Posted by kathryn in Vegetables, Eggs, Dinners, Spring and Lunch

I don’t usually write product reviews or take part in campaigns on Limes and Lycopene. I try to keep this an advertising and PR free space.

However today I’m making an exception for the Mushrooms Go Pink campaign, which aims to raise $50,000 for breast cancer research during October. I know many people affected by breast cancer, including family members, friends and clients. My contribution? A pink mushroom dish, which of course includes beetroot.

Frittatas are easy-peasy, weeknight food. Something you can make in one pan, cram full of vegetables and top with whatever is in the fridge. Nutritionally this particular frittata combines antioxidant rich beetroot, with B vitamin and antioxidant containing mushrooms, plus protein packed eggs. I topped the frittata with a dairy free kind of pesto, made from coriander, miso, garlic and walnuts.

It’s bloomin’ delicious.

Mushroom and Beetroot Frittata

This recipe is sponsored by the Australian Mushroom Growers Association who compensated me for creating the recipe and supplied fresh mushrooms to cook it with.

1 small onion
2 – 3 beetroot
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups mushrooms
5 eggs

For the “pesto”:

1/2 bunch coriander
1/4 cup walnuts
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon miso
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat your grill to its highest setting.

Make the pesto: Chop the roots off the coriander and give it a good wash. Roughly chop the stalks and leaves and place in the bowl of your food processor. Add the walnuts, garlic, miso and olive oil and blend for a couple of minutes until the ingredients are well combined. Have a taste and add more miso, garlic or olive oil as needed.

Cook the onion & beetroot: Cut the onion in half and thinly slice. Peel and grate the beetroot. Place a frying pan over a medium heat. Pour in the olive oil and once it’s hot, but not smoking, add the onion and beetroot. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 6 – 8 minutes, until the vegies are softened and the onion is starting to turn translucent.

Add the mushrooms: Cut the mushrooms into quarters and once the onion and beetroot are softened, add the mushrooms to the pan. Don’t worry if this looks really crowded, as mushrooms reduce in size while cooking. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.

Add the eggs: Crack the eggs into a bowl, season with salt and pepper and lightly beat together with a fork. Turn the heat under the frying pan up to high. Pour in the eggs and cook on high for 1 minute. Turn the heat down to medium and continue cooking for 5 – 6 minutes, until the egg is starting to set around the edges of the pan.

Finish the frittata: Dollop a few splodges of pesto on top of the frittata and place under the hot grill. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes, until the frittata is set and the top is golden.

Cooking and storage:

When I make frittata there’s rarely any leftover. However you can store leftovers in the fridge overnight, and it makes an excellent lunch to take to work the next day.

Leftover pesto can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days. It can also be stored in the freezer. If you don’t fancy walnuts and coriander I have another dairy free pesto recipe here.

21 October, 2011