Stilton & sprouting broccoli frittata by Jamie Oliver.
When it comes to food, embracing your leftovers is one of the best ways to waste less and save money – you can buy a whole chicken for little more than the cost of two chicken breasts, and stretch the meat and carcass to make many amazing meals in the following days, from stir-fries to burritos to hearty broths. This doesn't just apply to meat either; having a few fail-safe recipes up your sleeve that can adapt to whatever leftover vegetables, herbs, bits of cheese or stale bread you have hanging about will ensure that you've always got a good meal waiting for you, and you'll waste less in the process.
The Italians are brilliant at using up leftovers. They have countless recipes that embrace yesterday's odds and ends, from panzanella salad (used to revive stale bread) to ribollita, a Tuscan veg and bean soup that "reboils" the previous day's cooked vegetables. Frittatas are another such meal; basically an open omelette, this humble dish is a great one for embracing literally whatever ingredients you have in the fridge – fried field mushrooms, grilled bacon and tomatoes, pieces of fried or boiled potato, asparagus, artichokes, fresh herbs, like marjoram, parsley, sage, basil, as well as feta or grated Parmesan cheese.
This week, I've used Stilton and charred broccoli for added tang and crunch and served it with a fresh, lemony parsley salad for a real taste of spring. Frittatas are a brilliant meal in that they can be eaten hot or cold at any time of day – serve it when it's hot out of the oven or pack it up for a weekday lunch or weekend picnic.
Servings: 4
Ready Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
7 ounces broccoli
Extra virgin olive oil
6 large free-range eggs
Sea salt and freshly grated pepper
½ bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup crumbled Stilton or other blue cheese
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 knob of unsalted butter
¼ cup pine nuts
Squeeze of lemon juice
Method
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Trim the broccoli, cut off the florets, then slice the stalks.
Blanch the broccoli stalks in a pan of boiling salted water for 1 to 2 minutes, then drain. Toss with the florets in a little olive oil, then griddle over a high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until charred and nearly tender.
Transfer to a bowl, then leave to cool.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Pick the parsley leaves and set aside, then finely slice the parsley stalks and add to the eggs.
Add the crumbled blue cheese and grated Parmesan, then stir in the broccoli.
Melt the butter with a splash of olive oil in an 8-inch ovenproof pan over a medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture, quickly stir a few times to let the egg settle, then cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it starts to set.
Pop the pan in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the frittata is puffed up, nicely golden and completely set.
Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over a medium heat, shaking the pan frequently, until golden.
In a serving bowl, toss the parsley leaves and toasted nuts in a splash of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Take your gorgeous frittata out of the oven and serve immediately with the salad.