Zero-Waste Weekend Free-Ttata

Turn them into a hearty zero-waste breakfast that is gratifying on many levels.

Flexibility, creativity and resourcefulness are the hallmarks of a well-made Free-ttata. No two are ever the same—which is part of what makes Free-ttatas the Stone Soup of egg dishes.

Once you discover how easy they are to make, you will instinctively become more proactive about repurposing your unloved ingredients and scraps, instead of automatically tossing them.

THESE ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR A WEEKEND FREE-TTATA:

• Oil rescued oil from the dregs of a sun dried tomato jar, jarred artichoke hearts, canned fish, or from anything else stored in olive or vegetable oil—or any mix thereof.
• Protein leftover bits of cooked ham, sausage ends, sandwich meats, smoked or cured fish—or any mix thereof.
• Allium sprouting garlic or a hand full of the neglected teeny center cloves, the unloved middle section of a leek, or that last bit of an onion—or any mix thereof.
• Greens beet tops, radish tops, turnip tops, celery leaves, fennel fronds, or any tired wilted greens such as spinach, kale, or swiss chard—or any mix thereof.
• Fresh herbs Whatever you’ve got that pairs appropriately with your chosen ingredients Veggies Cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, potatoes…
• Cheese leftover ends of stale cheese from your fridge, or the last grating of a Parmiggino Reggiano rind— or any mix thereof.
• 8 eggs
• 2 teaspoons Harissa (optional) or an appropriate amount of your favorite hot sauce—or nothing.
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Set rack in center position and preheat oven to 425°F
In an ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat, add a couple tablespoons of oil, and a palmful of your chosen allium, chopped. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until it brown. Add a handful of chopped protein and stir for a couple of minutes. Add 2 – 4 cups of greens, a cup or so of veggies, stemmed herbs and a splash of water.

Cover with a lid and let steam for 3 minutes. Remove lid and continue cooking, stirring occasionally for another few minutes until greens reduce in volume by about half.

While greens are cooking, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, harissa, salt, pepper, and cheese.

Pour egg mixture overtop and poke around the pan contents with a wooden spoon so that the egg mixture is spread out evenly and sinks between the pan contents. If you have any extra grated hard cheese leftover, sprinkle some of it overtop.

Transfer immediately to oven and bake for about 12 minutes, or until eggs are cooked throughout. If eggs seem cooked throughout, but still loose on top, finish under a broiler for 2 minutes, or until top is fully
cooked and nicely browned.

Cooking Time < 45 minutes
Yield Serves 4 – 6

ARE YOU THROWING SOMETHING OUT AND THEN PAYING MORE TO BUY IT BACK AGAIN?

The average Canadian eats about 242 eggs per year — that’s a lot of leftover eggshells and extra calcium that can be used in your smoothies or dug into your garden. To prepare the shells for their second use, boil them for 15 minutes to sterilize completely then bake at 225°F for 20 minutes to dry them out. Grind into a powder. Half of a teaspoon of the powder has about 400-500 mg of calcium.

Related posts:

Leek and Mushroom Custard Quiche with Goat Cheese and Gruyére Best Breakfasts ZERO-WASTE STIR-FRIED RICE Cynthia’s Eggs Benedict with Peameal Bacon