ZAR - eggs - every dieters friend!!

If you are trying to lose weight, make friends with eggs. They are such a great source of protein. The yolks are fairly high in fat (6g) but one won't kill you. My Sunday morning brekkie is 2 poached eggs, with 2 added egg whites, sautéed mushrooms and spinach - YUM!

Frittata is one of those dishes which can be a real saviour. It's good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Can be made ahead of time and reheated or made last minute. Can be made to use up left over vegies sitting in the fridge.

It's hard to give a recipe because I really just throw in anything I feel like.

Traditionally, it's made in a oven proof, heavy bottomed frying pan, cooking is started off on a low heat on the stove top and then finished in the oven or under the grill. I make mine in a cake tin and then bake it in the oven. You can make them in individual portions in a muffin tin - just to warn you, butter the pan quite well. Last time I did this, they stuck so badly it looked like the frittata had been attacked by Edward Scissorhands!

Frittata

Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Line a loose bottomed cake tin, or use an non-stick, ovenproof, heavy bottomed frying pan.

Into the tin or pan, put any sliced veg you like . I use capsicums, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, herbs, roasted pumpkin, peas, fetta, olives and cheese. Just make sure that it's all fairly thinly sliced so that it cooks evenly.

Beat together 6 eggs with about half a cup of milk, salt and pepper. Gently pour this over the vegies. If it doesn't cover them, beat up another couple of eggs with a little milk and pour over too. The egg will rise, so it doesn't need to be swimming in egg mix.

Cook in the oven for 30-40 mins. When cooked, the frittata should be firm to the touch and not wobbly. It will also have come away from the sides slightly. If you're unsure, pierce with a skewer to check the middle. The skewer should come out clean if it's cooked. If you're cooking them in a muffin tin, they will need only about 15-20 mins.

Leave in the tin to cool slightly. Cut into wedges and serve with salad. It can be reheated really successfully in the microwave for a great option for lunch in the office.