Chives & Peppers Frittata (3 Banana difficulty)

You say 'Fritt-AH-ta' I say 'Fritt-AY...'  Wait, no I say 'Fritt-AH-ta' too.  We're good.
I've been enjoying the Frittata scene recently.  You can really use your imagination to what you want to add to your Frittata.  It's a bit like choosing pizza toppings.  There's quite a bit of flexibility as long as you don't add too much! 

'This Monkey' has made a Frittata with Chives & Sauteed Peppers.  Here's how it is done:

WHAT YOU NEED:
(For an 11 inch cast iron skillet)

2-3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Bell Peppers (seeded & chopped)
3 Garlic Cloves (diced)
1/2 c Chives (chopped)
12 Large Eggs
Salt to taste
1 T flour

Pepper to taste

WHAT YOU DO:
1.  Preheat your oven at 350 deg with rack in middle position.
2.  Heat 2 T of Oil in a separate skillet over medium high heat
3.  Add 1-2 T of the Oil to your CAST IRON skillet, brushing the oil along the bottom & sides.  Place in the pre heating oven.
3.  Saute your Peppers until soft about 6-8 min, then reduce heat to medium & Saute the Garlic for another 2 minutes.

4.  In a Medium Bowl, whisk the eggs together & season with salt.

5.  After the eggs are whisked, stir in the Peppers, Chives, & Flour

6.  Remove your Pre heated CAST IRON skilled from the oven (carefully) & add the Frittata Mixture.

7.  Return the CAST IRON skillet to the middle rack of the oven & Bake for 30-35 minutes. 

8.  Remove your Frittata from the oven.  The top will have slightly puffed and be darker in color.  Let it sit for 10 minutes.

9.  After it has rested for 10 minutes, you can invert a plate on top of the Frittata (in the skillet), then carefully turn the skillet upside down with the inverted plate still on top.  Your Frittata should nicely slide out of the CAST IRON skillet!

I like to serve mine with some shredded cheese, ground pepper, & sliced Avocado.  Lately I've replaced the salt & pepper with a splash of Balsamic Vinegar.  Frittatas taste great & aren't too difficult to make.  I think having a CAST IRON skillet helps with cooking. 

Here's some other's I've made recently:

(Roasted Red Peppers with Balsamic Glazed Mushrooms)

(Carrot & Potato- adapted from a NY times recipe)

Well, you know the drill.  "Anymonkeycan" make a fantastic frittata, because this one just did!

Gourmet Grown up Grilled Cheese (1-2 Banana difficulty)

Grilled Cheese or Toasted Cheese?  I grew up calling it "Toasted Cheese" but it's really not "Toasted."  It seems like most people call it "Grilled Cheese", but it's not grilled either...I'm going to go with "Grilled Cheese" because "Gourmet Grown up Grilled Cheese" sounds much better than "Gourmet Grown up Toasted Cheese"!

I loved Toasted...I mean Grilled Cheese Sandwiches when I was a kid...I mean a little monkey.  I especially loved dipping it in Tomato Soup.  Wow!  What a treat!  Well, grown up tastes call for a "Grown Up Grilled Cheese Sandwich."  That's what 'this monkey' is going to show you how to do today.

WHAT YOU NEED:
Bread (sliced), of course!  Your call on the type, I recommend some fancy artisan bread, preferable homemade.  (I'm using homemade whole wheat)
Cheese (thinly sliced), of course!  Your call on this also, however I recommend avoiding Kraft singles...unless you are going for a retro vibe.  (I'm using Mozzarella, Asiago Stella, White Cheddar)
Butter 2-3 T


OPTIONAL NEEDS:

Sauteed Peppers, Avocado, Arugula, Spinach etc.

WHAT YOU DO:

1.  Set out the butter & prepare the "optional needs" (spinach, peppers etc)

2.  Melt 1 T butter in skillet over Medium High heat

3.  Place the "Bottom" slice of bread in the melted butter & begin building your sandwich

4.  Add the top slice of bread to your sandwich

5.  After a total of 2-3 min from when you put the bottom slice in the butter, it's probably time to carefully flip your sandwich over.  So check to make sure your bread is a nicely browned.  If it is, then add about 1 T of butter to the pan, let it melt, then flip the sandwich over to cook the other side.

6.  Cook for another 1-2 min until that side is nicely browned.



Mozzarella with Spinach & Avocado



Arugula with Peppers & Avocado

7.  Enjoy your sandwich(es)!

: (

So, this isn't the healthiest of recipes...well it's not really healthy at all with the butter and cheese, but at least you can put a little spinach it it which is better than when you were a kid.  It's great to feel like a kid again though!

Well, give it a go!  It's pretty simple stuff because 'anymonkeycan' make a Gourmet Grown up Grilled Cheese sandwich!

BALSAMIC ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH CHICKPEAS (2 BANANA DIFFICULTY)

Gettin' crazy with the B-Sprouts!  Well, I guess I've gone back to the well.  I just couldn't stay away from the roasted Brussels Sprouts.  The other day I had some left over Chickpeas after making hummus.  I decided to roast some Brussels Sprouts and toss them in the left over Chickpeas to make a Chickpea-Brussels Sprouts Salad.  It was great!  And of course 'anymonkeycan' make this, Let me tell you how:

WHAT YOU NEED:

About 1 lb of Brussels Sprouts cut in half or quartered
16 oz Chickpeas
2-3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2-3 T Balsamic Vinegar
1-2 t Kosher Salt
1/4 c. Dried Cranberries (optional)
Juice of 1 Lime (optional)
Shredded Parmesan Cheese (optional)




WHAT YOU DO:

1.  Pre Heat oven to 400 deg
2.  In a Medium Bowl, add the cut Brussels Sprouts, 2 T Olive Oil, 2 T Balsamic Vinegar, 2 t Salt & stir until coated.

3. Roast the Brussels Sprouts for 30-40 min stirring occasionally for equal roasting

Pre Roast

Post Roast

4.  After the Brussels Sprouts have roasted, add the Chickpeas & Dried Cranberries to the pan, TURN OFF the oven & add the pan back into the warm oven for 5 min to heat the Chickpeas & Cranberries

Pre

Post

5.  Return everything to the medium bowl, sprinkle with Salt & stir until mixed

6.  Serve with Cheese & a drizzle of the Balsamic Vinegar

And that wraps this recipe up.  Not much to it.  I plan to make some Rice, Quinoa, or Cous Cous and serve this dish on top of it.  See, 'anymonkeycan' make delicious food because 'this one' just did!