If the hoards of hungry diners lined up outside my city’s breakfast hot spots every weekend is any indication, “doing brunch” is more popular than ever. It’s a ritual we enjoy as a family from time to time, communing with our neighbors and thumbing through the Sunday paper while sipping coffee far fancier than we make at home. That all being said, there’s nothing quite like putting a bit of effort into brunch made in the comfort of your own kitchen where there’s no need to wait for a table.
Today’s recipe for Mediterranean Spinach and Egg Strata is tailor-made for brunching at home. A strata is akin to a frittata, with the addition of bread to soak up the eggy custard and form an appealing crusty lid. While strata is commonly made with sausage or bacon, I gave this a vegetarian spin, relying instead on sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and herbs for flavor.
Since eggs play a central role in this dish, I look for quality organic eggs, which can be found quite affordably at my local Sprouts Farmers Market. Milk and cottage cheese get whisked into the eggs, making the finished dish particularly light and fluffy. Best of all, the entire pan can be prepped in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to bake. It’s got enough flavor and heft to serve as a one-dish meal or you can turn up the volume on your brunch with a few additions, such as these Wild Blueberry Parfaits or a batch of Scones or Baked Donuts.
Mediterrarean Egg and Spinach Strata
A one-pan brunch dish that is packed with vegetables and loaded with the flavors of the Mediterranean. You can assemble the dish in advance and stow it in the refrigerator up to one day ahead of time, baking it just before serving. Feel free to cut the entire recipe in half and cook in a 9- or 10-inch saute pan, scaling the cooking time back to about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 8- ounces frozen chopped spinach
- One 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, quartered
- ½ cup roughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes, drained well
- 2 ½ packed cups cubed crusty bread, such as baquette or Italian bread
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ⅔ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 8 large eggs, such as Sprouts organic
- 1 cup lowfat or non-fat cottage cheese
- 1 cup milk, whatever kind you have in the fridge
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, or 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan, such as a 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet, over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until nearly tender, 6 minutes. Add the frozen spinach and cook until defrosted and most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.
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Add the artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and bread and stir to mix all the ingredients with the spinach. Scatter the feta over the top.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, milk, oregano, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Pour over the vegetables. Use your finger (or a small spoon) to gently nudge everything around in the pan so the egg is evenly distributed amongst the vegetable. Sprinkle the Pecorino Romano over the top. Bake immediately or cover and store in the fridge up to one day in advance (if you store in the fridge, take it out 30 minutes before baking).
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Bake until the egg is just set with no obvious liquid remaining, 35 to 45 minutes depending on the size of the pan.
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Cut into wedges and serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.
