F-R-I-T-T-A-T-A A A

Oh eggs! Oh so versatile eggs! From the time I saw Curtis Stone make frittata, I have been dying to make and eat it! Then I found these muffin shaped frittata and that's it, the deal was sealed. They look so adorable and are so delicious.
Here I have used spinach, parmesan and herbs. You can use anything from kale, goat cheese to mushrooms, bacon. Be as creative and impress everyone, including yourself!

For this you will need -
8 Nos - Eggs
2tspn - Olive Oil
2 pods - Garlic (fine chopped)
1/2 - Red Onion (fine chopped)
A handful - Chopped Spinach
1/4 cup - Milk
Salt and pepper as you desire
A couple of spoons of dried herbs
Grated parmesan as a garnish
2 tspn - Butter 

Muffin pans

Method -

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add the chopped garlic, sauté a bit. Then add the chopped onion. Fry till it is pink and then add the spinach. I didn't add any salt to this. Sauté for a minute.

In the meantime, whisk eight eggs, salt, pepper and herbs. Don't add too much salt as parmesan is salty too. Pre heat the oven to 350deg F.

Also, grease the muffin pans with the butter.

Whisk the eggs really well. Add the milk and the veggies. Pour this mixture into the muffin pans, not filling more than half. They rise quite a bit.

 

 

Garnish with parmesan. And bake at 350deg F for 10 - 12 minutes. Take it off when it turns golden brown. Serve these hot but they are great to reheat and eat too. As breakfast, as brownbag lunch, as snack! Delicious!

 

 

This recipe makes about 20 of them.

Meringue Cookies with Strawberry Whipped Cream and Fresh Strawberries

This is the most gorgeous, sensuous, sophisticated dessert I have ever made! Hands down, it wins! The French are well known for their  sophistication and superior techniques and flavor combinations, so when my French friend served these at her house, I was blown over! So delicate and so enticing. I had to try them!

They are quite simple to make and contain the least of ingredients. But when I initially read the recipe on different websites I was a bit nervous because these can be ruined easily too. I don't know if it was beginner's luck but they turned out perfect! Here's to perfection every time! Chin-chin :)

Meringue is basically egg whites and sugar, slow baked to perfection. It can be used as a base for many different desserts especially fruit flavored. Remember, I promised to post more fruit recipes, here's a show stopper!

For the meringue cookies you will need
4 - Egg Whites
1 cup - Sugar (very fine or powdered, if using granulated)
A pinch of salt
1 tspn - Vanilla Extract

Method -

Separate the whites from the yellow when the egg is cold. In case any fragments of the shell fall, fish it out with the shell half itself and not with your fingers. Apparently the oils from our hand can ruin the meringue! Also make sure that all the vessels you are going to use are completely dry, no moisture whatsoever! Now, let the whites stand for half an hour, till they reach room temperature.

Once that is done, start beating at low to medium speed just till the begin to froth like this.

 

At this point, add a pinch of salt. It helps stabilize the whites. Now keep on beating, till you get soft peaks like this.

 

It's time to start adding the sugar.

That's how much I added. But I think a tad less is better. It was quite sweet!

Add the sugar, spoon by spoon. Add one spoon, beat for a few minutes, then add the next, more or less ensuring the sugar has dissolved at every stage. Beat till you get stiff peaks and the whole mixture turns shiny. (Oh-so-divine looking!)

 

Now add the vanilla and give it a good mix. You will know the meringue is done, when you take a pinch between your fingers and rub it. It shouldn't feel grainy. If it does, beat some more till it feels smooth between your fingers indicating the sugar has dissolved.
Prepare a cookie tray by lining it with parchment paper.

You can either pipe out the meringue or spoon out like I did, using two spoons.

 

 

Bake at 200deg F for about an hour or hour and a half. You will know it is done when the cookies easily lift off the paper. If they are sticking bake a little longer. Once done, these can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature for many days. Yes, these little puffs of cloud, so light, that crack on the outside and are soft and gooey inside!

 

For the strawberry whipped cream -

Approx. amount of whipping cream

A tspn vanilla extract

A tspn sugar if you want

Couple of strawberries blended

 

Method -

Keep whipping the cream till it begins to thicken. Then add the mashed up strawberries and vanilla. Beat well till you get stiff peaks and the color turns into that rose pink like the sky at dawn!

 

 

Now fill this in a piping bag or scoop it in a spoon on to the meringue cookies.

 



 

Top it with strawberry slices and serve immediately. Dress these up just before serving, else the meringue will get soggy. You can use different berries or mangoes or any fruit that has a tart taste.