Much as I love being on holiday, one of the downsides is that you get back home and there is nothing of any use in the fridge. I got the habit from my mom to plan meals in the run-up to a family holiday in such a way that by the day we left there were tumbleweeds blowing around the fridge. OK, I may not always manage that degree of success – there are usually a couple of things lurking – but still, when we got back fom skiing after Christmas we were both hungry and tired and not in the mood for grocery shopping.
A quick inventory of the fridge revealed 4 eggs 2 bell peppers and some vintage mushrooms – so my mind turned immediately to fritata, one of my standby “let’s use up those leftovers” dishes. Here is the quick, easy and delicious result.
Paprika is made from dried and ground chile pepper capsicum annuum, which originated in southern Mexico and were brought to Europe by Columbus. They soon migrated to Hungary which is today the country most traditionally asociated with paprika. The Szeged and Kalocsa regions of Hungary are the most well-known producers of sweet paprika. The Paprika Museum makes its home in Kalocsa, and the city celebrates its famous spice with the Paprika Festival each year in October. I find the taste to be more subtle than some other chiles, and I particularly like the flavour that the smoked version gives. Delicious!
THREE PEPPER FRITATA (serves 2)
Ingredients
4 eggs
half a red bell pepper, chopped into little cubes
half a green bell pepper, chopped into cubes
a handful of mushrooms, sliced
half an onion, diced
smoked paprika
milk
butter
salt and pepper
Method
Chop and slice the vegetables as described. Beat the eggs together with about 50ml of milk and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of smoked paprika. Add the chopped vegetables and mix well.
Pre-heat the grill in your over. Heat a knob of butter in your favourite omelette pan and when it is bubbling, pour in the egg mix. Leave witout stirring until it bubbles and is beginning to turn brown at the edges. Remove the pan from the heat and pop under the grill for a minute or two until the top is just set (make sure your pan is designed for this – no plastic handles or non-stick coatings!).
Serve with a fresh green salad.
