Merry Christmas Frittata (Jeanette Locker)

Jeanette is both a great friend and a great cook.  She is an authority on French country cooking, having lived in the South of France.  However, she is one of those natural-born cooks who can create delicious dishes of any type.  This is her preface to the recipe:

"Café Beaujolais is an iconic restaurant located in Mendocino. It originally opened in early l969, and has had three different owners since that time. The quaint looking house is surrounded by beautiful gardens and remains a highly recommended stop for people traveling in that area. I happen to have a cookbook called, “Morning Food” which was written by Margaret Fox, the owner from 1977 until 2000. The restaurant sold again in 2006 to its present owner, Chef David LaMonica. It no longer serves breakfast as it did when Margaret Fox owned the restaurant. She is the one who coined the term “morning food,” because she felt “breakfast” was a limiting title to give to certain foods that can be eaten all day. The featured recipe is one of my favorites from her book It’s “Merry Christmas” because of the red and green peppers that are used. A frittata is similar to a quiche and, like a quiche you can serve it hot or cold or anywhere in between. I chose this recipe because it is not only very flavorful, but it is easy to make and does not contain complicated ingredients. It is perfect to make for company you might have during the holidays. Remember: it can be served any time of the day – not just in the morning. I like it served with warmed corn tortillas."

The "Christmas" part refers to the red and green peppers. I don't care for bell peppers, so I omitted them, but if you are a bell pepper person, by all means include them - I'm sure it will be even better!  I added crumbled bacon and sprinkled cheddar cheese on top.  Her quantities and directions are precise, so follow them closely.  She says this is easy and it is.  Don't wait until next Christmas to make it!

2-3 servings

10 calculated points

Gewurtztraminer or Riesling (both dry)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ cup finely chopped red onions
• 8 eggs, beaten
• ¾ cup chopped roasted red peppers (I get mine from Trader Joe’s)
• ½ cup chopped green chiles (The type of chili you use is up to you – hot or mild)
• 2 tablespoons grated dry cheese (such as Parmesan or Asiago)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 8 drops Tabasco sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Sliced avocado and/or sour cream for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Melt the butter and saute the onions for about 5 minutes, or until they are translucent, not brown.

In a bowl, mix the onions with the beaten eggs, roasted red peppers, chilis , cheese, salt, pepper, oregano, and Tabasco

Use the olive oil to thoroughly coat a 9-inch baking pan. Pour in the frittata mixture and bake for 30 minutes. The top should be slightly brown. Garnish each serving with sliced avocado and/or sour cream. Makes 4 to 6 servings. MERRY CHRISTMAS!