veggies frittata college style

One commonality between busy and lazy people is that they usually don't like spending time in the kitchen. Whatever category you fall into here is a healthy frittata recipe for you. I called it Frittata College Style because college people are often both: busy and lazy. I make this frittata a lot for Sunday brunches. As everyone knows Sundays are the typical busy people lazy days. Keep reading. It's a short intro for obvious reasons.

Mini German Pancakes

Mini German Pancake with Homemade Applesauce and Vanilla Ice Cream

I love German Pancakes and making them in ramekins adds a lot of charm to them.

Mushroom Spinach Frittata

Who doesn't like a tasty brunch with some sparkling wine? Better yet if it's something nutritious and easy to make. Frittata is one of those options.


Frittata is the Italian version of omelette. The difference is that you fold the omelette over the filling and in a frittata the filling is mixed with the eggs. Actually usually you saute or cook the fillings and then put the eggs on top.



There are so many frittata variations but this one is so far my favorite, as I really like mushrooms and spinach. You can make ham and cheese or mixed vegetable frittata using the same principle. First saute the shallots or onions, then add whatever you want in your frittata and finally add the eggs. It's that easy. 

Brazilian Ambrosia

Ambrosia is a sweet that my mother used to make as a special desert. It is totally different from the ambrosia known in the US. The Brazilian ambrosia has Portuguese origins. It takes a long time to cook but it is actually very easy to make.

What You Need:

• 1 liter milk
• 6 eggs
  
• 2 cups sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 cinnamon stick  ( 1 pauzinho de canela)
• powder cinnamon

What To Do:

Gather your ingredients. 

I made just half the recipe and that's what you see in the picture.

Put milk, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a blender and blend until all ingredients are well mixed. This will take less than a minute and transfer to a tall pan.

OR Put milk, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a tall pan ...

... and using a hand blender mix it until all ingredients are well mixed (like in the picture to the left). 

Using a tall pan assures the mix will not overflow when it boils. Note: Actually the pan in the picture is not very tall so I needed to be extra careful when making this ambrosia.

Put the cinnamon stick and turn the heat to medium high.

 

Mix gently until it boils.

The mix will rise, so be careful. Turn down the heat to low and keep mixing until mixture goes down a little.

Put the lid on the pan and let it cook in very low heat for about 2 hours or until the liquid reduces to a thick sauce.

Stir once in a while so the eggs do not stick to the bottom of the pan.
The eggs will start to form lumps.  

After 40 minutes you can see that there is still a lot of liquid in the pan and that the eggs are solidified and forming lumps. 
Be patient, the liquid will slowly be reduced to a nice thick sauce. 

Keep using the spatula to loosen the eggs from the bottom of the pan.

 


The ambrosia will get darker.

When the liquid is reduced to a thick sauce remove the cinnamon stick and turn off the heat.

Use a silicone spatula to break the eggs into smaller lumps.  
Put the ambrosia in a covered glass container and store in the refrigerator but serve at room temperature.
You can leave it out of the fridge if you'll be consuming it in 2 to 3 days.

Before you serve sprinkle with cinnamon powder.













Receita em Português

Você vai precisar de:

• 1 litro de leite integral
• 6 ovos
• 2 xícaras de açúcar
• 1 colher de café de baunilha
• 1 pauzinho de canela 
• canela em pó para colocar em cima quando servir

Um detalhe: esta receita de ambrosia é bastante doce mas se você é daqueles que gostam de doce que dá arrepio quando a gente come, ou quer matar a sogra diabética, então coloque 3 xícaras de açúcar.

E agora pessoal, mãos à massa:
Separe tudo o que vai precisar, assim você não fica correndo de um lado para o outro que nem uma maluca (ou maluco) na cozinha.

Coloque o leite, ovos, açúcar e baunilha no liquidificador. 
Bata até que os ingredientes estejam bem misturados o que deve levar menos de 1 minuto.

Transfira tudo para uma panela 'alta' e coloque o pedaço de canela.
Use fogo médio alto e fique mexendo.
Deve-se usar uma panela alta para que a mistura não derrame quando o leite ferver. Já pensou que chateação limpar leite derramado?

Mexa até a mistura ferver. Fique de olho pois leite não tem muito boa índole e vai ficar esperando você atender um telefone e se distrair pra subir, transbordar e ficar rindo de você limpando a sujeira. Já aconteceu comigo, é claro.

Quando o leite ferver abaixe o fogo para o mínimo possivel e fique mexendo até o leite se acalmar, ou seja até ele não subir mais.

Tampe a panela e deixe nesse fogo baixinho por 2 horas mas você vai precisar checar o doce de meia em meia hora. Não vai esquecer do doce no fogão como eu já fiz. Coloque no timer do seu iPhone, iPod, iPad ou Macbook (deu pra reparar que eu sou uma iGirl?) 

Depois de meia hora a mistura já começa a empelotar. Dê uma mexida para soltar as pelotas do fundo e lados da panela. 
Repita esse procedimento a cada meia hora.

Depois de 2 horas a ambrosia já deve estar pronta ou quase pronta. Gente, e o cheirinho do doce que delícia! Aliás tudo com canela cheira bem demais.
Pode então retirar o pau de panela e jogue-o fora.

Se ainda tiver muito caldo destampe a panela e deixe o caldo engrossar. Fique de olho senão o caldo seca todo e a panela queima e o único jeito é jogar a panela fora, Também já fiz isso. 

Guarde em uma compoteira fora da geladeira até uns 3 dias. Depois disso é melhor guardar na geladeira, principalmente no calorão e umidade do Rio.
Salpiquem canela ralada antes de servir.

E comam com alegria pois doce pode não fazer bem para o corpo mas faz bem pra alma. Como dizem os americanos, it's comfort food, adoro isso!

Beijos!  

updated May 9, 2013

Poached Eggs

Poached eggs are great for breakfast or main course. 
There are many ways of making boiling eggs but this to me is the easiest.

1. Put water to boil in a shallow pan. Water should be about 3 inches high.

2. Put egg in a container like a small cup, a saucer, a ramekin or a small bowl.

3. After the water boils turn the heat down to the lowest setting.

4. Carefully lower the edge of the container in the pan. Let the egg slide out slowly.

         

         

5. Put the lid on the pan.

6. Wait from 3 to 5 minutes depending on how hard you like the egg yolk.

7. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon.

8. Season with salt and pepper as you like.

FYI
Do not put the egg in rolling boiling water or the whites will go all over the place.
Do not put salt in the water because it will loosen the whites.
The fresher the eggs the more the whites will hold together.

Another Technique
When the water boils lower the heat and using a wooden spool stir the water to create a whirlpool. Lower the egg inside the whirlpool and the movement of the water will hold the egg in place. Follow steps 5 to 8, which means you put the top on the pan and let the egg simmer.

revised Aug 13, 2013 

Pudim de Leite Condensado / Brazilian Caramel Flan

'Pudim de leite condensado' is a custard desert very popular in Brazil. This type of custard is actually very popular throughout the world and the recipes are very similar. The use of condensed milk in the recipe though is predominant in Brazil and Venezuela. However I have found many British 'crème caramel' recipes that use the exactly same ingredients.