bacon and zucchini frittata

since it was looking like rain earlier, i decided to play in the kitchen.  because why not?  i decided an almost-july needs bacon...even if there aren't any worthy tomatoes to go with it yet.  and i had a zucchini left over from what dad gave me.  so i decided on a frittata.  because they're easy.  and they taste good.

this recipe took a total of about one hour, and it is probably sufficient to feed a brian for four meals.  jealous yet?

ingredients:
- one pound bacon
- one zucchini
- 8 eggs
- milk
- parmesan cheese
- shredded cheddar cheese
- texas pete
- ground hot pepper
- seasoned salt
- paprika
- garlic powder
- basil
- cayenne pepper

preparation:
crack the eggs into a bowl and mix thoroughly.  add in about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of milk.  additionally, mix in 5-6 shakes of hot sauce, ground hot pepper, cayenne pepper (not too much), a little seasoned salt, paprika, garlic powder, and basil.  stir in shavings of real parmesan cheese...not that fake kraft powder.  nothing against the fake kraft powder, by the way...it has it's place.  i just happened to have some real parmesan that i felt like using.

take a whole package of bacon and cut it into thirds.  fry in skillet on medium to medium-high heat until browned and crispy.  i didn't think to time it, but i would guess the bacon frying took around 20 minutes or so.  drain the grease, and add the zucchini, chunked.  (and yes, "chunked" is a technical term).  at this time, start preheating the oven to 350°F.

once the squash is browned, pour in the egg mixture.  be sure to stir it all together to adequately mix the squash, bacon, and eggs.  also, the parmesan shavings will be on top, so mix them in, as well.  sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese, ground black pepper, and some paprika on top.  continue cooking on medium-high until the edges begin to congeal.

move the skillet into the oven and bake for 25 minutes; the top should be nicely browned, and the egg will be set (and not runny) when poked with a fork.

verdict:
i have to say that i got the bacon about right...it turned out nice and crunchy inside the frittat, but it didn't get to that point of complete brittleness.  and the zucchini was also thoroughly cooked, which is nice; crunchy bacon is one thing, but crunchy squash is not generally desirable.  unless it's fried, of course.

all together, this frittata turned out  well.  i think it's an improvement over my previous attempts because i had sufficient filling ingredients; previously, i had skimped out of the misapprehension that i had a lot of filling material already.  apparently the trick is to add more when you first think you have enough...and then you might be okay.  also, anything with freshly cooked bacon has to be good!

the heat/spice factor was nice, too; there was good flavor throughout without being either overpoweringly spicy or underwhelmingly bland.  i am pleased.

roasted zucchini

my dad brought me some fresh vegetables last weekend, and i decided to try my hand at roasting zucchini.

this would be an excellent side dish.  or alternately, you could do like i did and simply eat just the squash for dinner.

- one zucchini
- olive oil
- garlic powder
- rosemary
- black pepper
- ground hot pepper


preparation:
for the purposes of this roasting experiment, i cut the zucchini lengthwise into quarters, and then i chunked these lengths into pieces about 2 inches long.  basically, i was looking for a manageable size piece (but not too small).  toss the squash with olive oil and add liberal amounts of garlic powder, rosemary, black pepper, and hot pepper.

put parchment paper on a baking sheet, and spread the zucchini on it.  roast at 400°F for 20 minutes (or until browned).  sprinkle salt on top after removing the squash from the oven.

verdict:
i've never quite noticed a nutty flavor to zucchini before, but i picked up a hint of it after the roasting process.  in terms of doneness, i think it got a little more cooked than i might have liked, but it wasn't overly limp.  also, considering the size of the vegetable i used, maybe i should have sliced the squash into eighths...that would have given more surface area and allowed for a more even seasoning.

i am pleased.