This is a post about two egg dishes. An egg dish to start your day and the other to end it. They are the brianchildren of our friend and Cook the Farm colleague, Annie.

Annie is a master of deadpan comedy, always up for a card game, and has a mischievous streak that results in hilarious quips and illicit taste tests. She is fantastic.

She’s an honorary member of the convent group because she lives with a host family but occasionally comes to cook in our kitchen. There are some of her master creations.

First the pancake. Annie says this is her go-to breakfast meal in L.A. I was skeptical, I must admit, but the result is a fluffy and substantial pancake that leaves you full but not heavy, energized but not stuffed; a real winner in a convent kitchen where maple syrup is a non-entity and breakfast is usually a hard-boiled egg, basta.

Annie recommends playing with the ingredients, subbing out coconut oil for butter, or almond milk for the ricotta, and adding vanilla essence, too.

 

Banana Pancakes

Feeds 2

Takes 20 minutes to combine and fry

Ingredients:

2 bananas, mashed

2 eggs

4 Tbl ricotta

1 tsp cinnamon

A pat of butter for frying

 

Procedure

1. Mash your bananas and eggs together

2. Add the ricotta and spices

3. Heat a frying pan with a pat of butter

4. Ladle the banana mixture into the size of pancake you like and cook on one side until holes begin to appear in the dough

5. Flip the pancake and cook 3-5 minutes until done

6. Repeat until the batter is done

 

On the other side of the spectrum is this savory dinner, a light and healthy meal and an excellent way to use up leftover veggies. It’s also a pretty impressive dish, ending with a festive flip.

 

Veggie Frittata

Feeds 2 as a main, 4 as a side

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced

A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

A handful of mushrooms

5 eggs, beaten

Salt and pepper to season

¾  c. cheese, grated (to your liking, we used cacciocavallo)

 

Procedure

1. Prep your veggies and fry them on medium heat, starting with softening the onion, then the cherry tomatoes and mushrooms. As Annie says, “Let them become friends.”

2. Beat the eggs and grated cheese on the side

3. Once the veggies are softened, pour the egg and cheese mixture into the same frying pan. Keep the heat on medium and let the mixture set.

4. Here comes the flip! To flip the frittata, use a spatula to loosen the whole frittata from the pan, lay a plate on top of the frying pan and firmly flip the pan onto the plate. Gently slide the frittata back into the pan and let cook. You’ll need to repeat this impressive maneuver at least once more to even out cooking. Make sure your last flip is seen by guests for maximum effect.

Thanks, Annie and buono appetito, tutti!

Our loot from citrus day. Annie is on the far left.