Thursday 26 April 2012

The handy leftover meal


On my Quick Meals Quest, this week I made another recipe that won’t take more than 10 minutes of your time in the kitchen, as you will use some of those vegetable leftovers. The good thing about this recipe is that you can add any vegetable or ingredient you like to it.

The leftover vegetables plus eggs and goat's cheese to add 
the finishing touch.
Fry the vegetables for a few minutes in butter and olive oil
Whisk the eggs, season with sea salt and black pepper
Add the egg mixture to the vegetables
Place the goat's cheese on top
 and finish cooking the frittata under a hot grill.
When it is done, sprinkle some fresh herbs on top.
My quick and nutritious frittata!

Leftover vegetables and goat’s cheese frittata
Serves 4-5

This dish is also a great choice for your picnic basket. Full of good protein and fibre.

INGREDIENTS


Knob of butter mixed with 1 tbsp olive oil
1 sweet potato, sliced and cooked
1 courgette, sliced and cooked
Small handful of steamed French beans
5 eggs
60g goat’s cheese, sliced or crumbled

METHOD

Heat the oil and butter in a 20cm frying pan. Add the potatoes, fry for a few minutes, then add the courgettes and beans. Toss and fry for a few more minutes.

Break the eggs into a bowl and beat. Season. Pour the beaten egg into the pan evenly distributing the egg. Cook the frittata for a few minutes until set on the bottom but still with some wet egg on top.

Place the sliced goat’s cheese over the top of the frittata and finish cooking under a hot grill - the cheese should melt and the top should have a lightly golden colour.

Serve with salad.

Some of the ingredients and their functional properties 

Egg: is a fantastic and inexpensive source of protein. It contains lecithin, which helps the body to break down fat and cholesterol. Lecithin is also a source of the B vitamin-like choline, which is necessary for brain development at pregnancy. Choline is an important nutrient for the prevention of fatty liver and is a neurotransmitter involved in many functions, including memory and muscle control. Egg also contains biotin, another B vitamin-like compound, which is very important for the digestion of fat and protein, and essential for the health of hair, skin and nails. Egg contains an antioxidant called glutathione (it prevents the formation of free radicals). It is very rich in Omega-3 fats, which prevent diabetes, obesity and depression. Egg contains vitamin A and E, folic acid and lutein (an antioxidant in the carotenoid family that helps to keep the eyes healthy and safe from oxidative stress).

Courgette or zucchini (Cucurbita pepo): has a cooling and refreshing property. It is also diuretic, helps to reduce constipation and can be protective against colon cancer. It contains B vitamins, potassium, zinc and bioflavonoids. It helps reduce blood pressure by counteracting the effects of sodium
m. Its skin is a good source of dietary fibre.

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batata): contains high levels of vitamin B6 (it has been linked with prevention of heart attacks and reduces high levels of homocysteine in the body). Sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamin C and D and the mineral potassium. Due to its orange colour, it’s also high in beta carotene, which is the precursor to vitamin A. Sweet potatoes contain lower glycemic index than white potatoes, therefore their natural sugars are slowly released into the bloodstream. They are known as the “anti-diabetic” food, as they stabilize blood sugar levels and improve response to the hormone insulin.  
Studies have shown that the proteins found in this root have  considerable antioxidant effects. The presence of these proteins, plus vitamin C and carotenes (beta-carotene) can boost antioxidants in your body.

Till next week!
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1 comment

  1. I love these quick meals, Margot. They're perfect for lunch. It just shows that fast food doesn't necessarily mean rubbish.

    ReplyDelete

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