Frittata for One

I am old enough to remember when eggs were the bad guys in the cholesterol wars, banished to the "once in a blue moon" category with

double cream and butter. But the pendulum has swung, and a friend has now been prescribed more eggs (if prescribed is what a nutritionist does) to help control his cholesterol. Apparently the good fats in eggs help fight cholesterol, plus they have a whole lot of nutrition and are very filling, so he won't nosh on something naughty mid-morning. So with that blessing in mind, here is a very very very easy frittata recipe from Nigella, that will get your day off to a good start.

Even if you are still half-asleep, you can manage this:

1. Scan fridge for any little bits and pieces of leftovers (vegies, maybe some ham or cheese or smoked salmon) that take your fancy, and grab two eggs.

2. Whisk eggs and chop whatever else you have grabbed finely, before combining them.

3. Tip the eggs into a hot pan, pause for two mins and then tip onto a plate. Too easy.

This was a perfect breakfast this morning with my fillings of choice - a little ham, a little capsicum and a little parmesan. Nigella also suggests using the frittatas as a filling in a sandwich with a smear of mayonnaise - something to do with your leftovers if there are any. Thanks to the ladies at I Heart Cooking Clubs for their theme this week: a Nigella One Pot (or pan) Wonder. I have no doubt that I will make this again and again and again.

Frittata

From "Nigella Express" by Nigella Lawson

For each frittata:

2 free-range eggs

knob of butter and a drop of oil, for frying

For a cheese frittata

25g/1oz Emmental, grated (or any other cheese of your liking)

For a chilli frittata

1 long red chilli, deseeded and sliced ¼ tsp ground ginger ¼ tsp ground coriander

For a green frittata

20g/¾oz watercress, baby spinach or rocket, finely chopped 1 spring onion, finely sliced

For a ham frittata

50g/2oz ham, chopped

1. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add your choice of flavouring and beat well to combine.

2. Heat the butter and oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Once the pan is hot, pour in the egg mixture, swirling quickly to coat the base of the pan in a thin layer.

3. Cook the frittata for 2-3 minutes over a medium heat, then lift the edge of the frittata with a spatula to check it is set and golden-brown underneath; the top of the frittata should be just set but still a little gooey.

4. To serve, slide the frittata out of the pan onto a plate and fold one half of the frittata over the other. Repeat the process with different flavourings to make more frittatas as needed.