Batter-Splattered

Ice Fishing Frittata

Our ice fishing class last weekend had us so inspired that a handful of us went right back out on the lake this weekend. There's my gals out on the ice:

 

My pup in the foreground, Angie's in the background:

So beautiful! Four ladies out on the lake, passing a bottle of herring oil to dab on our lures, sharing a bottle of wine, and basking in the warmth of a little heater hooked to a canister of propane. It was a bit of a pain in the ass to turn the propane so we were thinking a lazy susan might do the trick nicely and then we laughed to think what men would think of our posh set-up. 

And did we catch anything? Yeah. Everyone but me. After this jaunt, Angie and I took off to get some Indian take-out food: chicken vindaloo and lamb masala and naan. So spicy and warm -- the perfect thing to thaw out ice-cold fisherwomen. The shot of Jameson's on the side didn't hurt either.

Here's the perfect breakfast to share with a crowd before a wintery outing such as ice fishing. A winter frittata. Packed full of protein and vegetables. I got the recipe here. It was originally a vegetarian recipe from Mollie Katzen but then Self magazine tinkered with it a little and added turkey bacon.

It's excellent! Here's my version:

Ice Fishin' Frittata

5 slices turkey bacon
2 medium red potatoes, very thinly sliced
2 cups sliced red onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (any color)
2 T chopped fresh rosemary or 2 t dried
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped spinach
2 tsp minced garlic
4 whole eggs
8 egg whites
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 oz reduced-fat feta, crumbled

Cook bacon until crisp. Let cool. Chop and set aside. In a 10-inch skillet, sauté potato, onion, bell pepper, rosemary, and 1/4 tsp salt in 1 tbsp oil for 5 minutes over medium heat. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Stir in spinach and garlic and sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat. Beat eggs and remaining salt in a large bowl. Add vegetables, bacon, black pepper, and feta. Preheat broiler. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat up on a burner over medium heat. Pour in egg mixture and cook 4 minutes. Move skillet to broiler and broil, uncovered, 3 minutes. Cut into 6 wedges and serve hot or cool.

Squash, Mozzarella, and Fresh Thyme Quiche

I found this recipe for a Yellow Squash and Mozzarella Quiche with Fresh Thyme over at epicurious and thought it sounded just right for dinner on Friday night. With a few tinkers here and there it was delicious. So summery -- especially made with a locally-grown yellow squash and some fresh thyme snipped from the gigantic pot of herbs growing on my front porch.

Instead of using the crust recipe that came with the quiche recipe, I whipped up a couple of my favorite piecrusts (recipe below) and put three in the freezer. Somehow, I managed to miss out on taking a photo of the finished product, but I can say from firsthand experience that this quiche is good for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, having had a little for each meal.

I never got tired of it. In fact, I kind of wish I had a slice right now.

Squash, Mozzarella, and Fresh Thyme Quiche

Four main-course servings

Single-crust piecrust (recipe follows)

3 large slices of bacon (preferably peppered bacon) chopped

1 yellow squash, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

2 t fresh thyme, chopped

4 large eggs

1 c whipping cream

Salt and pepper to taste

3/4 c grated mozzarella, packked (about 3 oz.)

Prepare piecrust and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough on floured surface large enough to fit into a pie pan (10-inch or so pan). Place crust in pan and pinch around edges. Pierce bottom of crust all over with a fork. Line with foil and add some dried beans or rice or pie weights. Bake until sides are set, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bank until crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

For filling, cook bacon in a skillet  until almost crisp. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and pour off all but a tablespoon or two of drippings. Add squash and thyme to skillet and saute until squash is just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Whisk eggs, cream, salt and pepper in a bowl. Arrange squash in bottom of piecrust. Sprinkle with cheese. Pour egg mixture into crust. Bake until filling is golden and set in center, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool for 15 minutes.

Never Fail Piecrust

Makes enough for two 9-inch double-crust pies -- extra crust freezes well

4 c all-purpose flour

1 t baking powder

1 t salt

1 t sugar

1 3/4 c shortening

1 egg

1 t cider vinegar

1/2 c cold water

In large mixer bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add shortening and beat until mixture is crumbly. In a small bowl, beat egg well and add vinegar and water. Pour over flour-shortening mixture and beat until well combined, about 1 minute. Form dough into 4 balls, wrap in plastic, and put extras in freezer.

Roll out a ball of dough on a floured surface until it's a big enough round to fit your pie plate. Roll dough round onto your rolling pin and unroll again into pie plate. If dough tears, just press it together again with your fingers. Form decorative edge. Fill to your heart's desire.