I think one of my favorites things about my organic CSA, aside from the fact that it is local, organic, in season, flavorful, fresh out of the ground AND affordable, is that I am challenged to make dishes using whatever is in the box that week. I’ve had a lot of eggplant recently, and if you read my post Quinoa and Veggie Stuffed Eggplant then you know that I’m fairly new to cooking and eating eggplant.
I’ve tried several dishes using the eggplant, including cauliflower and eggplant pizza crust (hope to post that recipe soon), stuffed eggplant (as mentioned above), and roasted with other fresh veggies. However, this frittata may be my favorite way of preparing it yet – it somehow disguises the eggplant’s spongy texture.
Check out the hole on the right side (corn is also from CSA), my first reaction? Ugh, worm. Second thought? Well, guess that’s proof that they are organic/pesticide free. So, in reality, I’m paying extra for that worm! Several of them have had small holes and a worm at the top, I just cut off the affected area, wash it good and move on.
This frittata actually came together because I had some left-over sausage I needed to use up and wasn’t sure what to do with it. (We had some friends over for football and I made several different pizzas, one with pepperoni and sausage.) So after scouring the internet for different frittata recipes using sausage and/or eggplant, I pulled ideas from the most appealing, combined and changed ingredients based on what I had on hand and ended up with this Eggplant, Sausage and Flax Frittata.
BENEFITS OF EGGPLANT:
- High in Antioxidants, especially chlorogenic acid, which helps fight free radicals, is shown to help lower bad cholesterol, and can help protect against cancer.
- Excellent source of dietary fiber, which can help protect against colon cancer and keeps the digestive system in order.
- Good source of vitamins A, B, and C.
- Rich in minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorous.
BENEFITS OF SAUSAGE:
- High in dietary protein which helps maintain muscle mass, provide energy and allow for the production of healthy hormones
- Low in carbohydrates, good for those following the Paleo lifestyle.
- Good source of potassium, helps regulate blood pressure and digestive system.
BENEFITS OF FLAXSEED:
- Helps lower risk of heart disease, contains Omega-3, which helps reduce bad cholesterols and blood pressure.
- Good source of Lignans, an antioxidant which helps protect against breast, ovarian, uterine and prostrate cancers.
- Contains insoluble and soluble fiber, the latter being able to slow the rise of blood-sugar levels after a meal (good for those with pre-diabetes or diabetes).
- As a good source of fiber, it also helps regulate bowel movements and to prevent constipation.
Overall I was really happy with the outcome, the flavor of the sausage is prominent, but well complimented by the eggplant. The corn and onion add a nice touch of sweetness, while the parmesan and flax add great texture. We ate it for dinner but it would be wonderful for breakfast, brunch or left-over lunches.
If you’re a frittata fan, I hope you’ll give this a try – as always, I’d love to hear from you!
Eggplant, Sausage and Flax Frittata
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 medium eggplant approx 4 cups chopped
- 1 cup cooked and drained sausage
- 3 ears of corn
- 1 poblano pepper
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 8 organic free-range eggs
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray two quiche dishes with coconut oil cooking spray.
- Add chopped onions, minced garlic and 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil to large skillet, cook approximately 3-5 minutes.
- Add chopped eggplant to onion and cook until tender. Remove onions and eggplant to large bowl.
- Add cooked sausage to eggplant mixture and set aside.
- Cut fresh corn off cob and add to skillet along with chopped poblano pepper and remaining 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil.
- Cook corn and pepper 3-5 minutes then combine with eggplant/sausage mixture.
- Chop spinach and add to skillet, cook until tender and combine with corn and eggplant.
- Stir veggies and sausage until well combined and spread evenly into two prepared quiche dishes.
- Sprinkle ground flaxmeal and parmesan cheese over veggie mixture.
- Combine eggs, almond milk and salt and pepper in small bowl and whisk until well mixed.
- Pour egg mixture over veggies in quiche dishes (split equally) and make sure all veggies are covered. Top with 1/4 cup shredded cheese over each quiche dish.
- Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven, sprinkle with paprika and bake additional 2 minutes.
- Top with additional parmesan cheese and fresh herbs (I used chives and parsley), cool and serve!
Nutrition
Benefits of eggplant and quinoa taken from LIVESTRONG and MindBodyGreen
