Chicken-Apple Sausage + Spinach Frittata
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I am on Day 12 of Whole30. Needless to say, that means the menu in my household has looked quite different lately. I wanted to share a staple breakfast item that I have been enjoying every morning since beginning Whole30 - this breakfast frittata.
I have literally never made a frittata before this wellness experiment. I am a mad quiche lover, and this is something like that, minus the buttery crust and indulgent cheese, of course. But I have grown to love my morning breakfast because it is so filling and savory and hearty - just what I wake up craving. Isn't that weird? And wonderful. It's actually kind of wonderful. What is happening to me.
One thing I love best about this recipe (which I've adapted a bit from the one in the book) is that the ingredients can be switched up so it doesn't taste the same everyday. You can sub in green, red and yellow peppers, kale, diced sweet potato (Stevie likes this, I'm not a huge fan of the sweetness in my eggs), olives, artichokes - really, the sky is the limit! As long as you have that chicken sausage and a bit of avocado, I promise it will taste dreamy. Also, don't forget the secret extra ingredient - the lemon zest and juice! It will MAKE this frittata for you :)
Ingredients:
- 4-6 eggs
- 1 link chicken-apple sausage, precooked (I used Aidell's Organic version)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 gigantic handful spinach
- 6-8 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 lemon slice + some lemon zest
Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.
2. Heat your oven-safe skillet (I am loving my new Staub skillet!) over medium. Drizzle with some olive oil.
3. While the skillet is heating, whisk together your 4-6 eggs. I say that range because it depends on how big you want this frittata to be. 4 if you're wanting it to feel more veggie-licious, 6 if you went to the gym and you need some serious monster eggs in your life STAT. Salt and pepper the eggs to your liking. Then set them aside.
4. Once the skillet is heated, add the chopped onion and grape tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the tomatoes are wilted.
5. Add spinach to the skillet. Cook another 1-2 minutes, until almost wilted.
6. Then add the chicken sausage. This is already pre-cooked, but you want to reheat it and let the flavors all get to know each other a bit. Mmm things are starting to get savory.
7. Now you you pour in your beaten eggs to the mixture. At this point you don't really want to mix anything around. Just let the eggs begin to set in the skillet.
8. Then add the diced avocado to the mixture, if you're into that kind of thing. Avocado is basically the perfect replacement for cheese in a Whole30/Paleo situation, so I never forego it.
9. The extra special ingredient is the lemon and zest. Take a microplane grater and zest a bit of lemon skin on top of the frittata. Then take 1 slice of lemon and squeeze a bit of juice on top of the frittata. It will add a little extra note of flavor, and believe me, you will love it.
10. Once the frittata is "set" (after 3-5 minutes on the stove), transfer the skillet into the oven. Let it cook for 5-7 minutes. It will be ready once it's lightly browned on the top. Slice and enjoy!
I love this frittata. You can top it with hot sauce or salsa for an extra kick of spice. Stevie and I have been dominating the entire frittata everyday, and believe me, it will fill you up! Very satisfying. For all of you who are curious about Whole30 and whether you can actually eat "good food" while on this plan, I would definitely encourage you to give this recipe a try!
