Fresh and delicious, this frittata is adapted from Cooking Light. There are two tricks to the recipe that ensure roasted garlic flavor in every bite. Okay, the garlic technically isn’t roasted, it’s slowly cooked in oil. But by “roasting” it in oil on the stovetop, you get the same roasted flavor with the added benefit of garlic-infused oil to use for the rest of the recipe. It’s brilliant! The second trick is to puree the roasted garlic cloves into the egg mixture. The cottage cheese assures a lovely texture, and the veggies make everything fresh and colorful. What’s not to love?

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

12 large garlic cloves (or more)

6 large eggs

½ cup low-fat cottage cheese (about 4 oz, 115 g)

1 bunch Broccolini (8 oz, 227 g)

1 small (4 oz, or 115 g) onion

1 medium red bell pepper

4 large leaves of basil

4 tablespoons loosely packed fresh parsley leaves

1 tablespoon loosely packed fresh oregano leaves

1 teaspoon loosely packed fresh thyme

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

1.) Peel the garlic and cut any huge cloves in half.

2.) Heat the oil in a small saucepan over low to medium-low heat. Add the garlic cloves. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, watching to be sure the garlic doesn’t scorch. This should take about a half hour. Strain the garlic, collecting the oil in a small bowl. Set the oil aside.

3.) Place the garlic cloves in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the eggs and cottage cheese. Process until smooth, then transfer to a  medium bowl.

4.) Slice the onion vertically. Slice the bell pepper, discarding the stem, membranes, and seeds. Cut the stems from the broccolini, setting the heads aside. Chop the stems into 1” (2.5 cm) pieces.

5.) Measure out 2 teaspoons of the garlic oil and heat it in a large, broiler-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion, peppers, and broccolini stems. Stirring frequently, cook until vegetables are just beginning to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the broccolini tops and cook another 4 to 5 minutes or until the tops are crisp-tender.

6.) While the vegetables cook, chop the fresh herbs. Preheat the broiler, positioning the rack about 6 inches (15 cm) from the heating element.

7.) Gently stir the cooked vegetables, chopped herbs, salt, and pepper into the egg mixture.

8.) Heat the remaining garlic oil in the pan over medium-high heat, swirling to coat. Pour in the egg mixture. Cook about 30 seconds, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for another 4 minutes without stirring. The eggs will not be fully cooked at this point.

9.) Transfer the skillet to the oven. Broil until the eggs are set and the top is slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, leaving your oven mitt on the pan handle to remind you that it’s hot (and protect your hand when you forget.) Note that the eggs might still be a bit loose; that’s okay. You don’t want the frittata to be dried out. If you want to double check for safety, a meat thermometer in the center should register 160 °F (71.1 °C). Let the frittata sit just a minute or so to firm up a bit more, then loosen the edges with a spatula and cut into wedges to serve. My Chief Taster likes it with a bit of Off-the-Hook Homemade Jalapeño Hot Sauce.