Clean the pan out, spray the bottom and sides really well with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a low to medium heat. Add the eggs and gently stir to warm through.
5. Stir in the vegetables then leave the frittata to gently cook for about 10 mins (or until the sides easily come away from the pan when using a spatula).
6. Cook in the oven for 10-15 mins or until the frittata feels firm to the touch and is slightly golden.
7. Release the frittata around the sides with a spatula, place a large plate over the top and, holding tightly, turn the plate and pan upside down to release the frittata. Use another plate to flip it back the right way up, as per the video.
8. Slice and serve warm or cold with lots of salad.
We’re all looking for tasty at-home lunch ideas to save us from yet another sandwich or salad, so this hits the spot nicely – thanks, Sal!
Slimming World members have access to hundreds more easy-to-make recipes on the website and app, as well as a handy Food Search tool to make meal-planning easy. Add to that the support of an expert Consultant and the welcoming Slimming World community, and you’ll have all you need to set you up for a successful weight loss journey.
Please join in with the cook-along and let us know how you get on – we’d love to see what you’re creating, how you’ve made it work for you and the ingredients you’ve got. And you can share your pics on social media, too, using #EatWellAtHome