Asparagus & Mushroom Frittata

This veggie loaded frittata makes for a great breakfast, lunch or dinner & can be made with some basic pantry staples you’ll likely have at home.

Inspiration:

This is a great athlete friendly meal and ticks a lot of the boxes for me when it comes to preparing a good meal: it’s quick & easy to make, it’s loaded with nutrient-dense vegetables & protein, and you can be flexible with the ingredients, using what you have on hand, what’s in season and what sounds good.

Ode to the egg! As an athlete, you can’t go wrong with eggs. One egg packs seven grams of complete protein and contains all of the eight essential amino acids required to build and maintain muscle. Plus, eggs taste great! Unless you’re closely watching your cholesterol intake, as an athlete, you shouldn’t be limited to just egg whites. In a typical egg yolk, you’ll find half the protein, antioxidants and other crucial vitamins as well.

Asparagus is in season in May, so this frittata is loaded with asparagus, mushrooms, goat cheese & eggs. Breakfast for dinner, here you come! Some great pairings to go with this would include a green salad, roasted potatoes or a side of whole-grain toast.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

1 pound asparagus, trimmed & sliced into 2” cuts
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
¾ pound mixed mushrooms (such as button, cremini or oyster), cut into large pieces 
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon chile flakes
¼ cup fresh herbs (such as parsley, dill, or oregano), finely chopped
10 eggs
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled into quarter-sized pieces
Salt and pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400˚F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lay asparagus on the baking sheet, drizzle with ½ tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 12 minutes or until the asparagus have started to char slightly, but still remain bright green. Set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 350˚F.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in an 10-inch cast iron skillet or other oven-proof pan over medium-high. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and chile, season with salt and pepper and toss. Allow the mushrooms to cook down, stirring every few minutes. Once they have some crispy edges and any moisture has cooked away, stir in the herbs and turn the heat down to low.

Meanwhile, mix the eggs in a medium bowl and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and a few cracks of pepper. 

Pour the eggs over the mushrooms, moving them around so they’re evenly distributed in the pan. Do not scramble the eggs. Dot the goat cheese over the eggs, again making sure it’s evenly distributed. Lay the asparagus on top of the eggs and season everything with a little more salt and pepper.

Put the skillet in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until the eggs are set but still slightly jiggly in the middle of the pan. Allow to rest for a few minutes before slicing, and serve warm or at room temperature.

A few notes:

This is a free-form recipe, feel free to use what ingredients speak to you. You can add other vegetables or swap out the cheese (or go without cheese!). You can substitute asparagus for another favorite green veggie, such as broccoli. 

Don’t worry if you don’t have a 10” pan, you can go larger, or smaller, but just be aware you’ll need to adjust your baking time.

Fresh herbs take this from ordinary to extraordinary, but feel free to use what you have on hand, even if it’s dry seasonings. If using dry seasonings reduce the amount from ¼ cup to 2 Tablespoons.  

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 1-week. Leftover frittata makes for a great mid-mornig snack.