A lotta fritatta
The easiest way to make real food
Just like that, happy Friday, dear readers. Hope you all had a stunning week. I spent the better bulk of the middle of it working on my special slingshot skills with someone who doesn’t subscribe to this newsletter. Maybe this will inspire him to subscribe.
As I’ve alluded to in the past, when I lived in Providence after college, most of my meals were fairly streamlined — pasta with meat sauce, pasta with shrimp, stir fry, etc. But, I think, for the most part, they were pretty good. To make a decent meal, you don’t need a lot of time or effort, just a few decent ingredients.
I was thinking about this after the aforementioned, not-to-be-named, friend said he never has time to cook. That is, in my opinion, a pretty terrible excuse not to cook. If you have 5-15 minutes, you can make a meal every night. The real limiting factor here is more likely lack of motivation or enthusiasm. If you don’t get excited about cooking food, I can’t help you, but if you just lack the motivation, I recommend starting with one of the easiest meals I know — a fritatta.
I get it — when you’re tired and don’t feel like cooking, it can be daunting to have to come up with a meal on the spot. If you open your fridge and all you see is some leftover meat, some wilting veggies, cheese, and some eggs… well, maybe it’s tough to be inspired. Fear not — you can salvage the night like this:
Turn on your oven (or toaster oven) to 375(F). In a cast-iron (or any oven safe pan) over medium-high, add some olive oil and toss in diced onions, garlic, peppers, or really any veggies that you have on hand. If you have bacon, I’d recommend adding that as well. Let the veggies soften, then toss in any sort of meat you have on hand. If it’s leftovers, give it a swirl — if it’s uncooked, let it cook mostly through. While that’s happening, crack about 5-8 eggs into a bowl and swirl until they’re mostly combined — then pour over the meat and veggies. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you enjoy, top with a boatload of cheese, and put it in the over until the eggs are cooked through — about 15 minutes, Let cool, and enjoy.
So there’s the basics of the recipe. If you’re not feeling creative, here are a few combinations I’d recommend:
Bacon, onions, peppers, spinach, and cheddar cheese
Chicken, swiss cheese, onions, and spinach
Pulled pork, baby kale, cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce and avocado on top
Italian sausage, onions, garlic, parm cheese, and peppers.
Salmon, dill, broccoli, and feta cheese, topped with Greek yogurt
The possibilities are endless, so open up the fridge, raid the pantry, and see what works.
Enjoy the weekend, eat good food, drink some water, maybe go for a hike, and read.
Is swimming the best for exercise? [The Conversation]
Can a pint of ice-cream a day get you jacked? [Inside Hook]
The quest to surf every coastal state [Outside]
Matt Jennings will die for food [Huckberry]
The first man to blow up an avalanche [Adventure Journal]