I’ve grown broccoli in my garden off and on over the last few years, with varying levels of success. This last year was incredibly successful. Almost regrettably so. So. Much. Broccoli.
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Not only did I get the nice big heads from my plants, I had an insane amount of side florets that formed. My cauliflower did the same. I wasn’t anticipating such a generous yield when I planted my seedlings, which is why I planted as many as I did. In total, I had 22 plants of broccoli and cauliflower. For two people. They kept producing. For months.
Soooooo… my youngest and I have been consuming an ungodly amount of broccoli and cauliflower in soup, steamed with lemon and olive oil, in vegetable medleys, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, but it gets a bit challenging after a while to think up new ways to use the same thing over and over again. Okay, maybe I’m complaining a little bit.
It dawned on me at one point that the answer to this problem was one I’d used many times before, just with different components. I was toying with the idea of making a quiche with broccoli and eggs, but I just couldn’t muster up the energy to deal with the crust. Well, crust-less quiches exist, sort of, we just use a different name for them… frittatas.
Frittatas are kind of like the casseroles of the egg dish world. You can put almost anything into them, plop them in the oven for a little while, and take out something that looks so elegant but is ridiculously easy to prepare. They are just as perfect for breakfast or brunch as they are for dinner. This recipe combines fresh broccoli with flavorful leeks and herb-seasoned eggs. A sprinkling of creamy and tangy feta puts the proverbial icing on the cake for a hearty all-in-one meal that is both healthy and delicious. A total win-win.
Some quick notes before you begin:
Many recipes often tell you to trim the dark green portion off of leeks and, get this, throw them away. Ludicrous. I usually only trim off the very toughest part at the ends and use both green and white portions equally. Those trimmings get saved in the freezer for making vegetable broth later on.
The amount of broccoli used here is very generous. I really like broccoli and had a lot to use. You can scale it back to suit your tastes.
The broccoli I used was from my garden and was primarily side shoots with some of the leaves attached. I also had a bit of cauliflower thrown in. The typical broccoli from the grocery store will absolutely be just as good.
Be sure to chop your broccoli into smaller sized pieces. This way, you’ll have a better distribution of broccoli throughout the frittata and it will cook more quickly.
You can opt to use some cauliflower with the broccoli, or even switch it out completely, if you desire. They cook the same and it will taste just as wonderful.
Use a pan that can go from stove top to oven if you have one. Otherwise, you will need to transfer your sauteed vegetables to an oven proof dish, then add the eggs over them before putting it into the oven.
Broccoli & Leek Frittata Recipe
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Ingredients
For the eggs:
- 6 large eggs
- 6 Tbsp. evaporated milk (not condensed!)
- 3 Tbsp. white wine (I use a cheap Chablis)
- 1 tsp. dried dill, or 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill (feel free to use marjoram or oregano in place of the dill)
- 6 – 8 ounces crumbled feta cheese
For the vegetables:
- 12 ounces fresh broccoli, roughly chopped
- 6 ounces sliced leeks, green or white parts
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, Greek preferred
- 1/4 cup white wine (same as for the eggs)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a medium sized bowl, combine all the ingredients for the eggs except the feta and scramble them together. Set aside.
Put the olive oil, leeks, and broccoli into a pan on the stove and turn to high. Use an oven proof pan if you have one. Once the vegetables begin to sizzle, add the wine and combine. Lower the stove to medium-low and cover. Stir occasionally to make sure the vegetables don’t burn. Cook them until the broccoli is tender. Uncover the pan and cook off any remaining liquid.
If your pan is not oven proof, transfer the vegetables to an oven safe dish. A pie pan would be fine. Make sure the vegetables are dispersed evenly through the pan/dish and add the egg mixture.
Place the pan on a rack in the middle of the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the feta cheese evenly over the surface. Return the pan to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until the center of the frittata is set and doesn’t giggle when moved.
Remove the pan from the oven and serve. We love this with a slice of buttered toast. Enjoy!
Mostly Greek 
This sounds really tasty.
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It’s really good!
LikeLiked by 1 person