Loukoumades, Moussaka, Spanakopita, Baklava, Maria Menounos, Dolmades…it just doesn’t stop. I just love the Greek culture…and the fact that they’re passionate people just like my Italian family. Translation: we’re loud and boisterous…and we love life! Because of that, there are endless gatherings of family and friends that somehow always seem to have incredible food at the heart.
I’ve always loved Greek food and fell in love with the Greek culture the first time I went to a Greek restaurant as a kid. It was full of fun and festivities…from endless dancing and hand clapping to the breaking of plates. As a kid, how can you not love a culture where you get to break plates!?! Count me in! I wanna be Greek!
Perhaps that explains why I decided to go Greek in college and joined Sigma Phi Epsilon (ΣΦE) fraternity while at Auburn:
Fucci Goes Greek! …and poses in front of the famous Red Doors of the SigEp house at Auburn!
I loved my time as a SigEp but as we all know, aside from the letters on the door, a fraternity has little to do with anything Greek and as for the food they served at the fraternity, um, well….yeah. Are you supposed to fry lettuce?
In all seriousness, I really started diving into Greek recipes after a trip to Michigan in 2015. I traveled there for Thanksgiving with a friend of mine whose family is Greek. One thing I know about American Greeks, they’re so hospitable and they know how to throw a Thanksgiving celebration!!! This is no run-of-the-mill holiday. This is table upon table of food…AMAZING GREEK and AMERICAN FOOD!
Just check out the cookie and pie table…need I say more?
During that Thanksgiving trip, I tried to position myself in the kitchen as my friend’s stepmom made Greek recipe after Greek recipe. I wanted to respect her stepmom’s territory, but secretly wanted to try and help out and learn as much as I could. Thankfully, she was more than gracious and put me to work helping her make Baklava. From that point, I was hooked and couldn’t wait to start experimenting with some of tips and tricks she gave me.
Just a couple of weeks after that amazing trip, I found myself building my first Baklava, layer by painstaking layer.
Not bad for a first try, eh?
For Tiny Kitchen, I knew I wanted to craft a recipe that would not only give a shout out to the Greek culture, but incorporate a bit of my Italian heritage, as an homage to these two great cultures that share a passion for food, family and friends. Immediately, I thought I could do a Greek twist on the traditional Italian Frittata…and that’s exactly what I did with this recipe.
I experimented a bit with traditional Greek flavors, like feta cheese, spinach and Kalamata olives. I was a bit hesitant, at first, about adding the olives thinking they might be too tangy and overpowering for this dish, but they complement it so well. The sautéing of the olives first mutes the acidity a bit, leaving a rich, sophisicated olive flavor that really helps make this dish.
Frittatas make a great breakfast. But they’re also very versatile because they’re hearty enough to make them in advance, store them in the fridge and serve them cold for brunch or as part of a picnic.
If you’re used to making a traditional omelet, you’re half way to a Frittata and I encourage you to give this one a shot.
Once you master this Greek-inspired one, start getting creative with your own! Until next time, in honor of Greek Independence Day on March 25, ΖΗΤΩ Η ΕΛΛΑΣ! Long live Greece!
Big Fat Greek Frittata
Ingredients
SO WHAT YOU'RE GONNA NEED IS:
- 6 Eggs http://amzn.to/2n2QmxV
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Feta Cheese http://amzn.to/2nZdTih
- 1/2 cup Baby Spinach http://amzn.to/2n8H7xv
- 5 Cherry Tomatoes http://amzn.to/2n2YzSz
- 5 Kalamata Olives (pitted)
- 3 Green Onions http://amzn.to/2nZ0ZB0
- 1 Tablespoon Butter http://amzn.to/2n8JrVl
- To taste Salt http://amzn.to/2nqCuwr
- To taste Pepper http://amzn.to/2mwi0D8
YOU'LL ALSO NEED:
- Frying Pan approximately 8 inch
- Silicone Spatula http://amzn.to/2lO6nuh
- Sharp Knife http://amzn.to/2nqF5Gy
Instructions
Prepare the Eggs:
- Crack Eggs into a small Bowl. Add Salt and Pepper. Whisk until thoroughly mixed.
- Add Feta Cheese to Beaten Egg. Give it a slight mix.
Prepare the Ingredients:
- Slice Olives and Tomatoes in Half.
- Cut whites of Scallions in to 1/4 inch slices.
- Cut greens of Scallions in to 1/8 inch slices and keep for a garnish.
- Hand tear Baby Spinach into bite-sized pieces
Cook it up…first on the stove, then under the broiler:
- In a small frying pan over medium heat, add 1/2 Tablespoon of Butter.
- Immediately add Olives, Tomatoes, Baby Spinach and only the whites of the Scallions.
- Sauté until heated through and the Spinach is wilted and water has cooked out.
- 1Add remaining 1/2 Tablespoon butter to keep egg from sticking.
- 1Add Egg mixture and cook until the Egg starts to set firm up around the sides.
- 1Place under 400 broiler for about 4 minutes or until the egg is nice and golden brown on top.
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