Cooking with Chad: Paleo Mushroom Frittata

Ok, so tonight, I totally winged it (wanged? wung?). Erin wasn’t home, Logan was going out for a “date” with my parents, and Cody grabbed some McD’s on the way home from his Cub Scout meeting. So, being that she wasn’t home, I figured I would eat forbidden fruits, as they were. Wanted something with egg, so I went with some kind of frittata (basically, quiche without the crust). My father suggested something with mushrooms, so I went with that. Picked up some baby bellas at the store on the way home, and went to work. I looked at a couple recipes, but nothing really looked like something I wanted, so I just created as I went along. No recipe…just what I felt like throwing into a pan.

Ingredients
6 eggs
8 oz. pkg. of mushrooms (whatever type you would like, I went with baby portabella mushrooms)
1 T. thyme
Splash of coconut milk
Spash of hot sauce (optional, I used sriracha)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Spray an 8 inch oven safe frying pan with cooking spray. We use a coconut oil based spray that works extremely well. Fry up your chosen mushrooms until browned over medium high heat, which should take about 8 minutes or so. While they are sizzling away, combine your six eggs, the thyme, coconut milk, and hot sauce, if so desired. Whisk it up like you’ve maybe whisked before.

Regarding the coconut milk: 1) I used the liquid, refrigerated kind, but I can’t see why you couldn’t use the shelf-stable stuff, and 2) I didn’t put an amount, because it is all in how light or dark you like it. I like mine in the middle to the lighter side, so I added until I got the color I wanted.

As your mushrooms finish up, transfer them to a plate, and set them aside.

Spray your pan again, and introduce your mushrooms to the egg mixture, then the mixture to its fiery doom in the pan at medium heat. Cover and let cook until the bottom sets and browns, shaking the pan to get the excess egg to settle. This should take 3-5 minutes, or until a good portion of the top liquid has begun to solidify. Then transfer to the oven, uncovered. Let it finish cooking the top for another 3-5 minutes, or until there is no more liquid on top. If you want to want to brown it a little on top, flip it up to broil for a minute or two to get that effect.

Take it out, let it cool, enjoy!

NOTE: You need to have an oven safe pan. If you can’t find one, and you have one with a rubber handle (usually those ergonomic thingies), wrap the handle in tin foil to protect it.

The finished product:

So what did I think? I think it turned out pretty well. It is a fairly easy recipe with not a lot to go in it, and it can be made for just a couple people, or just you, if you are really hungry. Mine overcooked a little bit, because I got distracted talking to Cody, but it did not affect the flavor at all. As far as taste, I liked it. The thyme, as always, goes great with the mushrooms. Using coconut milk instead of regular milk or half and half didn’t change the flavor at all, in my opinion. The hot sauce is what really made it for me. The mushrooms were great and everything, but I put in just enough sriracha to give it that red pepper flavor and a pleasant, warming tingle on my tongue. It is a simple recipe, and there are a lot of things that could be done with it, but I was trying to do this while getting the kids ready for bed.

I sense some of you may look for a skinny/less cholesterol option (cholesterol ohmnomnomnom!). This is easy: Just use 3 egg whites and 2 whole eggs. Yields a little less, egg wise, but would be technically better for you.

But why would I want to do that?