COURSE Breakfast, Kids Friendly
SERVES About 6
TIME About 50 minutes
Cooking Tips: The preparation of this dish can be chucked up into different sessions; therefore, it fits very well into my routine. I also make more squash in one baking session, so that I have a side for lunch. My oven has a cook time function that would automatically turn off the oven when preset cook time is up. This avoids over cooking.
This is what my chunked up cooking sessions look like for this dish. 1). Cut up the squash and onion the night before and mix with olive oil, salt, and pepper to store in fridge overnight. This marinates the squash, and the flavor is much better the next morning. I usually cut 2 or 3 squashes to have the lunch / dinner side dish. 2). Fire up the oven at 425 degrees and put in the squash as soon as the oven is on (not after preheated) to save time. This allow me to go for a 30-min run when the squash is cooking. 3). Bake for 8 mins at 400 after mixing in spinach, eggs, and cream. 4). Leave the dish in the oven for another 5 mins or so after the oven turns off. This gives me time to shower, dress, and get the clothes ready for kids before running back into the kitchen to take it out of oven.
This recipe is modified based on a recipe created by Bobby Flay posted on Misfits Market recipe blog, and offers good substitutes for winter vegetables: kale, chard, arugula, Acorn squash, delicata squash, or zucchini squash. The hardier vegetables must get cooked first, and save the leafy greens to be mixed in with the eggs.
Ingredients:
1 acorn squash, cubed
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 Tbsps olive oil, divided
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
8 eggs
1/4 cup half and half
1 cups spinach, chopped
2 ounces goat cheese
Ciabatta rolls
Avocado, sliced (Optional)
Sprouts (Optional)
Directions:
Preheat to 425 degrees. Toss squash and onions with 2 Tbsps of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes until squash is tender and slightly golden. Remove from oven.
Decrease oven heat to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs, half and half, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Mix in the spinach and the cooked squash and onion. Brush remaining 1 tablespoon of oil onto the bottom and the sides of the baking sheet or pan.
Pour egg mixture into baking sheet or pan and evenly distribute vegetables in the pan. Crumble goat cheese over top. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until frittata becomes slightly puffed and eggs have set. Rest for 5 minutes.
Serve with toasted bread and add optional avocado and sprouts. Serving as a sandwich is also a great option. Enjoy!
Recipe Inspiration:
This recipe is inspired by the "Winter Squash Sheet Pan Frittata Sandwich" recipe by Misfits Market. The recipe is created by Bobby Flay.
Some thoughts about baking and energy consumption:
With all the recipes descriptively listing the oven temperature and baking time, I often forget that the oven is hot before it was heated to the desired temperature. Similarly, it does not immediately become room temperature after turning off. In fact, the oven remains hot for quite some time after turned off. The heat generated during the pre-heating and after the oven has been turned off can also be harnessed for cooking and warming.
One can argue that meats don't have as good of a texture if they were placed into the oven before the pre-heating is completed, since the exposure of the high heat can help lock in the juice. However, many vegetable dishes are less picky. My oven has a "Cook Time" function, which automatically turn off the oven based on a prescribed time (e.g., 25 mins). I have started to set the oven Cook Time by 5 mins less than the recipe instruction to save energy.
Similarly, it's easy to forget that food continues to cook after removing from the heat source. This is especially true for meats, including fish, and some cream-based dishes. Turning off the oven a few minutes earlier also helps avoid overcooking.
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