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Frittata is such a good dinner for so many reasons:

1. It tastes delicious!
2. It is really easy to make.
3. Eggs are the main ingredient so it is an inexpensive meal.
4. You can add lots of different fillings to make a different meal everytime.

I first tried frittata when my school friend Sarah Shear made it for me, then several years later I read a Delia Smith recipe and started cooking frittata myself. A few years ago I taught my Mum how to make frittata and now she often cooks it for dinner as she finds it so quick and easy, plus my Dad loves it! Now my 89 year old Grandfather said he would like to make it so here is the recipe.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• some olive oil
• 1 large onion sliced into rings
• 1 large potato sliced and cooked
• 1 large handful cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 large handful of chopped fresh herbs (basil, thyme, parsley) or 2 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 100g peas
• 4 slices of ham (roughly chopped)
• 100g grated cheese
• 6 eggs

Method:

1. Pre-heat the grill to 180
2. Pour a little olive oil into a large non-stick frying pan and fry the onions.
3. Place the eggs and the cheese to one side and add all the other ingredients to the pan with the oinons, cook on a low heat for approx 5 mins.
4. Whisk the eggs in a jug, beat them well and pour into the frying pan. Increase the heat underneath and sprinkle the cheese evenly on the top.
5. Cook the mixture on the hob, on a low heat, for roughly 10 minutes. While the mixture is still wet on the top but showing signs of cooking at the edges remove to the grill (if you continue to cook on the hob it will burn underneath before you have been able to cook it on the top!).
6. Watch the frittata and when it is set slice and serve.

Serving suggestion:

Cous cous and salad.

You can add lots of different fillings to a frittata so experiment and enjoy!

Today my Mum cooked us Sunday lunch and we had Shepherd’s Pie, a firm favourite with us all, but funnily enough it turned out to be Cottage Pie. It seems so often that regardless of whether it is beef or lamb the term Shepherd’s Pie fits, but since Shepherd’s look after sheep it has to have lamb to be a real Shepherd’s Pie. To my Dads’ delight, and my brother’s horror, my Mum always adds baked beans and sultanas to her meat but nevertheless everybody asked for seconds.

I recently found a recipe for Shepherd’s Pie by Nigella Lawson in her book How To Eat. Nigella recommends adding semolina to the meat to thicken the mixture and since I didn’t have any semolina I tried adding a tablespoon of cornflour to the meat while it was cooking. Now I’m adding a little cornflour to all my recipes using mince and finally the watery gravy I often find with these meat dishes has been replaced with a yummy thick meaty sauce.

This recipe Shepherd’s Pie with Cheese Crusted Leeks by Delia Smith has always tempted me, but I’ve yet to cook it myself. Can anybody recommend it?

Mmmmm Shepherd’s Pie. Yummy!