I’m always looking for ways to make breakfast easier and faster. I finally decided to try my hand at a frittata. There is just something about putting a pan in the oven that made me nervous. (On a quick side note: It IS important to know if your cookware is oven safe before doing this recipe. Plastic handles will not hold up well in the oven.) So I decided to get over my nervousness and just go for it. It turned out delicious and my kids loved it. I am super excited to share it with you. Before I do though, I want to talk about eggs yolks. (Pasture raised) Egg yolks are where all the good stuff is, especially cholesterol. Cholesterol is not the demon it has been made out to be. In fact, our brains feed on it. It is the fuel every single cell in our body uses, the starting point for all our hormones. Best of all, dietary cholesterol, with the exception of a very few people with certain genetic dispositions, does not raise the cholesterol levels in our blood. That’s right, dietary cholesterol does not effect the cholesterol levels in our blood.  For more information, please read Grain Brain by Dr. David Perlmutter, M.D. Egg yolks are a fantastic source of many nutrients including:

• High Quality Protein
• High concentration of lutein and zeaxanthin. These two anti-oxidants are key for eye health. Diets high in these two nutreints have the lowest incidence of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. These are also found in dark leafy greens but are three times more bioavailable in eggs.
• Essential Fatty Acids
• Vitamins A, E, D, K, and folate.
• Also have most of the calcium and iron found in eggs.
• All the B vitamins, especially choline. Choline keeps your cell membranes functioning properly, allows your nerves to communicate with your muscles, helps prevent cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and reduces inflammation in the body.

As you can see, the whole egg is the way to go. It tastes better (in my opinion), and is better for you. At 70-80 calories per egg, they really are a low calorie, high nutrient food.

Mushroom Spinach Frittata

6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs plus 4 egg yolks or whole eggs
• 1/2 cup sliced button mushrooms
• 2 handfuls baby spinach, chopped
• 1 tbsp grass fed cow butter, bacon fat or coconut oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 10 inch pan

Directions:

1. Preheat oven on broil.
2. In butter/baconfat/coconut oil, saute your mushrooms to desired softness.
3. Add in spinach, cover and let wilt. Remove from heat.
4. In a separate bowl, scramble eggs. Add to pan and mix with veggies.
5. Immediately, place on top rack of oven for 4 minutes, or until eggs are thoroughly cooked. You do not want them to brown. I don’t recommend walking away from your oven.
6. I cut mine into pizza like slices. Depending on what size you cut, you will have 6-8 slices.

This is perfect to make on Sundays and store in an airtight container for a couple breakfasts during the week. Or as a quick, simple, healthy dish for brunch with your friends and family.

Live Healthy and Whole,

Marian

 

Sources:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=50 http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=92